April 22, 2010
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
No team is ever the same year-to-year. The same goes for the Maryland women's basketball program. Next year not only will the Terps have nine sophomores and juniors with significant experience under their belts, they will be adding one of the nation's top freshmen classes.
This past season only saw one starter return in Lynetta Kizer. For the upcoming season, only one starter is lost, senior Lori Bjork. The experience the nine freshmen and sophomores gained is invaluable and can only help guide Maryland to their 25th post season appearance.
The returning starters are Kizer, Diandra Tchatchouang, Kim Rodgers and Dara Taylor.
Tchatchouang was the only Terrapin to start all 34 games for Maryland. She led all Atlantic Coast Conference freshmen in scoring with 11.5 points per game and second in blocked shots. Tchatchouang earned ACC All-Freshman team status as well as being selected as Rookie of the Week twice. She also garnered an ACC All-Academic nod.
Rodgers will be a key player from the outside for Maryland after the loss of Bjork, one of the nation's best three-point shooters. The Virginia Beach, Va., native hit 13 three's in just the last three games and had a career-high five on three separate occasions. Jackie Nared will also provide an outlet for the Terps from beyond the arc. The red-shirt freshman showed vast improvement throughout the year defensively and offensively.
Taylor became the record holder for assists by a freshman at Maryland with 171. The McDonald's All-American recorded her first career double-double at No. 19 Virginia with 11 assists and 10 points. Anjale Barrett also assisted in the point guard duties ranking No. 10 in assists amongst Terrapin sophomores. She was able to drive effectively into the paint and score around opponents. Barrett finished the year with 10 double-figure performances with a career-best mark of 20 points against St. Joseph's.
Kizer was joined by Tianna Hawkins, Yemi Oyefuwa and Essence Townsend at the post position. Kizer led Maryland in points and rebounds averaging 12.9 and 7.8, respectively. She recorded 21 double-figure performances, was named All-ACC Third team and ACC All-Tournament Second team. Kizer had her second 400 plus-point season with 437 and is on pace to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau next year. Hawkins led all ACC freshmen in rebounds and was top-five in points. She was one of the first off the bench for Maryland and was a strong presence under the basket. Oyefuwa and Townsend also provided enforcement around the basket. Oyefuwa started in five games and pulled down a career-high eight rebounds twice and Townsend played in 19 games and grabbed 47 rebounds.
The incoming class of Whitney Bays, Natasha Cloud, Alicia DeVaughn, Laurin Mincy and Alyssa Thomas boast impressive stats of its own.
DeVaughn and Mincy are McDonald's All-Americans, following in the footsteps of Kizer and Taylor. Mincy played in 91 games in her high school career accumulating 1,845 points. She was the first sophomore in her high school to exceed 1,000 points and the first junior to pass the 1,500 point mark. DeVaughn is a 6-4 center and is rated the No. 5 center in the nation and an ESPNU Top 100 Player. She is coming out of a stellar high school career, averaging a double-double with 19.6 points per game and 18.4 boards per contest.
Thomas was named a PARADE All-American after leading her team to the Pennsylvania state semifinals to cap off a stellar career. She became her school's all-time scoring leader after accumulating 2,291 points. Thomas also amassed 1,390 rebounds, 452 assists and 372 steals.
Cloud's high school career is marked by such achievements as: the Michael Menichini Award (2009); Third Team All State; First Team All Delco 2009; First Team All Catholic 2009; Second Team All Catholic 2008. Cloud was rated the No. 8 shooting guard in the nation. Bays was rehabbing a knee injury this season but already built an impressive resume. In 2009 she was the West Virginia Player of the Year, WV First Team All-State, MSAC Player of the Year, Gatorade Player of the Year and led Huntington High to State Finals Averaging 24.4 points, 11.1 rebounds.
A combination of incoming talent and the experience and skill set developed by last season's players, the Maryland Terrapins will be a force to reckon with in the 2010-11 season. The Terps were rated No. 28 in an early preseason prediction by ESPN.com's Charlie Creme.
