Sizing Up The Terrapins’ Chances
Filed under: NCAA Tournament, college basketball, sports
First of all: GO TERPS! (and having got that out of the way)-here is my opinion of how the Terrapins will fare in the NCAA Tournament.
It appears that the selection committee has put Maryland into the most dangerous region in the entire tournament. With the likes of overall #1 seed Kansas, Big Ten champion Ohio State, a Georgetown team that has the capability and the talent to make a deep run, and Tom Izzo’s don’t count-them-out Spartans at the #5 seed, the top half of the bracket is not lacking for talent or quality teams. Some intriguing teams also lurking in the Midwest region: a Northern Iowa squad that many pundits are picking as a sleeper, the two teams that have beaten Kansas this year (Tennessee and Oklahoma State), and a Georgia Tech team that just beat the Terps in the ACC Tournament. The Terps will begin the tournament late on Friday night with an opening round game against the #13 seeded Houston Cougars, the winners of the Conference USA tournament. Tom Penders, the Cougars’ coach, is a veteran of the NCAA wars, having taken four different schools to the tournament and has a veteran backcourt at his disposal in Aubrey Coleman and Kelvin Lewis. Coleman is the nation’s leading scorer and Lewis is the team’s best 3-point threat. You can bet that Gary Williams will have his charges focused on those two players in particular. Maryland can and should win this game, but it will need to play good defense and rebound well. Both offenses should score points in bunches, but I think the Maryland D should be the difference.
With an opening round win, the Terps will look to take on either the Spartans or the Aggies of New Mexico State. A date with the Aggies would be more of the same for the Terps, with another team that likes to get out and run and score points, but not so great defensively. On the other hand, Michigan State presents a formidable foe. Though not as consistent as some of Izzo’s better Spartan teams, this team is not devoid of talent. Kalin Lucas was last season’s Big Ten Player of the Year, and Raymar Morgan and Delvon Roe are big bodies who can bang down low. A trademark of Izzo teams are defensive intensity and rebounding. If Maryland wants to beat the Spartans, it will have to match the intensity and make shots in a grind it out type of game. Should the Terps survive the second round, I’m pretty certain Kansas will await them in the regional semifinals in St. Louis. The Jayhawks appear to be the most balanced, the deepest and most well-rounded team in the entire tournament. Their season has been nothing short of dominant, save for two losses to Tennessee and Oklahoma State (both of whom are in this regional). I believe, should the Terps get this far, it would take the perfect game to derail Kansas.
So I believe the Terrapins have what it takes to get to the Sweet Sixteen, but not further. But it will take two good to great efforts, with great shooting, determined defense and the experience that a senior-led backcourt can bring to get them there. After that, who knows…an upset over Kansas is the type of thing that makes March great. I just wouldn’t bet the house on it.
Some Thoughts About The Bracket
Filed under: ACC, NCAA Tournament, college basketball, sports
Well, all the talking of strength of schedule, Top 25 wins, Top 50 wins, RPI, road victories, home victories and Bubble Watches is over. Now’s the time when the game gets serious. The 2010 NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed yesterday after 6:00 PM and offered a few surprises, as it does every year. I have a few thoughts regarding the bracket which I will share here:
- First off the top, I would love for someone to explain with a straight face how Duke was seeded ahead of Syracuse on the #1 line. There was debate right up until the last minute as to whether Duke would get the #1 seed at all (I’m not so sure they deserved it). Particularly when you consider comparable stats, Syracuse was better. You can’t tell me that because Syracuse was a one and done in the Big East Tournament and Duke cruised to the ACC Tournament title that those games pushed them over the top.
- Surprise, but not really: the exclusion of Virginia Tech. You just knew when they went out against the last-place Miami Hurricanes in the ACC Tournament that they would be once again sitting on pins and needles looking for a bid. And in a year where the bubble was a soft as Charmin, the Hokies were left out. Ironically, the team that might have taken their spot was in the same conference. Georgia Tech was widely considered prior to the conference tournament as a bubble team, while Virginia Tech seemed to have done enough. But with the Yellow Jackets’ run through the tournament, winning three games and playing Duke fairly close in the conference title game, plus their stronger schedule vs. the Hokies’ schedule, probably got Georgia Tech in and kept Virginia Tech out.
