Nov. 18, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -
By David Ginsburg
AP Sports Writer
Now that Brenda Frese's rebuilding plan at Maryland is on a fast track, she plans to thrust her foot onto the accelerator.
There once was a time when the Maryland women's basketball team dominated the Atlantic Coast Conference and regularly earned a lofty seed in the NCAA tournament. Chris Weller won eight ACC titles and amassed 10 seasons with at least 20 victories before the program slipped into mediocrity.
Frese took over in 2002 after a successful run at Minnesota, and the rejuvenated Terrapins appear to be on the brink of returning to national prominence.
"When I got here, I knew it was an even bigger rebuilding task than Minnesota was," Frese said. "You usually have to have a four-year cycle so you can get your recruiting classes in, but it by far happened quicker than I ever envisioned it."
The Terps went 10-18 in 2002-03, but last season improved to 18-13 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. After welcoming another class of capable freshmen, Frese expects No. 24 Maryland to pick up where it left off.
"You hope that when you take a program that's been down that you can move it in the right direction. We've taken those steps," Frese said. "Now we want to carry that momentum forward. I feel like we can do some special things here. We want to see how far we can take it."
The trek begins Friday at Appalachian State. Maryland then hosts Siena on Sunday before facing Final Four participant Louisiana State on Nov. 26 in the Coors Classic at Colorado.
Operating with a squad that contains four freshmen and four sophomores, Frese knows it might be a while before the Terrapins mesh as a unit.
"The sky's the limit for this team; it's just a matter of how quickly we develop and how quickly the chemistry unfolds," she said. "I mean, we're starting two freshmen, two sophomores and a senior, so it's a really, really young team."
The starting five includes freshmen Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper, as well as senior Anesia Smith, a carry-over from the Weller era. Smith started 24 games last season and averaged only three points, but she worked hard during the offseason and plans to end her college career with a flourish.
"I'm sure we're going back to the NCAA tournament this year," Smith said. "Pretty soon Maryland will be recognized as one of the country's elite programs. I'd like to look back and think I was a part of the foundation."
Success this season will depend heavily on avoiding the lapses often associated with youth. Defense will also be a key.
"We've got a ton of players who can put the ball in the hole, and so do a lot of other teams," Smith said. "So maybe it's going to come down to who can make the big stops, who can withstand runs. Defense will have to be our main focus this year."
The program is still under reconstruction, so a Final Four appearance is probably too ambitious for this youthful bunch. But the bar has been raised, and so have the expectations.
"I'm hoping to win the ACC championship and go farther than we did last year in the NCAA tournament," Langhorne said.
Langhorne, a 6-foot-4 center who scored 2,776 points for Willingboro (N.J.) High, will be called upon to anchor a frontcourt that gives Maryland more balance than a year ago.
"In the three years of this rebuilding process, this is definitely the most talented team we've had," Frese said. "We have an inside-outside game now and a lot more depth than we've had in the past. We feel we can compete with anyone."
