Hoops Schedule Released!

The 2008-2009 University of Maryland Men's Hoops Team schedule has been released according to the Baltimore Sun and the Terps website.

Some of the highlights include:

- Home opener vs Bucknell on November 14th

- 11/27-11/30 The Old Spice Classic in Orlando, FL -- Opening round game against Michigan State

- 12/07 vs. George Washington at the Verizon Center in the BB&T Classic

- 01/10 ACC Opener Vs. Georgia Tech at Home

- 01/24 @ Duke, 02/25 VS Duke

- 02/03 @ UNC, 02/21 VS UNC

You can check out the entire schedule here.

DJ Strawberry Traded!

According to the Houston Chronicle, The Phoenix Suns have traded former Terps and combo guard DJ Strawberry to the Houston Rockets for fellow-ACC alum Sean Singletary.

The Suns acquired Singletary to use primarily as a spot point guard behind both Steve Nash and Goran Dragic, figuring to not play many minutes.

Strawberry has a decent chance of making the squad, with his contract becoming guaranteed if he makes the opening night roster.

Lots of Terp Goodness

Lots of Terps Goodness of news and notes and predictions has come through with the ACC Blog on ESPN.Com. One of our favorite writers and ACC beat reporters, Heather Dinich has recently updated her blog with a rankings of the hardest schedules and games to watch in the ACC. Some of the highlights below:

ACC's Hardest Schedules:

1. Georgia Tech -- Paul Johnson has back-to-back road games in the ACC against Boston College and Virginia Tech in the first three weeks, plus road trips to Clemson, UNC and rival Georgia. Yikes. The only breaks are the fact Wake and Maryland aren't on there. And Duke is.

7. Maryland -- The Terps get road trips to Clemson and Virginia Tech, plus a tough nonconference home game against Cal and a visit from Wake Forest. By the time these guys play Duke again, the Blue Devils just might win.

12. North Carolina -- The Tar Heels don't play Clemson, Wake Forest or Florida State -- three of the top teams in the Atlantic Division. And they've got Virginia Tech early (Sept. 20). If there was ever a year for Butch Davis to take advantage of his schedule and a watered-down division, this would be it.

Top 10 Games To Watch:

5. Maryland at Clemson, Sept. 27: Ralph Friedgen loves playing in Death Valley, and the Terps have a team that could surprise a few people, the Tigers included. The addition of first-year offensive coordinator James Franklin, backup quarterback Josh Portis, and a veteran offensive line make Maryland a dark horse.

You can read the full posts and Heather's preseason predictions here.


5 DAYS TIL KICKOFF!

Steak's Cut on the QB Situation

The answer to the summer long debate about who should and who would be the starting quarterback for your Terrapin offense on August 30th, opening day, has finally been addressed. The answer is Senior Jordan Steffy.

Steffy and his 5 career starts and 14 overall games played will be lining up behind Preseason All-ACC center Edwin Williams against the Blue Hens of Delaware, with Chris Turner listed second on the depth chart and Josh Portis third.

But is this the right choice?

The answer in one word is no. In my opinion, Steffy should have been listed third on the depth chart with Chris Turner given the first opportunity at the starting job and Josh Portis in between.

Shouldn’t the guy who defeated two Top 10 teams in a season be given a fair opportunity to continue his success? An unrated squad led by Turner went on the road and put up 34 points on Rutgers, who continued to slide out of the rankings for the remainder of the season.

Is that not enough? How about a 42-35 shootout at home against #8 Boston College? Turner essentially went blow for blow with Heisman candidate and top rated quarterback in the country Matt Ryan and came out on top!

When given the opportunity at the beginning of the season at a Top 10 team in West Virginia, Jordan Steffy came up very small. Other than that, Steffy did not face much competition and the results were mediocre. The quarterback position is fortunate enough to be graced with one of the most exciting receivers in the country, Darrius Heyward-Bey and when you fail to get him the ball through out a game it frustrates the fan base constantly.