- Maryland has an interesting draw. A first round game against a Houston team that won the Conference USA Tournament and features the country’s leading scorer in Aubrey Coleman, and a coach in Tom Penders who’s been around the block a few times makes this a potential nip and tuck game. Should the Terps survive, they may have a date with Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans. I love my Terps, but I’m not so certain they can beat the Spartans. Should they get by their Big Ten competition, Kansas-the overall #1 seed-awaits in the Sweet Sixteen. Yikes.
- Georgetown, fresh off a run in the Big East tournament which left them a basket short from a championship, somehow manages to also be in the same Midwest region as Maryland, but on the lower half of the bracket. If the Hoya team that showed up at Madison Square Garden shows up in this tournament, they will be a very tough out. If the team that got drilled by South Florida at home is in play, they could go out early. With Georgetown, the talent is there; it’s all about effort and consistency.
- The State of Maryland got two teams in the big dance, and while I’ve already spoken about the Terps, let’s hear it for Morgan State. For the second consecutive season, the Bears won the MEAC conference tournament and get in to face a big conference power. This year, the Bears take on West Virginia, coming off a Big East Tournament win. It’s another big mountain to climb, but Todd Bozeman will certainly have his squad ready to go. But whether or not they can beat the Mountaineers, it remains to be seen.
Just like a lot of other folks, I’ll be filling out a bracket (at least one) and will share those picks online, along with my experiences while completing the bracket and watching the games. Enjoy the madness!
Filling Out The Dance Card For The Locals
Filed under: NCAA Tournament, college basketball, following the locals, sports
Excuses, excuses. I have my share, and probably shouldn’t make any when it comes to this here blog. That said, it’s a wonder I have gotten anything up here at all given how busy I have been both at home and at work (along with my duties at the Baltimore Sports Report). A tradition here at Mind Pinball (if you want to call something a tradition that actually has only been around for a year) is to take a look at the colleges competing at the Division I level to see how they are faring to get into the NCAA Tournament. Many of the schools are smaller and play in conferences that usually only get the automatic bid winner in the tournament, which makes their conference tournaments that much more meaningful than say the ACC or Big East conferences. Because I have been a little late with this post, some of the schools I’ll mention have already seen their NCAA dreams fall short, as the conference tournaments began this past Tuesday. So we will go around and about and see how things have gone thus far:
- Maryland: The Terps have an NCAA berth locked up. ACC conference tournament play begins on Thursday, where the Terps will only be playing for seeding. Such is life in the bigger conferences.
- UMBC: After winning the conference tournament two years ago (getting the school’s first NCAA Tournament bid) and getting to the final of the conference tournament last year, the Retrievers fell with a thud this season. Their season ended yesterday with a 76-59 loss to Vermont in the America East conference tournament quarterfinals. UMBC finishes the 2009-2010 season with a 4-26 record (3-13) in conference. Coach Randy Monroe’s team will look to improve next season as he loses just two seniors.
- Georgetown: Hey, I know they are in DC, but I consider them “local”. Georgetown has a berth in the tournament locked up as well. The free-for-all that is the Big East tournament begins on Tuesday. Georgetown will be looking to get a bit more consistent; the talent is there to do big things in March.
- Towson: Coach Pat Kennedy and the Tigers saw their season come to an end yesterday with a loss to top-seeded Old Dominion in the Colonial Athletic Conference tournament. The 86-56 loss dropped their record to 10-21 on the season (6-12 in conference). The Tigers beat North Carolina-Wilmington in the opening round before bowing out.
- Loyola (Md.): Former Terp assistant coach Jimmy Patsos is working to get Loyola into the upper reaches of the conference in terms of hoops and not his actions. The journey continues for Loyola but the action will have to wait for next season, as the Greyhounds fell to Manhattan in the opening round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament on Friday. The 94-79 defeat (to a team the ‘Hounds beat just five days prior) closes the book on their season with a 13-17 record (6-12 in conference).
- Coppin State: The Eagles are getting ready for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament. The Eagles would need to win the tournament to have any shot at a berth in the NCAA tourney. Not that they haven’t done it before: Two years ago, they came from nowhere to get the MEAC automatic bid, beating crosstown rival Morgan State to get there. Ron “Fang” Mitchell has to be hoping for more of the same type of magic this year as well. The journey begins with a game against the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks in the opening round.
