What They're Saying About Maryland Women's Basketball
11/23/2004 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
"If seeds hold, Ohio State could potentially wind up playing Maryland in the second round -- in College Park, Md. That would be an incredible advantage for the Terps, who drew an ACC-record 17,000-plus fans to Comcast Center for a late-season game against Duke. Ohio State is 10-3 on the road this season, but playing in that sort of environment in the NCAA Tournament would be tough."
Beth Mowins, ESPN.com
"There is reason to fear the Turtle with the emergence of freshman sensation Crystal Langhorne. The ACC Rookie of the Year was the only player to average a double-double in conference play this year (17 points and 10 rebounds). She has terrific moves on the low block and is among the best pure rebounders in the college game."
Virginia Tech head coach Beth Dukenberger on Langhorne winning ACC Rookie of the Year
"She certainly should be up there because nobody in the ACC has been able to stop her, including Virginia Tech."
Pam Ward, ESPN analyst
"I knew she would do a good job [at Maryland] but to do it this fast, it's really unbelievable. It's like, "where the heck did Maryland come from?" And now, they're a force to be reckoned with. It's amazing what's she's done in two years. She's a great motivator, she gets her kids to run up and down the court, and talking to some of the kids, it's just a positive feeling and that's why she's getting some of the [top] kids."
USWBA National Coach of the Year LSU's Pokey Chatman
"Brenda is where we all expected her to be. It seems like every where she touches turns to gold. The scary part is, it's only going to get better. From the conference, to the recruits, to the exposure - it's only going to get better. That's a scary thought."
Trey Bender, Fox Sports
"Doron gets my vote for one of the top players in America."
NC State head coach Kay Yow after ACC Tournament loss to Maryland
"Yes, [Crystal Langhorne] is an excellent post player. She really plays her position well. She doesn't wander too far from the basket. She is a hard worker. She posts on every pass. She is a very difficult player to defend... She is an excellent player. She will be a great player in this league."
Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors after 60-57 win over Maryland in Durham, N.C.
"We were just really happy to come away with a win. It was a really hard-fought game. I knew Maryland was a great team and they just keep coming at you at both ends of the court. We just feel very fortunate to come away with a win."
Arizona head coach Joan Bonvicini
"Brenda Frese has done an outstanding job, not just as a coach but they've done a tremendous job recruiting some of the best young players in America."
Arizona head coach Joan Bonvicini
"Maryland has a very good team. I am very impressed with Shay Doron. She's not just a good scorer, she's a savvy basketball player. She has a great feel for the game."
Florida State head coach Sue Semrau
"Watching them on film, [Maryland] are so tremendous. They've got great guard play, a great post player and we wanted to step up to the challenge and it was a great opportunity for us to do that and we had to fight."
Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan after 63-61 win over Maryland
"We had an army of [defenders] on [Crystal Langhorne]. We were trying to build a wall around her. She is such a talented player. Even when she misses, she knows where the rebound is going and goes and gets it."
Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors after ACC Tournament semifinal game vs. Maryland
"I think Crystal is just having a phenomenal year; she's just an incredible player, it's hard to believe she's just a freshman. When they get the open shot they're going to take it, and if not, they know they need to get it inside to their post players."
Duke head coach Gail Goestenkors after ACC Tournament semifinal game vs. Maryland
"Maryland has a great team and Brenda (Frese) has done a great job with them. We knew how very tough it would be to win here. Our execution was good today."
NC State head coach Kay Yow after the Wolfpack-Maryland game on Jan. 23
"At our best effort she got 19 rebounds today, so I mean, what can I say? We played hard, we did everything we could, but we knew (Crystal) Langhorne was a person that we had to key on."
NC State head coach Kay Yow
"It was a team effort. We knew that no individual can stop (Crystal) Langhorne, no one can stop (Shay) Doron and the others. I mean Maryland has a great team. We knew that we had to play hard individually but we would have to have a lot of help."
Georgia Tech head coach MaChelle Joseph
"Brenda has done a tremendous job. From the time she started at Ball State as a head coach, through Minnesota, and then getting to Maryland, she's just done a tremendous job. I have nothing but respect for her work ethic, and her ability to recruit and bring in great players. She's just done a tremendous job, and she will only continue to build this program. I see nothing but a bright future for Maryland."
