Terps Basketblog

Maryland beat FSU last night at the Comcast Center, pretty soundly. 73-55. An ugly game smattered with poor officiating failing to let the players simply play. Regardless, I digress. I post on a fairly regular basis to a Maryland Basketball blog and entered into a funny encounter today between myself and another regular poster of the site. I'm going to post the exchange here, but be forewarned, it most likely won't hold much relevance to you or entertain you, unless at least mildly fascinated with either basketball or insulting people. It's long and for most it will probably be boring, though I did work a Billy Madison quote in just to keep the discussion interesting, and it's as follows:

Al Vinchent — February 22, 2007 @ 9:56 am
MJ was a star, he has crazy ability that was lost if the Strawberry, Gilchrist, McCray, and every other problem that took away from GW developing him. Bowers and Visser were the same kids as freshman. 7 footers with one or two moves, weakish, and goofy. Visser has gotten a lot more muscular and quicker with 4 or 5 moves. They are predicting Visser to be a NBA center possibly starting in a year or two. Bowers is the same, weak, goofy, 2 move 7 footer. So CT I believe that GW lost a few recruits by not putting out a better product. Garrison was a beast to the least. Gist is heading that way. He should not shoot beyond 15 foot for this team. He is a monster in the paint when he chooses to. The post play will get him to the next level, not 3’s. The clay is not being molded very well which in turn leads tot he clay going elsewhere. If my kid is an average kid at 7 foot he is not going to GW to become no better. I would send him to WFU first. I have seen them make a post player better. Even Eric Williams got better, though he washed out.

E$ — February 22, 2007 @ 10:29 am
The Kyle Visser to Will Bowers comparison is absolutely laughable. If you look at them coming out of high school and wanted to project out how they would develop you’ve got to take lots of variables into account. You can’t place the responsiblity solely upon GW. He’s actually has quite a record at developing big men with less athletic body types; i.e. Lonny Baxter, Ryan Randle, Tahj Holden, Obinna Ekezie, etc. Thus, saying you wouldn’t send a big man to Gary Williams to improve has no merit.

First of all according to Rivals.com Visser was a three star recruit, Bowers, a two star. Granted, these recruiting services don’t have the most validity as we’ve seen by high ranking recruits turning out to be busts, and lower lever recruits turning out to be great. Projecting how a high school player, especially one of such size at 18 years old is going to turn out is close to impossible. Some people mature into their bodies and gain the coordination that was lacking as their body was developing. This is not something that GW can fix. As a coach, you can’t personally, improve a player’s coordination, or foot speed, or lateral movement, or strength. You are not responsible for how men grow into their bodies.

Also, Wake Forest is so depleted this year that a majority of the offense is run through Visser. Obviously, it would be hysterical and horrendously sad, if Maryland was in such a state of affairs that the offense needed to be run through Bowers.

Visser is listed as 6-11 240lbs, Bowers at 7-1 270. Obviously that extra 30 lbs has an affect in overall quickness that should be more than apparent. The comparison is simply unjust.

E$ — February 22, 2007 @ 10:32 am
I’m beginning to wonder why I even bother to reply to your posts though, and seemingly I’m not the only one here.

Al Vinchent — February 22, 2007 @ 10:39 am
Oh wow have an opinion and want a better product and I am ignorant. Flex whatever you want Gist is better in the paint. Bowers is not better and if you can’t coach and make kids better then you are not coaching. Alex I didn’t ever say anything about NC State and 2002. Matter of fact the only hurtful loss is Miami. The Virginia loss at home is offset by the Huge Duke win. This is where this team should be talent wise, the last four games that it. I believe if the Terps played GW, G’Town, and maybe even Mason that the Terps would know early how to get up for a game instead of waiting for the ACC to start. There wasn’t a ranked team on the sked until January and as we have seen that was Hype for Clemson. Maryland and Clemson played a bunch of nobodies until they met. Vermont, and Winthrop, with Illinois and MSU having off years was not preparation for ACC play. Call me ignorant if you want now but GW is admittedly looking for small conference foes. What about some big time teams that will toughen up the kids? Is playing a tough sked that gets you on National TV only for Tobacco Road?

E$ — February 22, 2007 @ 10:42 am
You obviously didn’t watch the MSU-Wisconsin game the other night, did you?

Al Vinchent — February 22, 2007 @ 10:49 am
Yes I watched some of the MSU Wis game and that would not happen 3 out 4 times. But let downs occur. And yes Bowers phsyical conditiona dn coordination can be devloped by a coach. Baxter was the only talent out of thar group that got better. The rest were just big bodies that did nothing. And the best thing Baxter did since leaving is make the papers carrying a gun in DC. I am a realist and I realize that GW has a lot more talent that given credit for and seems to be a lazy recruiter and lacks devlopement with players. The title team had a bunch of motivated kids that wanted to be better and I think that spoiled GW. The rest have been waiting for th magic to happen.

E$ — February 22, 2007 @ 10:54 am
I’m recommending a boycott of all future Al V posts. There is nothing factual about what you are saying. You make no compelling arguments that you use actual facts to try to convey a point. It is merely the ramblings of a delusional fan with atrocious grammar.

