Terps Hold Annual Men's Basketball Media Day At Comcast Center
10/13/2004 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 13, 2004
Nearly 100 members of the national and local media came to Comcast Center on Wednesday for Maryland Men's Basketball Media Day. Head coach Gary Williams addressed the media in Nextel Heritage Hall before moving to the court with his team to meet with the media.
The Terps and their coaches met with the media for newspaper, magazine, television and radio interviews.
Here's what Coach Williams had to say at his press conference.
On last season:
"Last season was as interesting of a season as I've ever had. We had five freshman, four sophomores and Jamar Smith. There were challenges, but it was good for me to go through that because we had been a veteran team in the past three or four years. We got better as last year went on, and we were able to win the ACC championship at the ACC tournament. That was a big thrill for me coaching, because we improved as the season went on. It will be interesting to see where we go from there. The league was tough last year and we had to battle through some tough stretches but we didn't lose our heart and kept getting after it. Eventually, we got better.
"Defensively, we got better. That is going to be a key this year. There are always times when your team isn't shooting well so you have to be a good defensive team. We have the potential to be a very good defensive team. Going into a year, if you can be in a situation where you can be one of the Top 25 teams, then anything can happen. It is the teams that work hard all year and stay healthy that are around at the end of the year. One of our goals is always to make the NCAA Tournament and it gets tougher every year."
On the team's 12-day, five-game trip to Italy
"The trip to Italy was a great experience for me and thrilling for the players to see the things we were able to see by going to Rome, Venice, Florence and Lake Como. There were some spectacular things that people that age don't usually get a chance to see. We played five games over there against some good teams. It was also a great chance for the guys to be together in a different situation. Anytime you can add something to the team in terms of environment, it benefits the team. We want to be a more mature team this year and I think the trip to Italy helped us with that."
On the team's offseason workouts:
"The team has worked hard since the end of last season. The players have done a great job in the weight room with conditioning and things like that. You'll notice some people that look stronger going into this season."
On the new teams in the ACC this season:
"This season is going to be interesting. It is the first year of ACC expansion, so we won't be playing everyone twice. How that will work out, we don't know yet. In our league this year, I've seen six teams ranked in the Top 20 in the country. Our schedule will be good and we will find out early where we are. That is one of our goals this year - to play better early and to be more consistent. We were up and down last year and you can say that is because we were young but it's something I don't like to see."
On Comcast Center:
"Comcast Center is developing into a great place to play. This will be our third year in here and you can't find a nicer on-campus facility anywhere. We're fortunate to have this place for recruiting and it's just been a great addition to our basketball program."
On his team's youth:
"We are still young this year, but we can't be. We can't act like we have one senior, we have to be tough and hopefully our experience together last year, along with our experience in Italy, will help us prepare for the start of the season."
On the start of preseason practices:
"I enjoy this time of year, when practice starts, as much as any because there are no games so it's pure teaching and pure coaching. It's just seeing how good you can get as a basketball team. Teams that don't do a great job everyday in practice, it shows up in January and February. You have to develop a mental toughness in addition to learning your offenses and your defenses during this time. We have some great players who are on the verge of proving themselves to be some of the best players in college basketball but we have to prove that. We have to come up with a consistent group of eight or nine guys that are a good rotation for us."
On John Gilchrist:
John Gilchrist was the MVP of the ACC tournament. He's one of the guys I'd like to see be more consistent. There wasn't a better player in the country that weekend that we won the ACC tournament and hopefully John can play at a very consistent good level, he's got the talent to do that."
On Chris McCray:
"Chris McCray has gotten bigger and stronger. This could be a breakout year for him in terms of his shooting ability. He knows how to get open now."
On Travis Garrison:
"Travis Garrison played very well in Italy. He's worked very hard in the weight room to get stronger. He's always been a good shooter and he's added more of an inside game. At the end of last year, when he started to play well, he became more of an inside player."
On Nik Caner-Medley:
"Nik is one of the those players that is tough to guard because he can handle the ball well for a guy who is 6-8. He's worked hard on his outside shooting since last season."
On D.J. Strawberry:
"A lot of times last year, we were a better team with D.J. Strawberry on the court. He makes great defensive plays and big defensive plays."
On Ekene Ibekwe:
"Ekene had flashes last year where he was quick to the glass. He had to get stronger and that becomes very important for him. I look for him to be more consistent."
On Hassan Fofana:
"We had a couple of games where we really needed Hassan last year and he really came through for us. Every game Hassan plays makes him a better player."
On Will Bowers:
"Will has a good touch. I want him to be a legitimate back-to-the-basket inside player."
On Mike Jones:
"Mike Jones quietly played pretty well last season. He made the shot against Duke in the ACC finals that got us to within three that allowed John [Gilchrist] to come down and make a three-point play. It was a tough shot; they were right in his face when he made it. Mike has worked hard to expand his game and not just be a shooter."
On Mike Grinnon:
"It was great to see Mike hit those two free throws in the ACC tournament. He comes in with a lot more confidence and is our lone scholarship senior. He can provide leadership in addition to being a good basketball player."
On newcomers James Gist and Sterling Ledbetter:
"Both James Gist and Sterling Ledbetter certainly think they can compete with the guys we have. It's going to be tough with an eight or nine-man rotation.
"James Gist is 6-8, he's from Good Counsel. He's a quick learner so we'll see how that adds up. He's got some guys in front of him, obviously, but I wouldn't be surprised if he works his way into the rotation. He really likes to play basketball and he plays hard.
"Sterling is fully recovered and has been working out with the other players. He's a natural point guard, which we didn't have behind John Gilchrist last year. He's very good at running the offense and knows how to play basketball."
On Midnight Madness:
"To me it means the start of basketball. It is a tradition here that is as strong as at any place. The students like it and it's one of the things you can do to give your players a chance to just relax. They look forward to it.