Wake Forest head coach Mike Peterson
"They're a really good offensive team. They have a great balance--they can score in the lane and they can score in the perimeter. The best thing [Shay] Doron does is score in the mid-range. She has a great lift, and to me that's the best thing she does. So they can shoot the three, they can score the mid-range, and they can score at the basket. They have a lot of ways to score and they're very hard to guard."
Wake Forest head coach Mike Peterson
"We were doubling down a lot on [Crystal] Langhorne, so some long rebounds resulted from that. But they're also very good athletes. Doron is quick, and [Anesia] Smith is a good athlete, and Kalika France is too, so they're going to get some rebounds."
Debbie Antonelli, CSTV
"Part of the No. 2 recruiting class in the country, Langhorne could be on of the best low post players already as just a freshman in the ACC. The resurgence of Maryland basketball is well underway."
Feb. 10, Debbie Antonelli, CSTV
"As for [Crystal] Langhorne, who came out of high school as one of the best post players in the nation, she's performing better than expected."
Loyola (Md.) head coach Candy Cage
"I said at the beginning of this season, this team is a top-five team and nobody, come March, is going to want them in their bracket. They have the No. 2 recruiting class in the country. Brenda and her staff have done a phenomenal job. Their young kids are playing way beyond freshmen and sophomores."
Debbie Antonelli, Fox Sports
"Crystal demands a double team and will her entire career. She's just that talented."
Katie Zemko, Colorado Daily
"It's amazing what [Brenda Frese] did in two years there. It took her just two years to get to the NCAA Tournament and she's got one of the top recruiting classes two years in a row. You can see with the way she handles her players is really impressive. I think they're going to be the next UConn and Connecticut, myself. I think they're going to join that league in the next year or two. They have one of the best young coaches."
Beth Mowins, Fox Sports
"Third year head coach Brenda Frese has done a masterful job at turning programs around before arriving in College Park, and now it looks like more goods things are to come [at Maryland]."
Beth Mowins, Fox Sports
"The thing that makes her such a good coach is that, first and foremost, she knows the game, she knows how to coach the game, she's surrounded herself with very good people. So she's got good eyes and ears around her to pick up on everything that's going on in the game and around the game. She's very aggressive with how she coaches and how she recruits. That aggressive way she carries herself, carries over to her team and they play the same way. They all believe she's a winner and she knows how to make them winners. And that's what makes this all work."
Doug Herakovich, Basketball Today
"Sophomores Shay Doron and Kalika France give head coach Brenda Frese what may be the nation's finest young backcourt."
Patrick Knapp, Penn head coach
"Maryland has two things: they're physical and they're quick. And when you have those two things, you need to match them or you are in trouble."
Charlie Creme, 11/7/04 ESPN.com
"Perhaps the "up-and-coming" program in the nation."
Nancy Lieberman, 11/6/04 ESPN.com
"Sophomores Shay Doron and Kalika France might combine for one of the top young backcourts in the nation."
Duke Gail Goestenkors, at Duke Media Day (10/18/04)
"I think Maryland is really ready to break through, they have some outstanding sophomores and they've signed some great freshmen as well. So I think they're young but they've got all the pieces so I think they'll be a team to be reckoned with in our conference."
PRESEASON RANKINGS
No. 12 Athlon Magazine College Preview Annual
No. 21 ESPN.com's Nancy Leiberman's Preseason Poll
No. 23 Associated Press Poll
No. 23 ESPN.com's Charlie Creme's NCAA Tournament prediction
Preseason No. 3 finish in ACC Media Poll
PRESEASON HONORS
Crystal Langhorne:
ACC Rookie of the Year
Second team Preseason All-Freshman team by ESPN.com's Nancy Leiberman
Named on of Debbie Antonelli's "Five Freshmen of Influence"
Shay Doron:
Preseason Naismith Player of the Year Watch List
Street & Smith's Honorable Mention All-American
Preseason All-ACC
Kalika France:
ACC Basketball News All-ACC
