Terps Preview Season in Annual Media Day
10/14/2010 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 14, 2010
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Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams Quotes
"We have an interesting team this year. We have six players returning who played significant minutes for us. And then we have six players coming in who are new to the program. We don't have any preconceived ideas of the make-up of our first eight or nine players. Obviously of the guys that played last year, we have a better idea. But at the same time, this is kind of exciting to go into a season like we are where we have to do a lot of work and we understand that. The work starts Saturday after Maryland Madness. I'm looking forward to that.
I think for all of our seniors, they're looking at it like this is their opportunity to play and to prove just how good of basketball players they are. Now it is there for them and they can really go after it.
Cliff Tucker has done some great things. The shot he hit against Georgia Tech was one of the best shots in my 22 years here. He's had other games where he's been a dominant player.
Adrian Bowie has done some really good things. If you remember the second half of the Duke game here last year, without Adrian, we don't win that game. He's all ready to go. He is excited to play.
Dino Gregory had a tough year last year, where he didn't play at the beginning of the season. When he started playing, I think that hurt him a little bit, that he didn't get that early part of the season. He has worked very hard to get to where I think he can be a very effective player for us.
Jordan Williams was the one guy last year I wasn't really sure what he could do. He came on and had a phenomenal season, first team all-freshman in the ACC. He is one of the top 50, preseason, for the Wooden Award.
Sean Mosley is one of those people that just keep getting better because he works. He just keeps working and he gets better because of it. He is one of the great competitors I've coached. He is the leader out there, whether or not he is a senior.
James Padgett was hurt a little last year, he had some stomach problems. Now he is 100 percent. I just want to see what he can do. I'm excited about the start of practice because he showed flashes in being able to do some things. Just like a lot of guys, he has to do it on a more consistent basis.
Berend Weijs is from Holland. The reason he came here is because we had 46 inches of snow last year and he thought he would be comfortable. He is 6-foot-10, 6-11. He can run but he's a little thin. We're going to get him stronger. He competes so it will be interesting to see what he does.
Mike Parker is from Virginia. He's very talented and plays above the rim. He's a shooter, a big guard, small forward, whatever you want to call him. He's very versatile out there on the court.
Terrell Stoglin, his team won the state championship in Arizona last year. He's left-handed, only about 6-foot-1, but very strong. He's a very good point guard. Hawk Palsson is from Iceland by way of Florida... He's a very good shooter. Once again, he has that 6-foot-6 size. He can play down a little bit as a guard or strong enough to go inside. We'll see Hawk fits into things.
Pe'Shon Howard played at Oak Hill Academy last year. He is a very strong guard and a physical-type player in the backcourt. He's a combination guard, a one-two player. We'll see once practice starts, exactly where he fits in. He is certainly a competitive young man. He likes to get out there pretty good.
Ashton Pankey, from St. Anthony, played for the hall-of-fame coach Bob Hurley. He goes after the ball. We were talking the other day about his rebounding ability.
We have our walk-on, Ersin Levent. He is really a good practice player. He really helped us last year.
The thing we have in our program this year is a great work ethic both on and off the court. Our three seniors this year are scheduled to graduate like the three seniors last year and the last couple years. We're looking forward to that day, but at the same time, they want to have a great basketball team and I think that's where you start. You start with the people who have worked hard in the off-season.
You gain confidence in your ability to play by knowing that you've worked as hard as they've worked. This team put more time in this past summer than last year's team that worked really hard. I'm proud of that, I'm proud of what they've done.
The Atlantic Coast Conference this year, I don't remember a time with three new coaches. It's going to be contrasting styles.
Duke, as the defending national champions, they'll be picked as the No. 1 team in the country by most people and obviously No. 1 in our conference. But after that, I think you could make a case for a lot of teams.
I'm personally very excited. I feel very fortunate to still be healthy and coach the way I want to coach...It all starts Saturday after Midnight Madness."
On being both a coach and a teacher:
"If I couldn't teach, I wouldn't want to coach. That's always there every year. You do have the veteran plays that you have to keep moving along. Our staff really has to do a great job at making sure the young guys pick it up really quick... I really look forward to that. I like this situation where we have to do a lot of teaching."
On the changed offense:
"As a coach, I always worried about our defense first. If we play good enough defense, that will help us get some easier shots. This year we have a chance to be better, athletically; than we were last year... We can press a little more. Once you start getting confidence in your defense, you can generate some more points...We just have to do some things and we've had some guys that really put up a lot of shots this summer. You lose a Milbourne, a Greivis and an Eric... We'll need to make some shots, because that will help our inside players if you make some shots."
On finding a new leader:
"Leadership is interesting. Greivis is obviously a great leader; you could see it by the way he played. But Landon Milbourne was a great leader. Eric Hayes was a great leader. They showed up every day for practice and played hard. A lot of teams don't play hard at practice like we do. They were part of that. They were as consistent at doing that as anyone I've ever coached.