If you would like to argue that Steffy had a completion percentage of 67.3 versus Turner’s 63%, which shows consistency in a lot of people minds, then I will refute that by saying Jordan is a classic conservative and check-down quarterback who can manage a game. Similar to another quarterback in town a few years back in Baltimore who a little bit of success, Trent Dilfer.

I would be remiss, if I did not point out the fact that those Ravens had the best defense in the league, something of which the Terps don’t currently possess at this time and point.

So I say, why not live a little? Why not throw the deep ball? Why not utilize Mr. Heyward-Bey, a top 10 talent in the ACC hands down? Why not use Chris Turner, who the students and fan base fell in love with and who managed the Terps to some huge victories last season?

Turner’s 1:1 touchdown to interception ratio isn’t all that much to get excited about, but I must also point out that Turner’s longest touchdown pass of the season was 78 yards, almost 40 yards longer than Steffy's longest touchdown pass. Ok, so Turner is a little more erratic with his throws but from his games last year I think it also shows that he willing to take chances and utilize his options.

According to Coach Ralph Friedgen, none of the quarterbacks really separated themselves in both spring practices and summer camps. So I ask why you landed on Jordan Steffy as your starter.

Coach Friedgen also mentioned that Josh Portis will be used in specific situations. I am very pleased to hear this revelation about the quarterback situation. Portis’ skill set and mobility should not go untapped and hopefully we will be able to see what the Florida transfer can do when given the opportunity. You see this situation work out a lot of times in places like Florida, LSU, and Virginia Tech most recently.

Don’t get me wrong though, it is not as if I won’t root for Jordan Steffy when opening day kicks off, but in my opinion Chris Turner had earned the opportunity to try and continue where he left off last season.

Chris Turner Close to Transferring

According to the Washington Post, Quarterback Chris Turner was seriously considering transferring from Maryland after the quarterback decision by Coach Friedgen.

After Jordan Steffy was announced as starter, Turner took a solid 2 days and several chats with family members to make the decision to stay a Terp.

When asked how close Turner had come to transferring, John Turner (father)
said, "All the pieces were in the right place if he wanted to."

YOUR STARTING QUARTERBACK...

Well it is official, the three-man race for starting quarterback for the University of Maryland football squad is over...for now... Jordan Steffy is your starter.

After the morning practice today, Coach Ralph Friedgen announced that senior Jordan Steffy would be starting against Delaware when the team opens up the season against Delaware on August 30. Turner is listed as 2nd on the depth chart and Portis will be 3rd.

Although, Friedgen did say that Portis will definitely play in games and will some sort of X-factor role. Friedgen also did not rule out the possibility of playing 2 or even 3 quarterbacks in a game!

Is this the right decision?

Source: UMTerps.com, ACC Blog - ESPN.COM

BONUS CUTS:

- Cornerback Richard Taylor was taken to the hospital today after practice

Terps in the NFL

The Baltimore Sun did an excellent job of running down some of the recent football Terps and their where abouts this training camp. The only Terp to be drafted this year was Dre Moore, who went to Tampa Bay. Here are some of the highlights of the article:

-According to Scout.com, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden thinks defensive tackle Dre Moore -- Maryland's lone draft choice -- has a ways to go before making an impact:It was obvious, though, that Gruden thought fourth-round pick Dre Moore, a defensive tackle out of Maryland, was behind the rest of the class."You know, this is not a game where you want to do too much thinking at that position," Gruden said. "You've got to get off the ball, you've got to be disruptive, and he is getting better. I think he's getting in better shape. The tempo and the speed of this game is probably a little bit foreign to him but he does have talent."

- Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis that an injury to backup linebacker Heath Farwell will open the door for Erin Henderson to receive more playing time.Childress said Henderson, the undrafted free agent, will get more reps in practice. Henderson has shown flashes in camp and had a solid debut Friday with five tackles.

- An injury to Green Bay Packers backup tight end Tory Humphrey could pave the way for Joey Haynos to claim the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. The Green Bay Press-Gazette reports that Haynos' speed and blocking have impressed Packers coaches:Haynos is extraordinarily long-levered at 6-8, 268 pounds. He primarily worked as a blocker and possession receiver at Maryland, where he had 67 receptions for 687 yards and three touchdowns over his last two seasons. McAdoo said Haynos is the most fundamentally sound blocker among the rookie tight ends, and in training camp, Haynos has shown an ability to get downfield, too.

