The initial response to Butler upsetting Maryland in the NCAA Tournament: relief. Finally, the two recruiting classes following the national championship are gone. May they take their frustrating, underachieving ways with them.
The Terrapins blew another game they should have won. Big surprise. They’ve been doing it for years.
Rarely has a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament delivered such a joyless season. The Terps won 25 games, but bad losses too often overshadowed their effort. Losing to Miami in the regular season cost Maryland a first-round bye in the ACC tournament. Maryland then lost again to last-place Miami in the conference tournament opener.
Still, the seniors could have exited with dignity by reaching the Sweet 16, where a probable loss to defending national champion Florida would have been respectable. Instead, they lost to Butler, which was less talented but much smarter. Combine Butler’s savvy and Maryland’s talent and they’d win the national title.
Six seniors, including four 4-year scholarship players, exit the program. At least this crew was never arrested like last year’s three seniors, who all checked out of their dorms the morning after the final loss. The current crop might send Ekene Ibekwe to the NBA on potential alone — might — but the group did little at Maryland: two second-round NCAA tournament losses; an ACC tournament that they contributed little to; a first-round NIT exit.
It has been an ugly stretch for Maryland basketball since winning the national crown. They’ve won games, but never won-over naysayers. Seniors who make critical mistakes in key games aren’t remembered fondly.
Individually, it’s hard to dislike them. They’re a good group of men who didn’t cause off-court problems. Their intensity isn’t questioned. They just rarely made crucial plays and lost to lesser teams too often. The late-season seven-game winning streak was their high-water mark, but losing two of three since leaves a stain.
Somehow, shortcomings of the preceding senior class seemed to stay with this year’s seniors. It’s only natural since they spent three years together. Hopefully, this isn’t an ongoing legacy.
Next year’s team would seem shorthanded, but it’s also a chance to start fresh. Forward James Gist and guard Greivis Vasquez make a nice inside-outside combination. Forward Bambale Osby showed enough recently to indicate he might be a force next season. Eric Hayes could start at point to move Vasquez to shooting guard. Maybe forward Jerome Burney or an incoming freshman will grab the fifth slot.
If Maryland takes a step back next season but plays a smarter game, it will at least be more enjoyable to watch. Two seasons of what-ifs has been long enough.
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at [email protected].
