Anticipating 2008 Maryland Women’s Basketball

Now that Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper have done and gone off to seek their fortunes in professional basketball, there are some that forecast a difficult year for Maryland Women’s Basketball. Until they play some non-scrimmage games it’s hard to tell, but so far I think they are going to have an easier go of it than Tennessee or LSU.

First and foremost, Coach B is back. After having to carry twins for most of last season, Head Coach Brenda Frese is, by all accounts, even more energetic now than in previous seasons. I think this is mostly due to her having to be all calm and semi-participatory with the 2006-07 squad. I honestly think they could have made a stronger run for the national title had the coach been able to be in their faces for the entire season.

There are several types of coaching style. Coach B’s is a fire ’em up sort of style that pretty much only works well when the coach is actually able to employ it immediately. It was to the credit of last year’s juniors and seniors that they could provide some of that energy and confidence. All credit to 1st-year assistant Daron Park for guiding the team when Coach B couldn’t, but his style is way less fiery.

This pre-season, Coach B has been pushing the new players to achieve the sort of skill and fitness that brought them to Maryland to hone. As much as they aren’t enjoying running suicides, and as much as I’m sure a few are vomiting after a tough session, they need to keep their eyes on the goal. These new players are fortunately to have two key members of that championship team to help them with that focus. The teams that work hardest in the pre-season, and continue that ethic into the guts of conference play, those are the teams that are consistently competing for final four berths and national championships.

Though they’ve lost their frontcourt, it’s important to remember that the more important half of the squad, the backcourt, is still around. All-American and point guard of the year for 2008 (and 2008-09 pre-season ACC player of the year pick), Kristi Toliver will be the linchpin for the terrapins this year. She proved last year what she could do, and there’s no reason to think she hasn’t learned a few things over the summer.

Perennial all-award candidate Marissa Coleman is one of those players who can be called upon to just be scary-good.  She can take over a game against any opponent. With the ability to be an impact player at the point or post, inside or outside, she is the go-to player when it looks like it’s going to be a tough day at the office.

Marah Strickland is poised to have a breakout year. This shooting guard learned last year what it takes to win and also to be Toliver’s safety when other teams focus on stopping the All-American. They will do that at their peril as Strickland continues her family legacy of being a potent scoring threat.

As the WNBA’s L.A. Sparks learned to their peril in 2008, and the Phoenix Mercury capitalized on in 2007: championships are won or lost from the backcourt. This is true in the pros as well as it is in the NCAA. Backcourt skill wins championships. You need only look back to Toliver’s and Coleman’s freshman year to get confirmation. Shay Doran with Toliver and Coleman, were clutch in the final critical games of their championship run.

So, does Maryland have the legs to go deep into the tournaments this year? If they can stay healthy and focused, I would not count against them. Coach B can will a team to be better when the going gets tough. The team’s stars show that great players will make themselves better. And the young players? As long as they work and believe, then the winning will come. That was the key in 2005-06: the team believed. They didn’t hope. They didn’t shoot for. They believed. That was also a young team, but a little bit of experience combined with Coach Frese’s passionate confidence in her team made a good team into an unstoppable championship force. As long as they all stay a team, then the “natty” can be theirs again.

(Yes, I’m proudly biased. I spent years as a team photographer, a booster officer, and just a general fan. So this alumnus will never apologize for loving his Terps. Advance ye turtles, wherever ye be!!!)

Maryland Women’s Basketball (http://www.marylandwomensbasketball.com)