No jerseys in practice.
No nameplates above lockers.
No framed photos in the locker room.
No problem for Maryland senior James Gist, who simply is relieved the team is on a two-game winning streak after losing three in a row.
“Honestly, I?m liking it better without [the luxuries],” Gist said. “We?re playing better now. I think as long as these guys understand how much work it takes to get to where we want to be, once these guys understand that, we?ll be alright. Right now we have to keep pushing. We have to keep working hard. We can?t be satisfied with those two wins.”
The two wins were blowouts over Delaware and Savannah State ? and both came after Coach Gary Williams stripped players of their individual identities following losses to Ohio and American last month.
Williams said the losses to inferior opponents reminded him of the days when his teams had to fill up water coolers and clean the gym before playing games.
“It?s pretty nice here at Comcast Center ? not bad,” Williams said. “You do try to teach some things along the way ? obviously basketball, but about other things. Nobody is going to give you anything. That?s the way it is. You have to go get it if you want to earn it. Maybe we were a little too relaxed there early in the year. Hopefully we can continue to play at this level.”
But players said a 75-48 win over Savannah State likely wasn?t enough to restore their locker room perks.
“No offense to Savannah State, but we?re the ACC and they?re an independent. We should have beat them,” senior Bambale Osby said. “Until we beat a team like Charlotte, or Holy Cross or Virginia Tech, we still shouldn?t get our stuff back. Losing to some teams with the RPI that?s in the top 300, that?s just not Maryland basketball. I still think we have a little ways to go.”
The Terrapins next step would be to win on the road ? something they haven?t done this season. Maryland visits Charlotte (8-4) on Saturday at noon. Maryland faces Holy Cross (8-3) on Tuesday night at 8 before resuming Atlantic Coast Conference play at Virginia Tech (8-5) on Jan. 12.
“My personal feeling is I know in the past years that I?ve been here, it wasn?t like we were worried about the Americans and Ohios,” Gist said. “You look at the schedule and you don?t even look at those games. You circle the North Carolinas and the big games that you?re playing in. But the past two weeks it was like, ?Now we?ve got to come out here and we?ve really got to try to play hard to get the win.? I?m enjoying the way we?re playing right now. We just have to keep it up and stay consistent.”