- Maryland-Eastern Shore: The Hawks will once again attempt to make their first ever NCAA tournament. The journey begins with a game against Coppin State in the MEAC tournament. As a resident of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, it would do my heart proud to see the Hawks get in. However, they are seeded sixth, and if they should run though the MEAC and get the automatic bid, they will no doubt be headed to Dayton for the dreaded “play-in” game.
- Morgan State: The Bears are also getting ready for the MEAC tournament. They will be the top seed and the favorite for the third year in a row. Coach Todd Bozeman will be looking to make a return trip to the dance with leading scorer Reggie Holmes leading the way. The Bears have a bye into the quarterfinals, where they will meet the winner of the Howard-North Carolina A&T game. A berth in the N.I.T. awaits should the team fall short.
- Mount St. Mary’s: The Mountaineers are looking for their second NCAA berth in three seasons, as they take part in the Northeast Conference Tournament. Coach Milan Brown is riding the hottest team in the conference, having won 11 straight games which includes their quarterfinal win on Thursday against St. Francis (Pa.). The Mount has a date with second-seeded Robert Morris for a spot in the NEC championship game on Wednesday night. Certainly the Mountaineers should be full of confidence, as they have beaten both of the top two seeds in the tournament this season.
- Navy: The Midshipmen’s season ended back on Wednesday with a loss to another “local” squad the American Eagles in the Patriot League tournament. The 62-60 quarterfinal loss to the two-time defending Patriot League champions dropped Navy to a 13-17 record (7-7 in conference). Coach Billy Lange will try to get the Middies to bounce back next season, as it has been quite a while since the Academy has gone dancing.
- American: Jeff Jones and his squad have some work to do to get back to the tournament for the third straight season. They face a tall order tonight, taking on top-seeded Lehigh for a spot in Friday’s championship game. If the Eagles want to host the championship game at Bender Arena, they will need seventh-seeded Holy Cross to take out third-seeded Lafayette this afternoon.
A few notes: George Washington is preparing for the A-10 tournament, as the tenth-seeded Colonials face seventh-seed Dayton in an opening round game on Tuesday. George Mason, the darlings of the nation four years ago when they made it to the final four, may be headed for the N.I.T. as the Patriots lost to Virginia Commonwealth yesterday in the CAA quarterfinals. Delaware’s season ended on Friday with a loss to VCU in the CAA opening round. Delaware State is looking forward to the MEAC tournament, where they are seeded second and have a bye to the quarterfinals. The Hornets will play the winner of the Bethune Cookman-Florida A&M game.
No matter what team or teams you may follow, enjoy the basketball. I know I will.
Boldin Comes To Ravens
Maybe a year later than everyone wanted, but now it has finally happened. The Baltimore Ravens made a trade with the Arizona Cardinals to acquire Anquan Boldin on Friday, getting a fifth-round draft pick in the upcoming draft as well, in exchange for the club’s 2010 third- and fourth-round picks. I’m not going to lie; last year when this was mentioned I thought that trading for Boldin would cost the Ravens too much. Then after last season, when the team had no threat to stretch the field, this deal makes sense for a lot of reasons. The Ravens needed a proven receiver that could make plays downfield and also needed that threat to allow Joe Flacco to keep his development on the upswing. With the addition of Donte Stallworth, the Ravens have significantly improved their wide receiver group. Boldin was also signed to a four-year deal worth $28 million.
While I’m not heading down to the printer to get my Ravens Super Bowl or Bust! posters yet, these two moves significantly improve on one the Ravens’ weaknesses last season; the lack of a downfield threat. The Ravens still need to find another pass rusher as well as another cornerback/defensive back in my opinion in order to seriously contend for the Super Bowl. The fact that Ozzie Newsome, who loves to build the Ravens through the draft, was willing to part with two draft picks means that he and the Ravens braintrust feel that the club is a few pieces away from making a serious run for the title.
Another concern regarding both Boldin and Stallworth is whether or not both can stay healthy. Boldin has had injury-plagued seasons recently, and Stallworth is a few years removed from playing a full season; is it too much to expect him to make it through a season after he was suspended for all of last season? Their health certainly is a concern; also it will be interesting to see how they will be used in the offense. The Ravens are primarily a running team, but the need for a downfield threat can certainly give defenses pause if they want to load up the box to stop the running game. The braintrust also needs to get some depth along the defense, as some of the starters aren’t getting any younger.
The excitement has certainly been ratcheted up a few notches at 1 Winning Drive. Fans, stay tuned for future developments.