You can read the rest of the article here . A highly recommended read!

BONUS CUTS:
- SI.com has its ACC preview up, the Terps are predicted to finish 3rd in the Atlantic at 4-4 in ACC play
-They also pegged Darrius Heyward-Bey as the 5th most outstanding player in the ACC

Terps Links

Here are a roundup of some of the Terps football stories going around town:

* New Offensive Coordinator James Franklin has put a spark into the Terps offense this offseason

* Recruited as wide receivers, Nolan Carroll and Terrell Skinner have made smooth transactions to the secondary

* Incoming freshman Kenny Tate has also been asked to move from receiver to safety for the upcoming season

* The Terps will lean on the senior offensive line this season

* Maryland Coach Ralph Friedgen said yesterday that defensive lineman Travis Ivey will miss the next three to six weeks because of a broken foot

* Josh Portis has been making a case to be named the starting quaterback for week 1

Terps Football News & Notes

After not posting for a few days, here are some of the news and notes of the Terps Football squad courtesy of www.UMterps.com:

* The coaching staff had a chance to evaluate the film of Saturday's scrimmage with the off day. Friedgen echoed what he mentioned after the scrimmage, "there were good things and some things we've got to get a lot better at." He praised the work of the secondary which had two interceptions (Nolan Carroll and Kevin Barnes) and thought the offensive line didn't play as well in the scrimmage as it had during the first week of practice. Individuals who stood out included Travis Ivey, Jeremy Navarre and Rick Costa

* As far as the quarterbacks, Friedgen pointed out that offensive coordinator James Franklin's thoughts were that Chris Turner and Jordan Steffy were `about even again', and that Josh Portis `played better and managed the game better, but missed a couple throws.' Friedgen still thinks that Portis has shown improvement since the spring and practiced well in Monday's first workout

* University of Maryland senior quarterback Jordan Steffy has been nominated for the 17th annual Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association recently announced. Steffy, a fifth-year player from Leola, Pa., joins 70 fellow nominees who were selected from the more than 50,000 football student-athletes at all four-year collegiate institutions based on their exemplary involvement with charitable organizations and community service projects

James Gist to Italy??

In a brief note, www.rotoworld.com reported that an Italian website had wrote that Spurs 2nd round pick James Gist was going to be signed by a professional Italian team. However, the website was written in Italian and tough to translate.

The San Antonio-Express News denied that report, and said that Gist had not signed overseas. If Gist did sign though, the Spurs would be able to retain his rights for when and if he did come back to the U.S.A.

Stay Tuned as we will try to keep you posted on Gist's hoops career.

Terps Football Odds N Ends

Here are a few links about the Terps Football squad so far this Training Camp:

- E.J. Henderson is trying to find his way on the Vikings Roster

- Lance Ball is performing well at scrimmages for the St. Louis Rams

- Have the Terps hit a ceiling under coach Ralph Friedgen?

- Josh Portis is impressing at camp with his QB play

- The Dallas News did an interview with undrafted rookie Keon Lattimore of the Dallas Cowboys

Terps Football News & Notes

Heather Dinich of ESPN.com updated her ACC blog recently with some news and notes from practic here:

" *The secondary has to replace three of four starters from a year ago, but this group led a ramped up defensive charge in the first day of full pads. DB's Nolan Carroll, Jeff Allen and Kevin Barnes each made interceptions. Carroll produced what was perhaps the play of the day when he dove to make a shoestring catch on a pass deflected by defensive lineman Mack Frost.

* The defense implemented blitz package drills for the first time.

* Is former Florida QB Josh Portis finally making a move? Ralph Friedgen said Portis looked the best on Wednesday.

* The standout offensive play, though, came from redshirt freshman receiver Tony Logan, who caught a touchdown on a deep fade pattern, prompting offensive coordinator James Franklin to exclaim, "That's beautiful! I love these touchdowns -- the defender can't find the ball!"