I've had all kinds of leaders. Keith Booth is a great example. When he played for me, he never said anything. But he was a great leader because every day in practice he played like it was the NCAA championship. When you have that attitude, players can buy into it, and it is better coming from the players than coming from me. I like some of the players on our team in terms of their leadership ability."
On integrating the newcomers:
"It is a special challenge [to integrate this year's class]. Last year was a special challenge to see if we could get some kind of inside play from Jordan Williams. The challenge this year is how many of those six can get into a rotation- because I like to play eight or nine players. If those guys can set up and do it then that would really help."
On the seniors becoming leaders:
I think they've been [leaders]. They were just playing behind Eric Hayes, Landon Milbourne and Greivis Vasquez. Now I hope they have a chip in terms of how badly they want to show their abilities. They have the ability to play. Athletically, Cliff Tucker and Adiran Bowie, they've had moments where they're as good as anyone. If they just take it up a notch and show more, I think they can be outstanding players."
Sophomore Forward Jordan Williams
On taking on a leadership role:
"I think Greivis (Vasquez), Landon (Milbourne), and Eric (Hayes) all did a great job[as leaders]. They put me under their wing and helped me develop good leadership skills. Even as a freshman, just to watch them and be around them definitely brought a lot out of me. Like I always say, I am a sophomore, but I can't act like it. I have to act like I am a leader of this team and push this team as much as I can."
On preseason preparation:
"Last year, I came in weighing around 276 pounds. Now, I'm about 255. I slimmed down. I lost a lot of fat and gained a lot of muscle. Being able to jump higher, run faster, and be a little quicker on my feet has been a huge part in helping me to develop as a player. It makes the game a lot more fun, too. When you're in shape, you're able to enjoy the game a lot more."
On the loss to Michigan State:
"A loss like that is tough. For me, ever since that shot went in it has been motivation for me to never put us in that position again. I will never forget that game. We were down by a lot that game to put us in that position. I emphasize on the younger guys, since I am coming in with a little bit of experience, how hurt we were after that game. We don't ever want to feel that hurt again. We will work hard so it doesn't happen again."
On goals for this year:
"I just want to improve. I have a lot of experience, which is fortunate for a sophomore to say. I am blessed to be able to say that. I want everything I do to be turned up a notch. I am never satisfied with what I do. I always want to get better at what I do. I think that's a big part of how I am as a person."
On dealing with the loss of Greivis Vasquez:
I think that instead of having one central person, people will look at us as a team now. Not to say that they didn't look at us as a team last year, but last year when you thought of Maryland basketball you thought of Greivis. I think this year when you think of Maryland basketball, you will think of the Maryland basketball team. I think that is a great sign. We're definitely excited about that. Everyone has their own individual challenges that they want to fulfill.
Sophomore Forward James Padgett
On entering as an experienced player:
"We are all teammates so we have to learn from each other. Since we're older, we have to help the younger players and teach them the ropes to understand what is going on."
On the makeup of team with the loss of last year's seniors:
"It is a different team, so everybody has different roles. We all have to step up. Some kids coming in have to contribute right away, even though they might not be able to. They have to work and give that as the season goes on."
On how much he learned from last season:
"We had a lot of great players on our team so I had a good chance to watch and learn from them. Even though I wasn't playing a lot, I was able to experience the game atmosphere, the crowd, the fans, how intense the ACC gets, and postseason. I learned a lot from that."
Senior Forward Dino Gregory
On the challenging early season schedule:
"For me, it is exciting. I look forward to challenges. That is why I came to Maryland. We all came to Maryland for that. We get to play big names. We look forward to all of the challenges that come along with that."
On stepping up as a senior leader: "Over the years, I learned different ways to lead the team. After watching Landon, Greivis, and Eric last year, I am trying to take everything I've learned from them and bring that to the team now."
On development during the offseason:
"This was a big offseason, probably one of the best offseasons I have had in a long time. I worked a lot on post moves, facing the basket, and shooting the ball. I played in the Kenner League a lot this summer. I had a pretty good Kenner League showing, so I am looking forward to this year. I am supposed to have a pretty big year this year."
Senior Guard Adrian Bowie
On replacing scoring:
"I'm just going to try to knock down shots. I'm going to try to be more aggressive and put the ball in the basket."
On the incoming freshmen:
"They look really good and they look like they belong. All of them have had their moments so far."
On developing an outside shot:
"[Last year] being able to knock down the perimeter jump shot gave me more opportunities to get to the basket. I have to be a more consistent shooter now that we lost our 3-point threats with Greivis [Vasquez] and Eric [Hayes] leaving, so we've got to have somebody to knock down shots."
