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.

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.

Gist in Summer Camp

Maryland student newspaper The Diamondback has the scoop on James Gist heading to rookie summer league camp for the Spurs in Vegas. Just don't make it rain to hard Mr. Gist.

"Gist is currently working out in Reno, Nev. On July 9, he'll report to San
Antonio and join the rest of the Spurs' rookies and young players in
preparation
for the NBA's Las Vegas Rookie Summer League.The Silver Spring
native and
2007-08 Second Team All-ACC performer was drafted by the Spurs in
the second
round with the 57th overall pick.Contracts are not guaranteed for
players taken in the second round, and earning a roster spot on an established
Western Conference power like San Antonio may prove to be challenging.NBA teams
are limited to 15 players on a roster, only 12 of which can be active. The Spurs
have 9 players under contract with another, first-round draft selection George
Hill, on the way."

Check out http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2008/07/03/Sports/Gist-Heads.To.Nba.Rookie.League-3387636.shtml for more on the story.

James Gist: Your new San Antonio Spur

With the 57th Pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, The San Antonio Spurs have selected Forward James Gist from the University of Maryland.

Gist averaged 15.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game this past season and was the team leader and captain.

A few articles to note talking about James Gist and his selection to San Antonio.

The Diamondback : http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2008/06/26/Sports/Gist-Drafted.By.Spurs.With.57th.Pick-3385946.shtml

The Washington Times : http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/d1scourse/2008/Jun/26/gist-spurs-second-round/

The Baltimore Sun : http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/basketball/bal-gist627,0,558825.story

Having landed on the 2007 NBA Champions, things could have been worse for James. The Spurs also have a pretty good track record of drafting players who can succeed in the NBA. The Spurs currently have 7 unrestricted free agents, (Brent Barry, Kurt Thomas, Michael Finley, Damon Stoudamire, Robert Horry, Jacque Vaughn, and Dermarr Johnson), leaving them with 8 players under contract and 3 new draft picks coming in. So there is definitely space on the roster for Gist to make the team.

The issue with being drafted in the 2nd round is that it is not a guaranteed contract for players and they have to work their way on the roster, which should not be a problem for the Forward from the Terps.

I project Gist starting the season off having trouble finding minutes, but at some point when given the chance will prove himself as a small forward who will also have the capability to guard some power forwards in the league. Gist will provide a mid range jumper, which a great instinct for blocking shots and rebounding.

James Gist was the 7th Terp to be drafted in the past 8 years (Strawberry, Wilcox, Dixon, Blake, Morris, Gist, Baxter).

Congrats James Gist!

2008 NBA Draft Day

Today is the day for the 2008 NBA Draft and Terp alum James Gist is the only Maryland player expected to potentially get drafted this evening.



Here are a few articles on the local product talking about his preperation for the draft.

University of Maryland student paper The Diamondback:
http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2008/06/26/Sports/Gist-Awaits.Future.In.Nba-3385421.shtml

The Washington Times:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jun/25/certainty-a-luxury-for-gist-in-draft/

Some of Gist's stop and destinations during workouts: Houston; San Antonio; Sacramento, Calif.; Chicago; Portland, Ore.; Cleveland; Toronto; and Milwaukee. Less than a week ago, Boston called to arrange a workout less than 36 hours before the draft.

Gist has been on a world tour and has been predicted to go in the last 5 to 10 picks of the second round to going undrafted and having to work his way into the league.

Steak's prediction: 52. Miami Heat - James Gist SF University of Maryland

Best of luck James!

Draft Watch: James Gist

JAMES GIST - 15


Ex-Maryland Terrapin Forward James Gist is eligible for the upcoming NBA Draft later this month.



Gist lists as 6'8" and 223 lbs and at 21 years of age. He should be drafted as an athletic power forward who could also line up as a small forward in the NBA. As a senior, Gist averaged 15.9 points a game, 7.9 rebounds a game, and 2.3 blocks a game in 33 games of action.

According to http://www.draftexpress.com/, Gist is ranked as the 9th best senior and 12th best power forward. In their mock draft, James would be selected at 56 overall by the Seattle Sonics. According to nbadraft.net, Gist would be drafted at 41 overall by the Indiana Pacers. According to Chad Ford and http://www.espn.com/, Gist is ranked as the 68th best player in the draft as of now, pending underclassmen in the draft.

James Gist's strengths (according to nbadraft.net):

Potential is outstanding, especially in faster paced NBA ... Athletically, he can compete with anyone ... Dunks with authority often ... Runs the fast break very well for a power forward... Great length ... Good touch around the basket ... Has the potential to be a lock down defender ... Very good post defender ... Has strong shot blocking instincts ... Good footwork in the post... Improving jump shot ... Developing ability to play on the perimeter ... Incredible on the open floor ... Can get on a roll and look like a budding star ... Has noticeably improved every year of his collegiate career ... Strong free throw shooter.

James Gist's weaknesses (according to nbadraft.net):

Has a tendency to disappear offensively at times ... Not ready to play full time on the wing, as he would likely be asked to do... Poor rebounder for his size ... Not strong enough to play the four in the NBA, and lacks great height at 6'8" ... Very passive overall, doesn't make his presence felt enough ... Must work on consistency and getting open ... A bit of a tweener, but has the potential make the transition to a wing player.

The Orlando Camp wrapped up last week, and some of the observations of Gist are as follow:

"He looked very active defensively in the passing lanes and did a great job getting out in transition, using his athleticism well around the rim and even knocking down a long-range perimeter jumper. The energy he brought to the floor was exactly what the doctor ordered for his draft stock."

"It was a great experience down there," noted Gist. "There was a lot of top competition at the camp, but I played well and got a lot of good feedback from the coaches. It was a chance to play against other players at the highest level, but I really thought I did a good job and raised my draft stock while I was down there."

Gist's combine results were also announced:

Vertical Jump (no step): 30.5"
Vertical Jump (Max): 35''
Bench Press (185 lbs): 5 reps
Lane Agility: 11.37 seconds
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.14 seconds

According to http://www.foxsports.com/, James Gist was listed as one of the top 10 performers at the Orlando camp and here is a blurb from his performance,

"Gist started off like gangbusters with 16 points in his first game on 5-of-8 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the line. Unfortunately, he hit a major cold spell from the field, going a combined 5-for-18 in the final two, averaging just 5.5 in those games. He's a freakish athlete and is the type of specimen that should be able to find a role in the league even if his offensive game never vastly improves (a poor man's Rodman)"

According to http://www.umterps.com/, Gist has scheduled workouts with the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, and the Miami Heat.


-Eric