2010-2011 Maryland Terrapins Basketball: Final Grades

Trust me; there is nothing more frustrating than watching the Maryland Terrapins not earn an NCAA tournament bid. 

I remember years ago the question was “I wonder what seed we’re going to get in the tournament.” Now, it’s “I hope we’re good enough to make it in this year”.  It’s sad to see a program that once seemed on the verge of a powerhouse, has reduced themselves to just a solid program while coach Gary Williams remains the same fiery guy trying to get the most out of what he has. 

Before analyzing each player on the 2010-2011 roster, let’s review the transition the Terps had to make with the loss of three seniors, Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne.  So Maryland lost their best player in Vasquez, who was also the heart and soul of the team.  They lost their “quarterback” and best three-point threat in Eric Hayes, and they lost their best overall athlete in Landon Milbourne.  I believe it was unrealistic to think that this year’s Maryland Terrapins had a chance to repeat what they accomplished last year. 

However, we were able to watch a star in the making with Jordan Williams arising and watch the crop of talented freshmen who should improve year after year.  While focusing on the positives of the Terps, there were a lot of shortcomings throughout the season, and their lack of senior leadership played a key role in Maryland’s inability to earn another NCAA tournament berth.

Here are some factors that need to be considered before delving into this list; I am grading each player based on their expectations prior to the start of the season, and readers should additionally reflect on the improvement some individuals made throughout the year. 

Senior, Adrian Bowie. Final Grade: D

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COLLEGE PARK, MD - FEBRUARY 2: Adrian Bowie #1 of the Maryland Terrapins drives to the basket over Mason Plumlee #21 of Duke Blue Devils during a college basketball game on February 2, 2011 at the Comcast Arena in College Park, Maryland. The Bleu Devils w

• Throughout Bowie’s career in College Park he was never able to find a clear role on the team.  Coming into his senior season, Adrian was given the rains to be the leader of the backcourt.  He eventually lost his position as the team’s starting point guard and had to transition to shooting guard, neither of which he was successful at.
• That being said, Bowie remained a valued defensive player, but I’m giving him a harsh grade due to what Gary Williams and the Terps needed from him this year, which turned out to be an overall disappointment. 

Senior, Dino Gregory. Final Grade: C+

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COLLEGE PARK, MD - FEBRUARY 23: Dinio Gregory #33 of the Maryland Terrapins blocks a shot by Okaro White #3 of the Florida State Seminoles at the Comast Center on February 23, 2011 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

• Gregory’s statistics were not “wowing” anyone, but I believe he improved his game in every aspect in comparison to his junior season.
•  He developed a consistent mid-range jump shot, took more charges than anyone else on the team and was also the best shot blocking threat.
•  Despite his improvement, Dino still struggled defensively and allowing too many offensive rebounds, which proved to be deadly.

Freshman, Pe'Shon Howard. Final Grade: C+

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CHAPEL HILL, NC - FEBRUARY 27: Pe'Shon Howard #21 of the Maryland Terrapins drives around Leslie McDonald #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at the Dean E. Smith Center on February 27, 2011 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Str

• Howard has a lot to live up to if he wants to wear Greivis Vasquez’s No. 21.
• Pe’Shon had flashes of brilliance; he performed well in crunch time (hit the game-winning shot against College of Charleston), but during the season, Howard played what is expected of a freshman. (poor court awareness, inconsistencies defensively)
• If fellow freshman Terrell Stoglin and Pe’Shon are going to coexist effectively, Howard is going to have to be the floor general and command the tempo of the game.
• Does he have the talent comparable to Vasquez?  I don’t think so, but he gave Maryland fans the anticipation of becoming a solid player for the Terps in the future.

Junior, Ersin Levent, Freshmen, Ashton Pankey and Mychal Parker: Incomplete

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COLLEGE PARK, MD - FEBRUARY 20: Jordan Williams #20 of the Maryland Terrapins (c) and teammate Mychal Parker #11 get introduced before playing the NC State Wolfpack at the Comcast Center on February 20, 2011 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/

• Ersin Levent only played in eight games, Pankey played only one game and Parker played in 13.
• I can barely remember Levent and Pankey even getting any playing time, but Parker has a lot of upside.
• Prior to the start of the season, Mychal Parker was the highest-rated recruit in comparison to Stoglin and Howard.  Given his lack of playing time, I can assume that he is a raw talent that Gary Williams does not trust yet, but I expect Parker to come in next year and produce.  Think of Landon Milbourne, he has a similar body type to Parker in which he had limited playing time his freshman year and then turned into a serviceable player for the rest of his career.

Junior, Sean Mosley. Final Grade: C-

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GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 11: Sean Mosley #14 of the Maryland Terrapins shoots against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half in the quarterfinals of the 2011 ACC men's basketball tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on March 11, 2011 in Greensboro, No

• I went back and forth trying to give Mosley an accurate grade.  It’s a given that Sean Mosley’s offensive game is tremendously inferior, but he remains the best lockdown defender on the team.
• If Mosley was a couple inches taller, then we might have had an answer to stop Kyle Singler, but he embraces his role on the defensive side and will typically guard the opposing team’s best player.
• However, after three years with Maryland, I would have expected to see some improvement in Mosley’s offense.  He has yet to find a consistent mid to long-range jump shot, and he will certainly be called upon as a senior next year. 

