Problems in Garyland

As you all know by now, I'm a huge Maryland fan. That being said, right now is a very tough time for a die hard fan like me. The team stands at 13-7, 2-4 in the ACC, and seems on their way to another NIT bid, which would be its 4th in the last 5 years. Now I can vaguely remember the days of Juan Dixon and Steve Blake, the 2 Final Four Apperances, the National Championship; Only to be stuck with recent memories of Dave Neal, Braxton Dupree, and a 41 point loss to Duke. Recently things have gotten even worse, if one could believe that. After the thrubbing at the hands of Duke, the Terps seemed on their way to a rebound as they were up on Boston College by 16 in the first half. But the Terps blew the lead in the second half due to hurrendous shooting and lost by 9. These losses, much like those to Morgan State, Ohio, and American, take a toll on you as a fan, player, and coach. In the past 5 seasons, Maryland has been 46-48 in ACC play, including 4 Ncaa Tournament games (2-2 record) and no trips to the sweet 16. Compared to the previous 5 seasons, where the Terps were 65-25 and had a 15-4 NCAA tournament record, with Final Four Apperances in 2001 and 2002 and a National Championship in 2002. And the crap has just begun to hit the fan when Gary Williams was asked about the recent recuiting struggles Maryland has been facing. This was in reference to the 2 recruits Maryland lost last year, Gus Gilchrist and Tyree Evans. Williams replied, "Yeah, and it wasn't my fault theyre not there, You know, that was somebody else's call. Gilchrist, a 6-10 Forward that could have helped the terps immensly in its depleted front court, left Maryland last spring for South Florida, where he averages 10.4 ppg and 4.9 rpg. Gilchrist decided to leave when Williams would not allow his personal trainer, Terrelle Woody, to join the staff. Woody now is on the staff at South Florida. Tyree Evans, on the other hand, committed to Maryland out of Community College, but when Williams looked into his criminal background and found some dirty laundry, rescinded Evans's scholarship. Evans now plays at Kent State, where he averages 13.0 ppg and 2.3 rpg for the Golden Flashes. The tension between Williams and Atheltic Director Debbie Yow is rising, and Williams may be on the hot seat if he can't get the job done on the court.

I support Williams on his two decisions. I would rather him run a clean program, even though we'd have a crappy team, rather than a successful team with demons in the closet. He has always been known to get the best out of his players, which I feel he is. I believe that Gary Williams is doing all that he can for this program. The state it was in before he got here, how he resurrected it, seems to be all forgotten right now. But the business these days is a "What have you done for me lately?" kind of thing. ANd lets be real, the Terps have been on a 7 year decline since the National CHampionship in 2002. Which may be the reason why the Terps arent getting the Kevin Durants, Michael Beasleys, and Carmelo Anthonys; harping on the past to a recruit may not be working. A promising and bright future is the best way to get the good recruits, and frankly I see no bright spots here. If I were AD, I'd give Williams one more year, with two four-star recruits coming in (if they don't decommit) Jordan Williams (6-8 245) and James Padgett (6-8 217) to add some much needed depth to a depleted frontcourt, and providing that the backcourt stays in tact, the Terps should make the NCAA tournament next year. If not, even with all that he has done for the Maryland Basketball Program, and the fact that his name should be on our court one day, Gary Williams will be gone.