To quote Billy Madison: “Mr. Vinchent, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I’ve ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response was there anything that could even be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this thread is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul!

Tombootom — February 22, 2007 @ 11:01 am
E$ gets the award for best use of an Adam Sandler movie to accurately sum up the situation. Congratulations my freind, it is truly a prestigious honor.

E$ — February 22, 2007 @ 11:02 am
Ekezie went from playing soccer in Nigeria to basketball at College Park to making a couple NBA team rosters, most notably with the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. If that is not improvement, nothing is.

Al Vinchent — February 22, 2007 @ 11:25 am
Number 14 sked if you read Pomeroy. The only pre ACC toughness was Gonzaga and GW and they were in tournaments not staright up sked. In 02 they played Ok, Az and Uconn before the ACC. Now that is something not mentioning Illinois in the ACC B10. Since they have not played anybody good on purpose. No, BIG East, B12, or anyone constantly on the NCCAB map. GTwon is 20 minutes away, why does the rivalry go to UNC and Duke not MD. Why does tobacoo road have 31 NBA players and the Terps have 6. Duke and UNC have the most. Are they better players, I don’t think so because the Terps keep beating them. So why can’t the Terps get the recruits that Duke and UNC get. I say it is national TV. The Terps are not on CBS, ABC, ESPN nearly as much because of the teams they chose to play.

Al Vinchent — February 22, 2007 @ 11:26 am
it is Billy Packer and he hates Duke. They did not offer him a scholarship. If you believe that I hate the Terps then call me any Baltimore. Washington area sports reporter

E$ — February 22, 2007 @ 11:41 am
NO. Any Baltimore/Washington area sports reporter knows how to make a point (even if it is a negative one by using factual accounts). Any Baltimore/Washington area sports reporter also know when to place a comma, or a semi-colon; or a period in a sentence to avoid creating a run-on.
Any Baltimore/Washington area sports reporter would not spell Georgetown, GTwon. Or tabacco, tabacoo for that matter. Any Baltimore/Washington area sports reporter wouldn’t argue two points that weigh heavily against them, (1. Gary Williams’ record developing big men, and 2. That the Terps play a soft schedule.). And if any Baltimore/Washington area sports report did decide to argue these points, they would do so much more convincingly than you. You should not be mentioned in the same breath as any Baltimore/Washington area sports reporter no matter how mediocre they are. My friends little brother writes more convincingly for his middle school newspaper.

Al Vinchent — February 22, 2007 @ 11:49 am
You are right E$ I am not very grammatical and my Eastern Shore education or lack of does haunt me. If you think the Terps don’t play a soft non conference schedule then you are on the kool aid. If Gist play SF in the NBA then that team better be an expansion team because he is no SF. He is a PF. He is not the shooter at 6′9″ to play SF anywhere. He my fellow poster is No DIRK.

E$ — February 22, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
It’s not your grammar that is the most frustrating thing about your posts (though that is the most glaring at first read, and certainly the easiest to pick on). It’s that you don’t cite any facts. It’s that there is no cohesive thought pattern that leads anywhere. It’s that you don’t reference websites, or statistics or even make astute observations of your own. It’s that you argue points with no merit and it makes you look crazy. I could get past all the typos, and misspelling if what you said made any sort of sense.

Regarding the Terps non-conference schedule. Entering your team in a tournament (that you end up winning) with Michigan State, Illinois, and Texas is not soft man. St. John’s really isn’t a soft game either, if you take a look at some of the teams that they have beat this year (Syracuse, Notre Dame). Scheduling a scary Winthrop team that came within a last second prayer of beating Tennessee in the NCAA tournament is not a soft game either, it could’ve easily been an embarrassing loss on this team’s record.

Gary has obviously been confounded (that means bewildered, which means puzzled or confused) as to the successful formula for getting into the NCAA Tournament. Thus, he has played around with the schedule this year to try and find the Terps a couple more wins (20+) that is seemingly necessary for at-large selection. Is the Terps schedule softer than last year? Yes. Can it be considered soft overall? No.

I don’t even like kool-aid. That’s a cop out statement for when you can’t make an argument. Reading what you type it seems more apparent you’ve been drinking the WHISKEY than the kool-aid brotha.

E$ — February 22, 2007 @ 12:24 pm
And, name a college player now outside of Kevin Durant who could draw a comparison to Dirk Nowitzki? (Though when I see Kevin Durant, I think more Tracy McGrady).

There is only one Dirk, in the NBA, what would make you think a valid Dirk comparison could be drawn to a college player?

Here is the post you should be replying to instead of me:
Josh — February 22, 2007 @ 10:48 am
I just wanted to add that Gist, if he makes the NBA, will do so as a SF and not a PF. For that position, being able to shoot the three is tremendously important, and that IS what will get him to the next level.

And to be honest with you, Josh is right.

Gist is listed as 6-8 223, which also happens to be the exact same size as SF Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies, or SF Rodney Carney of the Philadelphia 76ers, or SF Gerald Green of the Boston Celtics (If you watched the NBA Slam Dunk contest). Please note all these players fit almost the exact profile as Gist, obviously each being a little bit more polished and with a bit more pedigree/experience at this time.

Welcome to Garyland.