The ACC Bubble Watch
Filed under: ACC, NCAA Tournament, college basketball, sports
If you haven’t been living under a rock, you know that the month of March signals the beginning of March Madness. I will definitely be keeping track of things all month long, from the small conference tournaments through the national championship game. But before we get to that final destination, we still have a few days until one of the great holy days on the sports calendar: Selection Sunday. Between now and then, teams will play their way into, or out of, the NCAA tournament. Those teams who inclusion in the tournament seems in doubt are often said to be “on the bubble.” The first of many posts about March Madness will take a look at those teams considered to be on the bubble in the ACC.
Depending on where you look, the ACC as of this writing has three or four safe teams, or locks, and three or four teams on the bubble. For the purposes of this exercise, Duke, Maryland and Clemson will be considered in the tournament. Wake Forest is close to being a lock, and according to several sites is in the safe zone as of today. I will say that Wake isn’t exactly finishing strong, having lost three in a row with two difficult games on tap to close out the regular season-a road game against Florida State and a home game against Clemson. The Florida State game may amount to a play-in game, with both teams needing a win to shore up their body of work. With a couple more wins, Wake may play their way off the bubble.
That leaves three remaining teams to discuss: Florida State, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. It appears that the Seminoles (RPI 54) have the best upside of the three, with some great numbers and wins in their favor (wins over Marquette, and a 3-0 record against Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech). However, the non-conference strength of schedule is weak, and they have a 6-7 record against the RPI top 100 which includes a loss to a Florida team also on the bubble. The one bad loss is to NC State. The Seminoles should get in, but a loss to Miami in the regular season finale will cause some doubts.
Virginia Tech (RPI 52) has been a surprise in the conference, but their national profile is suspect . The non-conference strength of schedule is even weaker than Florida State’s, they are on a three-game losing streak and their record is 5-5 against the RPI top 100. They also have losses to Boston College and Miami. Tonight’s game against NC State is a must win, and the finale against Georgia Tech is another potential bubble buster. Virginia Tech needs to win at least two games; if they split their final two regular season contests they will definitely need to win a game in the ACC tournament. No matter what, the Hokies cannot afford to lose to the Wolfpack. Even if they win those two games, there’s a good chance they will be on pins and needles again on Selection Sunday (as it seems they are almost every year).
While Georgia Tech has some great stats in their favor (high strength of schedule, and RPI of 35), they also have some demerits. Even though they have some of the best wins of the three teams on the bubble (Duke, Siena, Wake Forest, Clemson, Charlotte) they are 7-8 against teams in the RPI top 100 and also have two bad losses to Miami and Virginia. They also have a loss to Dayton (also on the bubble) on the resume, and were swept by Florida State. The regular season finale against the Hokies is a key game to watch for both teams, as the winner may go dancing and the loser may be headed to the N.I.T.
Stay tuned over the next ten days to see what happens.
Why Greivis Vasquez May Not Be The ACC Player Of The Year
Hello, Terp Fans! Got your attention have I?
For this post, mindpinball becomes Ethan Hunt (or Jim Phelps, if your memory goes back that far) of the Impossible Missions Force. Today’s task: come up with reasons why Greivis Vasquez will not be the ACC Player of the Year. As it happens, I think he is the frontrunner; with a great performance against Duke on Senior Night, he should just about put the competition away (especially if the Terps get a W). Nevertheless, if Vasquez does not win POY, here are some reasons (plausibility of which may be in question) why:
- The ACC is based in North Carolina, which makes it difficult (yet not impossible) for a player who doesn’t play for one of the North Carolina schools to win POY. Of course it has happened, all of fourteen times in fifty-seven seasons. A Maryland player has won the award five times previously: Albert King (1980), Len Bias (1985, 1986), Joe Smith (1995) and Juan Dixon (2002). Surely the voters wouldn’t take it away from Greivis, would they? If so, it may be because of reason number 2:
- The Duke Factor. Given the fact that the Blue Devils may be the class of the conference, they have to have at least one player of the year candidate. They may in fact have two: Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler. However, Singler-the preseason pick for player of the year-has not been quite as good as expected. Scheyer has done about as well as expected. Given the love affair some people have with Duke, you’d have to think that if Scheyer outplays Vasquez tonight, coupled with a Duke victory, it could be enough to put him over the top.
