Farewell Seniors

Even though it's long overdue, I want to use this blog entry to remember the eventful careers of the Lady Terps' senior class of 2008 who helped bring Maryland it's first national title and turn the program into a national powerhouse

Ashleigh Newman
Newman made her mark with the Terps as a spark plug coming off the bench. The 5-10 guard was an above average three-point shooter and could help give Kristi Toliver the occasional rest and take the ball-handling duties if need be. Most of all Newman was a team player whose experience helped out the younger players develop.



Jade Perry
Perry was a tremendous asset for the Terps... a reliable rebounder and a big body for the Terps coming off the bench. Perry wasn't a great scorer but did give the team points when needed. Early on in her senior year, Perry did a great job filling in as a starter for Crystal Langhorne while she was nursing an injury. Perry's great play earned her a spot on the preseason WNIT all-tournament team. Her size, strength, and most of all her desire will be sorely missed.


Laura Harper
Harper may have improved more in her career than any other player in Maryland women's basketball history. Coming into her career she was just a big body but she developed good post moves, a great ability to rebound and defend, and even a decent mid-range jump shot. The largest improvement for Harper was between her junior and senior seasons, when she took the team's early exit in the 2007 NCAA tourney to heart and worked on her game. The result was a senior year with 14.1 PPG 8.6 RPG and a spot on the all-ACC third team.


Crystal Langhorne
The best recruit in Maryland's women's basketball history never disappointed during her four years with the Terps. To list Langhorne's accolades would take up more than this page could fit. During her career, Langhorne had the most polished post game of anyone in the nation not named Candace Parker. With great footwork, the ability to finish with both hands, and great positioning on the boards, Langhorne was pretty much unstoppable. Langhorne was the only four-time all-ACC first team and three-time all-American nominee in school history. She is probably the best women's basketball player in Maryland history and has helped build a foundation for the program to improve on in years to come

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Why He May Leave
Many rumors have been flying around lately that Eric Hayes could be leaving Maryland for another school in the near future. With guards Sean Mosley and Bobby Maze coming to Maryland next season their could be a serious reduction in Hayes' playing time if he doesn't improve. Mosley and Maze add to an already guard-stacked team with Greivis Vasquez, Adrian Bowie, and Cliff Tucker. And all five of these guards are faster and more athletic than Hayes.

Why He Needs to Stay
Despite everything I mentioned above I think it's wrong for Hayes to transfer somewhere else. There are two things Hayes has that the other guards haven't shown yet: great instincts and a pure jump shot. Although he has yet to live up to the hype, there is a reason why Hayes has been referred to as the next Steve Blake. He's fundamentally sound, quiet and calm on the court, and a smart player (most of the time). If Hayes works hard this offseason to improve his ball-handling and hit the outside shot consistently, there will be a spot for him in the starting lineup. It's obvious that Gary has confidence in him and Hayes is just the type of player that Gary loves. Plus, if Hayes transfers now he will likely have to sit out a year as well as adjust to a new environment, something that is very difficult for anyone. To me, the decision is obvious, Eric Hayes stay at Maryland.

Academically Challenged

The Typical Collegiate Athlete in the Classroom
Most people understand that it's extremely difficult if not impossible to hold collegiate athletes to the same academic expectations as the rest of the student body. It's just not likely an athlete who spends 20-30 hours a week practicing and playing games in their sport will get above a 3.0 GPA. But what's going on with the Maryland basketball team is unacceptable and quite frankly embarrassing.

Maryland's Current Troubles
This year's team scored a 905 on the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate which barely met the minimum requirement of 900 and was the lowest of all basketball teams in the ACC. If Maryland players continue this trend, the team could face penalties as harsh as losing scholarships or even facing postseason bans.

Recurring Theme
The academic problems for Maryland basketball players is nothing new. Maryland is known to have one of the worst graduation rates in the country among their players. Many fans remember the sickening feeling in 2006 when Chris McCray became academically ineligible, which may have been the reason the Terps fell just shy of an NCAA tourney berth. Now many teams have players leave early for the NBA, but when you have players stay for all four years and don't come away with a degree it makes the program and even the university look bad. Of course a lot of the blame can be put on Gary Williams, who doesn't seem to instill in the minds of his players the importance of academics. It would be one thing if the team were playing well, but it seems like each year they fall short of their potential. Maybe if Gary forces them to do better in the classroom it will give them the discipline they need to perform better on the court as well.