Sophomore, James Padgett. Final Grade: D

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GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 10: James Padgett #35 of the Maryland Terrapins loses possession of the ball against Ryan Harrow #12 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the first round of the 2011 ACC men's basketball tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum

• It’s hard to fairly grade Padgett when he only averaged eight minutes a game, but in his limited playing time, he did not produce consistently.
• James is an aggressive player that has a very inefficient offensive game.  He also seems to pre-determine his shots, which can turn out to be  ugly against a good defender.
• Since Dino Gregory is graduating, and Jordan Williams leaving for the NBA, Padgett is going to have a major role for the rest of his career at Maryland.  I think he is a good athlete that needs to work hard in the offseason and could be the most improved player for next year.

Freshman, Haukur Palsson. Final Grade: C+

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GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 10: Haukur Palsson #13 of the Maryland Terrapins controls the ball against C.J. Leslie #5 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the second half of the game in the first round of the 2011 ACC men's basketball tournament at the

• In my opinion, Palsson is the quintessential Gary Williams type of player. He wasn’t heavily recruited, not overly athletic, but a high energy guy who does whatever is asked upon him.
•  Haukur seemed to improve each game of the season; he started off deep on the Terps’ bench and then finished the year in a starting role.  He is going to need to bulk up in the offseason if he expects to survive playing near the basket.
• If it was up to me, I would like to see him play on the wing and develop a consistent long-range jumper.  I don’t envision Palsson having a future in the NBA, but I expect him to be a reliable player for the duration of his career.

Freshman, Terrell Stoglin. Final Grade: B

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CHAPEL HILL, NC - FEBRUARY 27: Terrell Stoglin #12 of the Maryland Terrapins shoots the ball over Kendall Marshall #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at the Dean E. Smith Center on February 27, 2011 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Pho

• Terrell Stoglin was the Brett Favre of the season.  I found myself yelling at the television screen “No! Don’t shoot!” and then he scores.  He is a score first guard that has a lot of potential in my opinion.
• At the beginning of the season, he was out of control, his shot selection was frustrating and he was ineffective defensively.  Halfway through the season, Stoglin’s game substantially improved, as he was scoring at will.
• What I found to be a flaw of Terrell’s game was his inability to slow the game down when needed.  His motor was always at 100 miles per hour, and that can prove to be detrimental to a team at times.  Once he can intelligently dictate the pace of the game, I foresee him being a star at the University of Maryland. 

Freshman, Berend Weijs. Final Grade: D

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GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 11: Head coach Gary Williams of the Maryland Terrapins talks with the team during the first half of the game against the Duke Blue Devils in the quarterfinals of the 2011 ACC men's basketball tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum o

• If Jordan Williams decides to remain in the draft, than most likely Berend Weijs is going to have an increased role—a role in which I think he will win by default.
• He simply does not have the athleticism or strength to be a dependable player down low.  Of course I hope I’m wrong, Gary Williams always seems to utilize the talent around him.  If Weijs has a skill, it’s his shot blocking, which will be called upon since Dino Gregory will be gone.

Sophomore, Jordan Williams. Final Grade: A

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COLLEGE PARK, MD - FEBRUARY 23: Jordan Williams #20 of the Maryland Terrapins celebrates against the Florida State Seminoles at the Comast Center on February 23, 2011 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

• All biases aside, I think it would be a mistake if Jordan would leave early for the NBA.  If he develops a 5-10 foot jumper and improves his atrocious free-throw shooting, then I could see him as a lottery pick next year.
• He was obviously the most consistent player on the team, averaging a double-double almost every game.  I remember watching him as a freshman, and I immediately compared him to Lonny Baxter, and after completion of his sophomore year, I think he is actually better than Baxter.
• He turned out to be one of the most dominant inside scorers in the country, and without him, Maryland would have been the bottom feeders in the ACC.  It took almost 10 years for Maryland to find an inside threat like Williams, and it would be unfortunate to see him leave early, but I wish him nothing but the best.

Senior, Cliff Tucker. Final Grade: F

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GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 11: Cliff Tucker #24 of the Maryland Terrapins shoots against Nolan Smith #2 of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half in the quarterfinals of the 2011 ACC men's basketball tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on March 11, 201

• Maybe it was unfair to have high expectations for Cliff Tucker going into the season, but it doesn’t take a genius to see that Tucker clearly underperformed.
• A key component to a basketball team’s success is a good senior presence on the court.  Cliff was considered to be an outside threat and would serve as the complement to Jordan Williams’ inside game, and his shots weren’t going in at an inopportune time.
• Throughout the season, Maryland tried to find a way to get the best of out of him as either a starter or bench player, and he simply did not have the steady results that were essential to Maryland’s record.  (He only scored 20 points once this season) I firmly believe if Tucker performed well, Maryland would have had a much better record.