- The player from out of nowhere. I don’t know if this will apply or not, given Saturday’s results, but Malcolm Delaney of Virginia Tech was having a stellar season as well. He is the primary reason Virginia Tech should finish in the upper half of the conference standings-not bad for a team picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll. However, with Greivis outplaying him Saturday, Delaney’s stock may have dropped a bit.
- The “I don’t like Greivis” campaign. This may be the weakest argument yet. From the U-S-A chants at NC State, to the folks (and they are out there) who don’t like Vasquez’s flash and swagger, to his playing to the crowd, he may not have as many votes in his corner as he needs. Despite all that, his season cannot be denied (unless one of the other three arguments come into play).
That’s all I got folks. Believe me, I am not trying to jinx his chances. Thank you for reading. This post may (but probably won’t) self-destruct as soon as you finish.
Terps Clamp Down On Defense, Wear Down Clemson
The Maryland Terrapins claimed their fourth win in a row and solidified their hold on second place in the ACC with a come from behind win over the Clemson Tigers by the score of 88-79. The Terps were led by Sean Mosley’s 20 points, but the most important player was Greivis Vasquez. Vasquez struggled with his shot all game, but managed to score 15 points, while piling up 13 assists, and adding 3 steals and 2 rebounds. Jordan Williams, whose development seems to grow game to game added 18 points and Eric Hayes chipped in with 15.
The game itself was a tale of two halves. In the first half, Clemson bombed away from three point land, making (for them) an uncharacteristic 50 percent of their three-point attempts in the first half. The Maryland defense seemed a step slow, with Clemson getting a lot of wide open looks that they were converting. Even when Clemson missed, they were taking advantage on the offensive glass-a problem the Terps also had against Georgia Tech in their last game. At one point, the Tigers ran off 15 unanswered points and eventually built the lead up to 15 points. The Terps were reeling at several points in the half, but managed to cut to the lead to 11 points by halftime.
In the second half, the Terps turned up the defense and Clemson’s open looks started to disappear. And as those open looks disappeared, the Tigers cooled off from their hot shooting start. The Terps gradually reduced the lead, and as the tightened defense began to wear down the Tigers, the Terps took control of the game. A 24-6 run turned a 61-53 deficit to a 77-67 lead with six minutes to play. From there, Vasquez and the Terps made enough plays to keep control and seal the win.
With the win, and the loss by Virginia Tech to Boston College, the Terps tightened their grip on second place in the ACC. However, a showdown with the Hokies in Blacksburg looms on Saturday. And there are some things to be concerned about-the slow start, the troubles on the glass (Clemson had 14 offensive rebounds and outrebounded the Terps 47-34) and their usually reliable free-throw shooting went missing. Despite all of that, it was a good win against a very determined Clemson team. The win give the Terps 10 conference wins, and keeps them undefeated at home in conference play. Games like these will serve to give the Terps confidence heading into March.
Polls, Meaningless Polls
Filed under: ACC, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, college basketball, sports
If you read the Toy Department, the Baltimore Sun’s fine sports blog, you would have seen a post from Kevin Cowherd about the lack of respect the men’s basketball team at the University of Maryland is getting in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll. Cowherd bemoans the fact that the Terps, despite winning three games in six days last week, still couldn’t crack the Top 25. I got news for Cowherd: the polls in college basketball are meaningless.
That’s right, meaningless.
Now if this were college football, where only the top two teams in something called the BCS standings (a combination of polls and computer models that determine who plays for Division I’s college football championship) would play for the title, then this would be something of an outrage, but not even that much. I don’t think anyone in their right mind thinks that Maryland is one of the two best basketball teams in the nation; if so, it may be time to get that person’s head examined. However, the point being made is that the polls in college basketball serve as a snapshot of a particular moment in time during the regular season. It makes no determination in who plays for a championship, which is a good thing. For as we all know, in college basketball, the champion is determined on the court. Sure it’s nice to be ranked at this time of the year, but so what? Being ranked doesn’t win games; playing smart, tough, efficient basketball is what wins games. Do that enough times, win enough games, and it would be hard for the AP voters not to notice, and guess what? You become a ranked team.