Football Schedule W's & L's

As do most people who cover a specific football team both professionally and in the college ranks, it is always a fun exercise to take a look at the schedule and predict W's and L's before the season starts.

Steak here, to lay out my W's & L's for the season:


08/30/08 vs. Delaware --> W

09/06/08 at Middle Tennessee State --> W

09/13/08 vs. California --> L

09/20/08 vs. Eastern Michigan --> W

09/27/08 at Clemson --> L

10/04/08 at Virginia --> W

10/18/08 vs. Wake Forest --> L

10/25/08 vs. North Carolina State (Homecoming) --> W

11/06/08 at Virginia Tech --> L

11/15/08 vs. North Carolina --> W

11/22/08 vs. Florida State --> W

11/29/08 at Boston College --> W


Wow, So I have them at 8-4. Did not really realize that one. Hey, to quote Kevin Garnett, "ANYTHING'S POSSIBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

I actually think that the VT game could be the surprise Win of the year, but I am gonna play safe to begin with and of course until we find out who is starting for the Terps.

We will have to get the predictions of Curry & Crab as well.

Jackson's Loss, Ball's Gain?

With the Stephen Jackson missing up to 2 weeks in Rams training camp, Ex-Terp and undrafted free agent Lance Ball has been given extended looks in the backfield. In an article about all the undrafted picks with Rams, Ball receives some praise:

With Jackson making Rams nation nervous, Lance Ball has been given plenty
of extra time to make an impression in camp. The Maryland product has been
running well and making catches, even scoring one of two TDs in last weekend's
scrimmage. It'll be tough for Ball to make the 53-man roster once Jackson comes
back, with Brian Leonard guaranteed a spot and Antonio Pittman getting the third
thanks to his downhill speed. If he continues his camp run through the
preseason, he'd be hard to turn away from the practice squad.

Could be tough for Ball to make the roster, but at least he is making the best of the opportunity.

UMD Football: News & Notes

A few more notes from the 2nd day of practice for the Terps at Training Camp courtesy of www.umterps.com:

*The Terps have only practiced for two days, but Friedgen indicated after Tuesday's practice that some players atop the depth chart are being pushed. Redshirt freshman Torrey Smith is pushing incumbent starter Isaiah Williams at X receiver. Williams has started the last two seasons, but Smith was singled out in the spring as a potential difference maker by Friedgen and the rest of the coaching staff.

*Senior left tackle Scott Burley, who was a second-team All-ACC choice, is trying to fend off a challenge from Bruce Campbell, who played as a true freshman last season.

*Friedgen also singled out freshman running back Davin Meggett for his play during camp. Meggett has not only showed quickness running the ball, but also blocked a punt in special teams drills.

Terps' Burning Questions

Heather Dinich, who covers the ACC on ESPN.com with a very up to date blog, answers three burning questions about the Terps heading into the 2008 season.

"1. How will the ongoing battle at quarterback affect the team chemistry?
This is a similar situation to what's going on at Virginia Tech, and who knows, maybe Friedgen will play both Jordan Steffy and Chris Turner in situations that play to each of their strengths. Regardless of what happens, they both have reason to believe it's their job. Steffy looked legitimately good this spring, but Turner proved he was more than capable last year when Steffy suffered a concussion.

2. How much more productive will the offense be under first-year coordinator James Franklin?
This was a smart hire because Franklin recruited half the players he's now coaching, and his addition to the staff allows Friedgen the luxury of being the head coach without having to worry about calling the plays. Look for Franklin to throw more deep balls this season and for receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey to catch them.

3. How important is this season for Friedgen?
Maryland has had three losing seasons in the past four years. No wonder the local media isn't chipping at the lock on the gate to see spring practice. In 2006, the Terps beat Purdue in the Champs Sports Bowl, but that was their lone bowl win since the 2003 Gator Bowl. The athletic department is heavily invested in stadium renovation and trying to sell luxury suites. Somehow, though, (namely a sweet contract and a metro audience where the Ravens, Redskins, Orioles and Nats divert some of the attention) Friedgen has escaped the hot seat. "

Heather was a guest on the Steak, Crab, & Curry Show last Spring and the interview can be heard on our podcast. The podcast is available for download on iTunes.

