Terrapins Host Youngstown State on Tuesday
11/17/2008 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Fresh off its season-opening victory over Bucknell last Friday night, the Maryland men's basketball team returns to action against Youngstown State in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The Terrapins (1-0) and Penguins (0-1) tip off at 8 p.m.
Noting the Penguins
Youngstown State lost its season-opener at home last Saturday, falling to Buffalo 70-62... The Penguins were led by a double-double from 6-foot-7 junior forward Sirlester Martin, who had 14 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
The Penguins of the Horizon League were plagued by cold shooting, hitting 35.4 percent from the floor, but committed only 10 turnovers in their first game of the year...
Kelvin Bright had 11 points in 39 minutes, while backcourt mate Vytas Sulskis had 10 points. Jack Liles finished with 10 points and four blocks for the Penguins...
YSU is coached by Jerry Slocum, who is in his fourth season at the school, but holds a 610-385 career record in 34 seasons as a head coach.
Gary Williams' 20th Season
Head coach Gary Williams reaches another in a career filled with milestones when he coaches his alma mater for the 20th season in 2008-09...
He is the 6th-winningest active head coach in NCAA Division I men's basketball with an overall record of 605-343 (.638)... He ranks second among active ACC coaches with 398 wins at Maryland (3rd overall) and also ranks second among active league coaches with 165 ACC victories. Williams is the Terps' all-time winningest coach...
He sits two victories away from recording his 400th win in College Park just having started his 20th season... His 397 wins in 19 years at the beginning of the season was an average of 20.9 wins per season with the Terps...
Maryland's 70-65 victory over Boston College (2/6/2008) gave Williams his 600th career victory... Only five other active head coaches in Division I have 600 career wins.
Milestones, Streaks, etc.
Tri-Captains
Maryland will have three captains repesenting the team in a leadership role in 2008-09. Senior Dave Neal will accept the role, along with juniors Greivis Vasquez and Landon Milbourne.
Looking Ahead
Maryland plays its third straight home game to open the season on Friday evening against Vermont... The Catamounts are coached by former Terrapin assistant Mike Lonergan...
The Terps then will spend the Thanksgiving holidays in Orlando, Fla., playing in the Old Spice Classic, where seven of the eight teams appeared in the postseason a year ago....
Maryland then returns home to face Michigan on Dec. 3 in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge... All six December games are in the Washington, D.C., area, as the Terps' only appearance away from Comcast Center will come at the Verizon Center in a BB&T Classic matchup against George Washington on Dec. 7...
The Terps have a seven-game homestand between December 12 and January 10, with the final game in that stretch being a Comcast Center matchup with Georgia Tech that serves as the ACC opener.
Maryland Among ACC's Best Last Ten Years
Maryland has been one of the top programs in the ACC over the past 10 seasons.
Home Sweet Home
Maryland has been a dominant home team over the years:
Fear the Turtle!
Maryland is one of the most consistent winning programs in the country following more than a decade of excellence:
Commitment To Education
Sophomore forward Jerome Burney is once again the recipient of the LeFrak Scholarship Award for the men's basketball program. The scholarship represents an endowment established by the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Foundation, and is awarded annually to three Maryland student-athletes who exhibit extraordinary athletic, leadership, and scholarship abilities in football, men's basketball and men's track and field...
Senior Dave Neal is on track to graduate and continue a trend of graduates in the program... James Gist, Bambale Osby and Jason McAlpin were 2007-08 seniors who earned their degrees as Terrapin basketball players.
Gary Williams Pregame Quotes - Monday, Nov. 17
On the signing of James Padgett:
"James Padgett has official signed his National Letter of Intent. His team in high school in Brooklyn, N.Y., won the state championship. He could be player of the year in New York City this year. He's powerful and that gives us 6-foot-10 Jordan Williams and 6-8 James Padgett."
On the frontcourt:
"James Gist was a very good shot blocker. He had very good timing. Bambale Osby was good for a guy his size. He was only 6-6. Both those guys could block shots. We were way up in the conference in blocked shots. If you play perimeter defense a little better then there is not as much of a need for blocked shots.
"I think we are better on the perimeter this year and then you learn how to help. Part of being a good team defense is the ability to get more than one person on the ball. There are some things we can do to make up for it. I still think we will be big enough this season. It's not always the size but the ability of play."
On the inside game against Bucknell:
"Bucknell didn't have a dominating inside presence but I thought we did okay. Youngstown has a better inside play to go against, so that will give us more of a look."
On Braxton Dupree:
"I think Braxton Dupree shouldn't put emphasis on scoring. That's the least of my worries. He should be concerned about getting every rebound that comes off the rim and about defending his position in there. If he can do that, we'll be fine. That's what we need because we can score. We are going to score points, but you still have to stop the other team inside and you have to rebound."
On quality play from young players:
"There are several players that are playing well right now. Adrian Bowie is playing very well. Jin Soo Kim is playing well for where he is in the program with the amount of practice he's had. Sean Mosley is playing very well. Friday against Bucknell is the best he's played practice or a game since he sprained his ankle."
On Dave Neal:
"Dave knows what we're trying to do. He's been here four years. I think he knows how to get open in the offense, he knows how to play position defense. Dave earned some playing time after what he did last game."
On Sean Mosley's progress:
"Sean Mosley looks like he isn't afraid to step in there and take a charge. It's a mindset you have to have. He really knows the game. He knows where the ball should go. He is a very quick learner. He has come into a situation where both Adrian Bowie and Cliff Tucker have gotten better at the same time."
