Fear the Turtle or Fear the Hoffarber

Turtel Waxing has been kind enough to give us a little look into the Maryland basketball team. I took no time to proof it or check for naughty word but here it is...


Maryland comes into this game having lost five out of their last six.
In losing to Clemson during that stretch Maryland squandered a 20
point 2nd half lead and lost 73-70. Maryland also lost games to Boston
College and Virginia which finished 4-12 and 5-11 in the ACC
respectively.

Starting five:
Greivis Vasquez (17.3 ppg, 6.9 assists 5.7 reb)- Alternates at PG with
Eric Hayes. More of a scorer and distributor than a pure shooter. Will
make the spectacular pass or the awful turnover on any given
possession. Sometimes careless with the basketball and prone to
turnovers and poor shot selection. Can score in bunches and is almost
unstoppable when his outside shot is falling. He is a streaky 31%
shooter from 3-point range. A mediocre defender who uses his height
(6-6) to bother shooters. Named 2nd team All-ACC as a sophomore and
certainly the best player on the squad.

Eric Hayes (10.3ppg, 4.4ast) A pass first point guard who alternates
with Vasquez as the primary ball handler. Usually tries to let his
teammates score but can hit an open shot from 3-point range if given
space. Prefers to be a spot up jump shooter and doesn't do well on the
move. Below average quickness makes him a liability on defense and
struggles to contain speedy guards off the dribble. Not much of a
scoring threat.

Landon Milbourne (8.5ppg, 3.6reb) An athletic SF who needs to get the
ball in good positions to score. Not able to create scoring
opportunities himself though he will take it to the rim on occasion. A
decent 3-point shooter (38%) and solid from the foul line (80%). Lacks
great instincts on the defensive end though he can be a weakside shot
blocker. Has struggled recently.

James Gist (15.8ppg, 7.8reb) A dynamic and impressive athlete with a
good shooting touch out to 3-point range. Will often settle for jump
shots and doesn't like physical play in the post. A weak one-on-one
defender in the post who excels at shot blocking. Not a particularly
strong rebounder. Struggles to finish inside after contact. A good
free throw shooter overall. Named 2nd team All-ACC.

Bambale Osby (11.2ppg, 6.5reb) A stout but undersized center who
prefers to play with his back to the basket. Can score on a variety of
drop step and pivot moves but will also turn the ball over. A decent
passer out of the low post. Has improved his dreadful foul shooting to
66% but usually misses free throws in bunches. A good low post
defender for his size. Has exceptional timing with his shot blocking.
A throw back style of player and will draw fouls with his physical
play.

Bench: SG Adrian Bowie and wing Cliff Tucker are the two main bench
players. Bowie is a slashing guard who is a very good finisher around
the basket. Plays a very instinctual game. Both Tucker and Bowie like
to get out in transition and are adequate defenders. Bowie is getting
much more playing time recently and is averaging 10.6 points in the
last three games. Jerome Burney, a rebounding and defensive post
player, is the first big man off the bench.

Outlook: Maryland usually plays stout defense only to fade in the 2nd
half. This group has a hard time holding leads because the offense
sputters for long stretches. They are vulnerable to pressure defense
and offensive rebounding. Three point shooting is not a large part of
the offense and they like to try to get the ball inside early. I think
the team is worn out by all the minutes the starters have been playing
and I wouldn't be surprised by an early NIT exit.