What's the Future for Maryland Basketball?

Now that the off-season is here I thought it would be a good time to look at the Terps roster and probable starters for next year. Here's a preview of what to look for in the 2008-09 season.

What was Lost
The Terps will lose senior starting big men James Gist and Bambale Osby, leaving a huge void in the paint. Gist was a go-to scorer who was the most important player on the Terps last year. Despite the great play of Greivis Vasquez it was the play of Gist that determined the Terps fate. The Terps will miss Gist's athleticism, shot-blocking and scoring next season. The Terps will miss Osby also, but for entirely different reasons. Boom was the Terps most reliable rebounder and the most intimidating physical presence for the Terps. He wasn't as prolific a scorer as Gist and could be turnover-prone but his offense was still very important to the Terps. Most importantly Boom was the spark plug for the team. His hustle and intensity on the court is irreplaceable.

Who's Coming In?
The Terps have at least three new freshman coming next year: Gus Gilchrist, Sean Mosley, and Bobby Maze. But it's very unclear what kind of impact the three will make at Maryland. It is believed by many that Gilchrist will come in and start right off the bat. With Gist and Boom gone there will be starting spots open and none of the current post players have shown anything to distinguish themselves as a starter. At 6-10 and 235lbs. Gilchrist should have the size and post moves to be successful right away. Mosley is recognized as the #11 ranked shooting guard in the country but may not see much playing time with Vasquez, Hayes, Tucker and Bowie all playing both guard positions. Maze is a junior college transfer who put up gaudy numbers at Hutchinson Community College, but may also struggle to find a spot in a guard-filled lineup.

Season Outlook
Right now it's hard to say where the Terps will end up next year. The Terps will be very young and only have one senior on the roster (rarely-used Dave Neal). The team should be strong and deep in the backcourt with Vasquez and Hayes starting and Tucker, Bowie, Mosley and Maze coming off the bench. The key in the backcourt is finding a consistent outside shooter. Vasquez and Hayes both showed they could hit threes but couldn't make 'em day in and day out. Look for teams to sag and defend the drive if the Terps can't knock it down from behind the arc.

The obvious question surrounding the Terps is how effective will they be in the post Assuming that Mosley comes in and starts at center, there will be some serious competition for the power forward spot between Braxton Dupree, Shane Walker and even Jerome Burney. I'd give the slight edge to Dupree who saw some starts last season and has the best post moves by far out of the bunch.

The final and most important factor for the Terps next season will be the play of swingman Landon Milbourne. Milbourne has shown glimpses of stardom in his first two years and he certainly has the talent. He can jump out of the gym, knock down middle and long range shots, and play stingy defense. However he can sometimes get lost in the offense and struggles to create his own shot. With Gist gone, Milbourne will be the focal point of the offense and the first man Vasquez will look for. It easy to picture the Terps being near the top or the bottom of the ACC but I'd expect them to be somewhere in the middle around 4th or 5th, right on the bubble line of getting into the tourney. What's new, right?