Why Brenda Frese is the Worst Thing to Ever Happen to Gary Williams

The University of Maryland women’s basketball team is the only basketball ticket in town right now. Men’s or women’s, collegiate or professional, the Lady Terrapins are putting on a show that locals can be proud of, and a national audience can take serious notice of.

Yep, everything you wanted out of the men’s basketball program in College Park, the ladies are that and a little bit more.

Brenda Frese has come in and made Maryland into a national powerhouse, that, after this tournament, will join Tennessee and UConn as the top women’s programs in college basketball.

Consider the 10 years prior to Frese’s arrival, where the Lady Terps three appearances in the national tournament turned into three first rounds losses.

Since Frese’s arrival, the Lady Terps are 15-4 in post season play, including three Sweet Sixteen appearances, three Elite Eight appearances, and a national title.

And they are in serious contention for this year’s championship, thanks to the play of seniors Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver. And did I mention that Coleman and Toliver are nearby recruits from Maryland and Virginia, respectively?

So what does all of this mean for Gary Williams? Does it further dampen perspectives on his recruiting, given that Frese can find players generally without getting off I-95? Does it heighten expectations for winning in the ACC, considering that Duke and North Carolina are top women’s programs in the mold of their male counterparts?

Most of all, does the minimize the number of “wait-until-next-year, we-recruit-clean” excuses that Williams can offer for the Terps’ underachievement?

Probaly not, fan-wise. Marissa Coleman pulled off the greatest Terps post-season performance in school history, and nobody was there to here it or see it.

People in this area barely pay attention to the Lady Terps until their on the verge of a national championship, and despite leading the conference in home attendance, Lady Terps basketball doesn’t make the UMD athletic budget rise or fall on an annual basis.

But its clear that Gary Williams has to watch his back, because the better the Lady Terps get, the more it makes Garyland look like nothing more than a lonely island with a stubborn coach and a vivacious Venezuelan running it.