You can also read the ACC Blog by Heather here.

**Also, on the blog, Heather broke down the power rankings of the ACC:

The Terps were ranked 4th with the description "The Terps could be this year's darkhorse, as Ralph Friedgen made a smart off-season hire in offensive coordinator James Franklin and has playmakers with the potential to flourish in the West Coast offense. The key will be how he uses -- not appeases -- his quarterbacks."

Maryland Football News & Notes

Here are a few early notes that have come out about the Terps Football Team:

* Freshmen Kenny Tate, who was ranked as the 16th best wide receiver nationally, will be asked to move to strong safety for the season and may return to receiver next year

* Sophomore Dominique Herald, a linebacker-safety, was suspended for the opening game for violating team rules.

* Offensive lineman Tyler Bowen, defensive lineman Joe Vellano and wide receiver Kevin Dorsey will miss August practices with injuries

* Offensive lineman Evan Eastburn transferred out of the program. Defensive tackle Dean Muhtadi was placed on scholarship earlier in the summer. If another scholarship opens up at some juncture, chances are it goes to Olugbemi Otulaja

Heyward-Bey Featured!

Terps' wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey is starting to gain some serious attention as a stud wide-out in the ACC this season. The redshirt junior's numbers have grown in each season and he is poised for another big season.

The Washington Post staff writer, Steve Yanda, did a great job of praising and preaching the talents of Heyward-Bey. Heyward-Bey talked about the adjustments he had to make going from high school to college Division-I ball,

"the transition was a struggle. In high school, the routine had been simple -- sprint off the line, blow past the secondary, catch the deep throw, accelerate toward the end zone."

You can read the full article here.

The Debate rages On

Rivals.com recently took a look at the ever-growing debate of where Gary Williams stands in relation to his job status. Two different writers for the site took opposing sides and offered their best arguments for each case.

Coach Williams is responsible for the only Men's National Championship in school history and was able to reach back to back Final Four's, something coach Lefty Driesell was never able to accomplish.

Here were the stated arguments:

Writer Andrew Skwara puts GARY WILLIAMS ON THE HOT SEAT:

"Last season sealed it for me. Maryland didn't just disappoint. The Terrapins underachieved – woefully. This should have been the team with which Williams beat back the critics. He had one of the nation's best playmakers at point guard (Greivis Vasquez) and another guard (Eric Hayes) who could also dish the rock. Vasquez ranked first in the ACC in assists and Hayes was sixth. There was also depth and experience on the inside. Senior big men James Gist and Bambale Osby ranked second and third in the league in blocks and fourth and 11th in rebounding.
The potential was there. The Terps knocked off then-No. 1 North Carolina in the Dean Dome.
However, that same team lost to Ohio and American at home. Maryland went 1-6 against the top five teams in the ACC. The Terps lost six of their last eight games, including four by double digits. The bulk of the blame has to go to Williams. He's not getting the most out of his players, not even close. That becomes a bigger problem when you're not a great recruiter, something Williams has never resembled. Williams has a great résumé and it's tough to look past that national title, but I think someone else can do better. Maryland, with the fertile D.C. recruiting area nearby, has a big fan base and one of the nicer arenas on the East Coast. If Williams doesn't get it done this season, I say give someone else a chance. "

Editor Bob McClellan says GARY WILLIAMS IS NOT ON THE HOT SEAT

"I can't argue that Williams' recent teams have underachieved, particularly last season.
But I come at this from a different perspective. My alma mater is Northwestern, a school that has never been to the NCAA Tournament. As in never, zip, bupkus. So when you talk about getting rid of a guy who has brought your school its only national title, not to mention another Final Four appearance and a bunch of NCAA bids in a row, it's kind of hard for me to fathom.
No, Maryland isn't on a par with Northwestern. But in a league with North Carolina and Duke, Williams got the Terps to the Holy Grail. The Left-hander couldn't even do that, but Williams did. I'm not saying you can live off a national title forever, but you ought to be able to come pretty close. He still gets players a lot of other schools would like to have. I'm somewhat alarmed that he isn't getting more out of them, but who's to say he can't find a way to light the fire this season or next? Williams hasn't forgotten how to coach. It's not like he has been losing lately, it's just that he hasn't been winning enough. His teams have won at least 19 games for the past 14 consecutive seasons. A couple of the recent NIT teams were "just-missed" NCAA Tournament teams. Maryland would be foolish to jettison Williams. Until he fields a losing team, he ought to be considered plenty safe."