So hearing that Gary Williams has railed for years that the nation doesn’t give Maryland the respect it deserves…well it doesn’t surprise me. This year, though Maryland is a victim of the perception of the ACC conference. Pundits everywhere are claiming that the ACC this year is weaker, and more watered-down than in years past. This perception is based on the thinking that has existed for years: as Duke and the North Carolina go, so goes the ACC. So this year, with Duke the only ranked team in the conference and North Carolina struggling mightily, the conference is perceived as weak. Because of that perception, Maryland (and Virginia Tech as well) fail to be ranked, yet both are among the teams receiving votes.
The way for the Terps to get respect is to keep winning games. The closing stretch of games (Clemson and Duke at home, Virginia Tech and Virginia on the road) does them no favors. But if the Terps do take three out of four of those, they finish the regular season with a 22-8 record, with 12 wins in conference-which should be good enough for the NCAA tournament no matter where the Terps are ranked.
Tiger Woods Speaks: The World Listens
So now Tiger is E.F. Hutton? (For those of you who aren’t familiar with the old commercial, the catchphrase was: “when E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.”
Tiger Woods. Great golfer. Cheating husband. The terms are not mutually exclusive, of course. Today at 11 AM, Mr. Woods is holding a “press conference,” or for him a carefully crafted media opportunity. He will read (or have memorized) a statement, purportedly containing another apology, and will give some idea of his golfing future plans. He will not take, or answer, any questions. He will be surrounded by a few chosen reporters, friends and close associates (which I take to be his agents/handlers).
Truthfully, the only person on the earth he needs to apologize to is his wife. Period. His kids too, at some point because they will have to deal with the fact that Tiger wasn’t what he claimed he was, and what he was had been brought to light in possibly the worst way, primarily because of who he was, and the image he had created for himself.
Personally, I really am not all that interested in what he says. He is no better, or no worse than any other man who got caught cheating on his spouse-he’s just more celebrated, more famous, richer and more talented with a golf club in his hands. Apparently, this event today is going to get massive media coverage, just as every tidbit, every sliver of insignificant news about the events following the accident on Thanksgiving night has gotten. As my wife would say, “it’s not that serious.”
The golf writers boycotting the event tomorrow? Insignificant in that they aren’t allowed to ask him any questions-and all anyone has for Tiger now are questions. He really only need answer questions from his wife and family-as to why he did what he did. No matter what happens, he still will be hard to access-and after this, he probably will be even harder to get a hold of, or pin down.
The sooner he gets back to playing golf, he’ll probably feel more at ease. But some people will never look at him the same again. Because he proved to be a mere mortal, a human being with flaws. If you’ve seen his behavior on the golf course, you’ve already known this. How he throws his clubs, his propensity to curse and drop the F-bomb when hitting a bad shot. It may be what makes Tiger “Tiger,” but it’s not exactly proper decorum on the course. Perhaps these past three months have forced Tiger to come face to face with the fact that it’s time to grow up just a bit. Of course, I’m nowhere near able to walk a step in his shoes, so my advice is probably pretty meaningless. But the simplest fact is also the most true: if you want to play around with lots of women, you cannot, or should not be married to one.
And that, is the lesson that Tiger needs to learn-if he hasn’t already-most of all.
Breaking Up The Old Gang
Filed under: NBA, basketball, following the locals, sports
I realize that it had to happen. Had to go down this way.
I realize that Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood had to go. There was no way to keep playing out the charade of the Wizards being a viable playoff contender. Yet it doesn’t make it any easier to take. But the organization had to get what they could for them while their value was high. In what was becoming yet another lost season, the Wizards had to lick their wounds and come back to fight another day, even if that day is further in the distance than anyone thought.
I realize that only a cock-eyed optimist could see what was left of the Wizards after Gilbert Arenas’s departure and think that a playoff team was in residence. Even with Gilbert it was a stretch to believe it, given the way the team was playing. But as a fan, I had hoped for better. I hoped someone, somewhere would teach them how to defend. How to distribute the ball and get good, makeable shots. But it wasn’t to be.
And in a season that has seen the so-called “star” of the team suspended for what amounts to about 70% of the season for of all things, bringing his arsenal of weaponry into the locker room at Verizon Center-in what is not only a violation of Washington D.C. law, but the NBA’s own collective bargaining agreement-something drastic was going to happen. You knew it would, it was just a question of when.
