UMD Basketball - Gary Williams

[Talapia]

I like Gary Williams a lot and have been a big defender for years.
I see a lot of pressure coming (more than ever) to let him go.
MD plays UNC at an away game tommorow and I see another
blowout coming...I think this may be his last year. I actually
like this team though. They are too young this year, but I can
see them being a power in a year or two.

[hamlet]

I was working at UMd back when Len Bias died and Lefty lost his job. Williams did a top notch job rebuilding the program... he had something Bob Wade didn't, not sure what. I don't think he has it now, although he did take the Terps to the championship recently.

One important thing that makes a coach survive and thrive is the ability to recruit. The overall school atmosphere helps the coach. I think Maryland overall suffers like NC State does from being a so-so campus in overall attractiveness. I think it has to affect the ability of coaches to recruit.

To contradict myself a bit, Lefty recruited well with very poor (by modern standards) athletic facilities. Maryland now has state of the art facilities, and Williams has trouble.

But then, that's just a personal opinion and may well be different from the opinions of many. After all, it is an opinion on aesthetics, and that sure isn't measurable.

[jhmorgan]

He put himself in this added hotwater by making those comments about the AD regarding the recruits he released. And really, Maryland has not been consistently competitive since the NC year, and it all boils down to his recruiting. You could argue that his best player in the last 10 or so years was Steve Francis, and he was a JUCO transfer who only played one year. When you are going against UNC (who has enough depth to field 3 top 15 teams if they were all split up), Duke (who will be NC caliber someday if they can get an athletic big to compliment all of their 15 3 point specialists), Wake (who reloads every 3 years), Miami/Va Tech/BC/UVA/Georgia Tech (who all stink for a 2 years, then go mediocre, then turn dangerous, then repeat cycle) you need to be able to recruit and recruit well. Add that to the fact that Maryland has to deal with pressure from northern Big East schools, and you need to work twice as hard. I think Gary can turn it back around, to at least be competitive, but he needs to get his arse on the recruiting trail and ease up a little bit on his screaming. All of his games boil down to a player on the court making a mistake, and Gary turning around and yellign at the bench players like it was their fault. When a top player looks at the losing coupled with the yelling, its a tough sell..

[jhmorgan]

Ya beat me to it hamlet, good points

[Talapia]

MD has never been able to recruit the best talent. Heck even his
NC quality teams were not made of top recruits. Georgetown University
making a strong comeback in it's program hurt a lot also. All of the
best in-state talent goes there. I think he can bring MD back to
an NCAA qualifying team again, just not much further than
that though...

[jhmorgan]

Exactly my point talapia. He was able to coach 3 or 4 star recruits to play against the big dogs in the late 90's and the first few years of this decade. However, the ACC powers now absolutely stock pile talent (UNC has how many 4 or 5 star recruits come in every year?), and without getting a few of those, he has no chance. I mean, even his 2002 team had 3 players go pro (Baxter/Dixon/Blake). Then he had DJ Straw go 2 years ago, but I cant think of a single Maryland player in between who has been drafted or signed by an NBA team. Without at leats one or two elite players, he will not win in today's world. And the only way to land those players is through recruiting...

[hamlet]

The man is 63-64 years old. I doubt he is going to do anything more at UMD. What top recruit would go there and wonder who might be coaching him in the coming years?

They may be being kind to him and letting him last to 65.

Any guesses on who's next as head coach?

[Talapia]

The man is 63-64 years old. I doubt he is going to do anything more at UMD. What top recruit would go there and wonder who might be coaching him in the coming years?

They may be being kind to him and letting him last to 65.

Any guesses on who's next as head coach?


I don't think age is the reason. Like I said, he has never really
been able to recruit the top players. I think this current crop
he has is a good team. They could do something in a year or
two.

[Talapia]

The man is 63-64 years old. I doubt he is going to do anything more at UMD. What top recruit would go there and wonder who might be coaching him in the coming years?

They may be being kind to him and letting him last to 65.

Any guesses on who's next as head coach?


I don't think age is the reason. Like I said, he has never really
been able to recruit the top players. I think this current crop
he has is a good team. What he counts on is good not great
players who stay around for 4 years. This team fits that mold
perfectly. They could do something in a year or
two.

[hamlet]

Well Williams vs. Williams last night was a fun game to watch... if you are a Heels fan or have a sense of humor.

The Terps beat the Heels running down the floor last night more than they got beat. But what a lights-out 3-pt shooting night UNC had. That's a rare game plan and outcome for Carolina.

[Lipyourown]

Gary needs to get off his butt and recruit himself. He leaves it to others and that doesn't cut it.

[Talapia]

Funny thing is that MD is a powerhouse in college soccer???
Football and Basketball...not so much. :)

[Lipyourown]

Funny thing is that MD is a powerhouse in college soccer???
Football and Basketball...not so much. :)

Just like most ACC teams as far as soccer goes. Stop your whining, try being an UVA fan.

[Talapia]

Just like most ACC teams as far as soccer goes. Stop your whining, try being an UVA fan.

True..:D

[hamlet]

I got tickets for the Virginia - Carolina BBall game in Chapel Hill this weekend.
:)

I was a student at Viriginia when Ralph Sampson was playing, tail end of the Jeff Lamp days, Jeff Jones too. They were good fun in those days. Not sure they have been anything much since. They have had a star or two or three come through the program, but never in large enough numbers at one time to make a star team. They have lacked a world class coach.

But that's what being a fan is all about. Watching the team even when it hurts.

[jhmorgan]

Try being a Tar Heel fan watching that train wreck known as Matt Doherty coaching before we lured Roy back to his roots. Id rather be perennially bad, than go from the top straight to the bottom. Now that I think of it, Gary is kinda like Doherty...

[Talapia]

Try being a Tar Heel fan watching that train wreck known as Matt Doherty coaching before we lured Roy back to his roots. Id rather be perennially bad, than go from the top straight to the bottom. Now that I think of it, Gary is kinda like Doherty...

Not really. Gary Williams has won a National Championship
and been to more sweet 16 games than Doherty can ever
dream of. Not even close.

[Talapia]

UMD Football just pulled a top 25 recruiting class...not bad at all.
North Carolina was in the top 10??? Looks like they are really
turning that program around down there.

[jhmorgan]

Not really. Gary Williams has won a National Championship
and been to more sweet 16 games than Doherty can ever
dream of. Not even close.

How about the non stop screaming and berating of players? Or the funny faces, hands on the hips, sweat, etc etc. That was where I was traveling with my poorly explained analogy. Although it has been what, 6 or 7 years since Maryland went to the Sweet 16

[hamlet]

Doherty was so bad in terms of behavior towards the players that the eventual national champ team Roy had in year two revolted and was going to leave the school (Raymond Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants, etc.)

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1090047/

[Talapia]

How about the non stop screaming and berating of players? Or the funny faces, hands on the hips, sweat, etc etc. That was where I was traveling with my poorly explained analogy. Although it has been what, 6 or 7 years since Maryland went to the Sweet 16

oh, that is what you meant. Got it.;) I do have to say that for the most
part Gary Williams has always had great relationships with his players.
They seem to truly like him.