You can read the full article on Rivals.com here.

Where do you feel the Gary Williams debate is at?! Please do comment.

Terps Open Up Football Season

Tomorrow, Monday, the Terps will open up the preseason camp at 4:15 EST PM. The Terps will embark on a 3-way grueling schedule that will lead up to the home opener against Delaware on August 30th.

The Terps will first and foremost need to take care of the QB issue. Who will start week 1, Jordan Steffy or Chris Turner? Or perhaps Josh Portis??

The Terps seem to be set on using Da'Rel Scott and Morgan Green at running back to split the duties and will have All-ACC candidate Darrius Heyward-Bey to anchor the passing game. An experienced offensive line will return to protect whoever the quarterback may be. It will also be interesting to see how the addition of offensive coordinator James Franklin will factor into the attack.

Here are some preseason predictions and accolades that UMTerps.com has gathered:

Maryland Preseason Rankings/Honors
Team
National Rankings:
34th...Lindy's
42nd...Athlon

ACC Predictions:
4th/Atlantic...Athlon
4th/Atlantic...Lindy's
5th/Atlantic...Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA)
6th/Atlantic...The Sporting News

Unit Rankings:
1st-ranked OL in the ACC...Athlon
1st-ranked OL in the ACC...Lindy's
2nd-ranked Special Teams in the ACC...Lindy's
4th-ranked LBs in the ACC...Athlon

Individual
Scott Burley, #77, Offensive Lineman
Honorable Mention All-America...The Sporting News
Second Team All-ACC...Athlon
Second Team All-ACC...Lindy's

Darrius Heyward-Bey, #8, Wide Receiver
Honorable Mention All-America...The Sporting News
Fastest Receiver in ACC...The Sporting News
Second Team All-ACC...Athlon• Second Team All-ACC...Lindy's
16th-ranked WR in Nation...Lindy's

Dave Philistin, #34, Linebacker
Nagurski Trophy watch list
Butkus Award Candidate...The Sporting News
First Team All-ACC...The Sporting News
First Team All-ACC...Blue Ribbon Yearbook
First Team All-ACC...Lindy's
11th-ranked ILB in Nation...Lindy's
Second Team All-ACC...Athlon

Jaimie Thomas, #76, Offensive Lineman
Second Team All-ACC...Athlon
Second Team All-ACC...Lindy's

Edwin Williams, #60, Offensive Lineman
Rimington Trophy watch list
Preseason All-ACC...Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA)
All-ACC...The Sporting News
First Team All-ACC...Lindy's
First Team All-ACC...Blue Ribbon Yearbook
Second Team All-ACC...Athlon

UMD: Best Athletic Facilities!

The Princeton Review conducted a study in which it polled 120,000 students at 368 different colleges about different school's academics, campus life, sports, etc.

The survey was 80 questions long and the results were published in the annual Princeton Review Guide.

Based on the results, the University of Maryland was voted as the top athletic facilities in the nation beating out Texas A&M, Florida, and Tenneesse! Maryland also ranked highly in college newspaper and how well the students pack the stadiums!

Preseason Coaches Poll

The Preseason Coaches Poll was released today and the Top 5 goes like this ...


1. Georgia (22)
2. USC (14)
3. Ohio State (14)
4. Oklahoma (3)
5. Florida (5)

Where do the Terps check in?

Answer: Honorable Mention Section with 4 Votes

Other ACC Teams in the Top 25: Clemson (#9), Virginia Tech (#15)

Others Receiving Votes: Florida State, Boston College, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia Tech