The dominoes began to fall on Saturday of All-Star weekend, when general manager Ernie Grunfeld dealt Butler, Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson to Dallas for Josh Howard, Drew Gooden and a couple of other bodies, but no draft picks. Gooden never even set foot on the court for the Wizards, having been traded four days later to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a three-team deal that sent Antawn Jamison to Cleveland to play with LeBron James. I can’t say how happy Butler and Jamison may be; both stated on several occasions that they wanted to win in Washington, but given the current state of the franchise they have to be happy that they have left basketball purgatory and now have a chance to play for a championship, something both of them have wanted to do. Haywood leaving doesn’t leave me feeling hot or cold; yes he was becoming a competent center, but I’ve never liked him all that much. Stevenson was never as good as he thought he was, in my opinion-so no real loss there. Grunfeld’s trade deadline dealing has freed up cap room for the Wizards to hopefully sign some decent free agents to begin the rebuilding process-if he is even around to do the rebuilding. No matter who the architect is that will attempt to rebuild this franchise yet again-who do they think they can bring in that would even want to play for the Wizards?
If you want to get an idea of what jazzes fans of the Wizards, the fact that there is talk of changing the team name back to the Bullets actually got people excited. They could be called Lez Boulet, it wouldn’t make them play any better. It’s the players IN the jerseys, not the name on the front that will make the team better. As for me, more losing is in store, for certain, but will I care? How much longer will I wait until the Wizards/Bullets/whatchamacallits finally climb back to respectability? If you know me, you know how I roll. I’ll stick with them no matter what. But this kind of rebuilding is hard to take. Especially since the brain trust would’ve had you believe that with Gilbert, Caron and Antawn the team was a few pieces away from contending for a championship. After Eddie Jordan took the fall last season despite not even having Arenas around because Grunfeld thought the team should have won more games-is Flip Saunders looking to get out or will he be pushed because the team should be better? No one could believe this team is better now than it was before Saturday-unless they are a cock-eyed optimist. Maybe if/when Ted Leonsis is given control of the Wizards a rebuilding we can believe in may take place. Or it just might be like I always say-the franchise is cursed.
Twitter: @mindpinball
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- Sizing Up The Terrapins’ Chances: First of all: GO TERPS! (and having got that out of the way)-here is my opinion ... http://bit.ly/b5SZWa
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baltimoresun.com – Sports- Tiger Woods announces he'll return to golf for The Masters March 16, 2010PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods will return to golf at the Masters next month. […]
- College lacrosse: Towson men shock Navy for 1st win of year March 16, 2010Pastirik's goal with six seconds left lifts Towson over Navy The Towson men's lacrosse team is winless no longer. […]
- Steve Johnson headed back to Orioles March 16, 2010Giants offer right-hander, son of Dave Johnson, back to Baltimore Steve Johnson, the 22-year-old right-hander from Baltimore whom the Orioles lost last December in the Rule 5 draft, is on his way back to the organization. […]
- Ravens Insider: Dwan Edwards reaches deal with Buffalo March 16, 2010[…]
- Pitching, defense lead Orioles to 3-1 win over Minnesota March 16, 2010Six Orioles pitchers threw eight shutout innings against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, but it was center fielder Jeff Salazar who should be credited with the save. […]
- CHAT WRAP Orioles Q&A with Peter Schmuck March 16, 2010Orioles pitcher Jeremy Guthrie (center), pitching coach Rick Kranitz (left) and third baseman Miguel Tejada talk on the mound during a spring training game against the New York Yankees on Saturday. Sun columnist Peter Schmuck answered questions today about the O's young arms, Brian Roberts' recovery, clubhouse chemistry and more. […]
- Ravens Insider: Most recent trades have worked out well March 16, 2010[…]
- NCAA TOURNAMENT Maryland's opponent hopes to recapture past NCAA glory March 15, 2010Houston savoring first trip to NCAA tournament in 18 years Houston savoring first trip to NCAA tournament in 18 years […]
- How well can Terps do in the NCAA tourney? March 15, 2010Y ou have your NCAA tournament brackets in front of you and a pencil in your stubby little fingers, and now you want to know about Maryland. […]
- NCAA TOURNAMENT Homegrown talent leads Morgan State March 15, 2010Bears make 2nd straight NCAA appearance Friday With homegrown talent such as Kevin Thompson (Walbrook), Reggie Holmes (St. Frances) and Troy Smith (Douglass), the Bears have taken a stranglehold on the MEAC with three straight regular-season titles and two tournament titles. […]
- Tiger Woods announces he'll return to golf for The Masters March 16, 2010
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