Trust me; there is nothing more frustrating than watching the Maryland Terrapins not earn an NCAA tournament bid.
I remember years ago the question was “I wonder what seed we’re going to get in the tournament.” Now, it’s “I hope we’re good enough to make it in this year”. It’s sad to see a program that once seemed on the verge of a powerhouse, has reduced themselves to just a solid program while coach Gary Williams remains the same fiery guy trying to get the most out of what he has.
Before analyzing each player on the 2010-2011 roster, let’s review the transition the Terps had to make with the loss of three seniors, Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne. So Maryland lost their best player in Vasquez, who was also the heart and soul of the team. They lost their “quarterback” and best three-point threat in Eric Hayes, and they lost their best overall athlete in Landon Milbourne. I believe it was unrealistic to think that this year’s Maryland Terrapins had a chance to repeat what they accomplished last year.
However, we were able to watch a star in the making with Jordan Williams arising and watch the crop of talented freshmen who should improve year after year. While focusing on the positives of the Terps, there were a lot of shortcomings throughout the season, and their lack of senior leadership played a key role in Maryland’s inability to earn another NCAA tournament berth.
Here are some factors that need to be considered before delving into this list; I am grading each player based on their expectations prior to the start of the season, and readers should additionally reflect on the improvement some individuals made throughout the year.