On Maryland having a chip on its shoulder:
"Definitely, I feel like I still have a lot to prove. They have us picked at the bottom of the ACC, so we have to come out and perform each and every night. We don't have Greivis, Eric, or Landon anymore. It's our turn now."
On difference of team this year from last year:
"We are more athletic and we are going to be getting up and down the court a lot more this year. We're definitely young, but at the same time we are experienced. We definitely need people to knock down shots for us. I think by the end of the year we could have the same opportunities as last year's team."
possible freshmen standouts:
"I would say Pe'Shon [Howard], I like him a lot. He's strong, he's competitive, and he has a knack for scoring. I think in due time he is going to shine."
Senior Guard/Forward Cliff Tucker
On becoming a better player this summer:
"I've been working hard all summer and I've been doing a lot of extra things - things I haven't done the last three years. I've been here getting extra shots and talking to the coaches more. I just want to show that I am more of a complete player this year. This year I'm going to be a lot more focused than I ever have been. Coach has told me that I'm going to get my chance this year, so I have been really excited and real focused on working hard."
On replacing last year's seniors:
"It's hard to replace them, this year we have a whole different team. I think we're going to be a lot quicker than we were last year and most of all we have to knock down shots."
On this year's senior class:
"I think this year we all kind of have a chip on our shoulders, since the last three years we haven't really gotten to show what we can do. Like I said, Coach has basically told us that this is our team this year and we are going to get our chances."
On preseason priorities:
"We've been doing a great job with running and conditioning. I think this year we just need to practice harder than we did last year."
On personal offseason focus:
"I've focused a lot on conditioning. I know I'm going to play a lot this year so conditioning has been a big thing. Also shooting, we have to knock down shots this year. We lost a lot of great shooters, so we need to shoot the ball really well."
Freshman Forward Ashton Pankey
On what he expects in terms of playing time:
"I think that I'm definitely going to play. I'm going to work hard because nothing is guaranteed. As a freshman I'm just going to come in and work hard."
On his chemistry with the other freshmen:
"We are like a family, the chemistry is great. We have fun; we are laughing and joking with each other. I'm just glad to be here."
On how he would describe his style of play:
"Crashing the boards, blocking shots and defending are the things I focus on. I compare my game to Amare Stoudemire. He can knock down the open jump shot, attack the rim. I want to come in and focus on rebounding. We didn't grab a lot of rebounds last year so I want to come in and give our team something we struggled in last year."
On his expectations for the season:
"I think we are going to have a good year. A lot of people aren't expecting too much out of us, but we have all been working hard and have been here the entire summer. That's the first time that has happened so I think that's going to help us have a good year."
On the amount of freshmen on the team:
"It's exciting to see that. We have the potential to be together for the next four years and it's exciting to see what can happen in years to come."
Junior Center Berend Weijs
On his decision to go to college instead of play professionally:
"When I was younger I never had the plan to go to college and play basketball. I know that being a 6-foot-10 guy that one day my knees might give out. My dad told me that I needed to get an education, no matter where you do it. So then I had the plan to go to college. I went to a junior college in Pennsylvania first and played there for two years and got adjusted to the United States. I worked really hard to get as high as possible into Division I."
On what his focus has been this offseason and into the fall:
"I need to get stronger. I'm still working on that and I have gotten a lot stronger from where I was. I came from a junior college and I know that I need to improve a lot. I'm glad that Coach Williams sees the potential in me. I'm just working hard to improve on everything and anything that can make the team better and me better."
Freshman Guard Terrell Stoglin
On what his role on the team could be:
"I want to get everyone involved. I'm a 3-point shooter so I want to help the team out there as well."
On if the amount of players the team lost attracted him to Maryland:
"It was very attractive because I knew they were looking for people to come who were ready to play. From day one Coach Williams told me I needed to work for every minute of playing time I was going to get. I respected that from him. My goal is to get a lot of playing time and I'm ready to work for that."
Freshman Forward Mychal Parker
On the team chemistry:
"The whole team has been hanging out and doing a lot together, we are one big family. We are going to have to have strong team chemistry this year."
On the amount of new players on the team:
"We all fit together really well and are working together. That's what our team is based on. It's comforting to have the other young guys around."
On the coaches helping the young players adjust:
"The coaches have been really helpful. They have been helping us out because they know since it's our first year here, they know we are going to take some time to adjust to college life."
On the older players helping him out:
"The older players have really been helping me out with my confidence level. I came in thinking I don't know if I'm going to be able to do this. But they have given me a boost and helped keep me positive. The whole team has really been positive and I'm really thankful for that."
On who needs to step up with Greivis Vasquez graduating:
"Everybody has stepped up, and we have to be (a team) this year. There isn't going to be one guy doing all of the scoring or all the talking. We are going to have to be a team and everybody step up. We need all 13 guys."
