2009-10 Maryland Women’s Basketball Early Review

Yesterday, Maryland suffered its first loss in the season’s first four games. Given that the Terps are playing nine underclassmen on their active 10-player roster, it’s probably best to think of it as a learning exercise.

I watched the team’s first three games, victories all, but the inexperience really showed. Because the season was designed with this youth in mind–lots of home games against unranked opponents–Maryland should easily have a winning season. To do so, especially with the rising caliber of several of the ACC teams they will face in 2010, the Terrapins are going to have to raise their game a notch.

Currently, the defense is a problem. Three-point shooters are often lost, boxing out is spotty, and too often the rebounders are crowded a foot or two too close to the basket to be as effective as they could be (a side-effect of that lack of boxing out). Much of the defensive woes are a need to tighten up the fundamentals as well as having players commit. It’s early in the season, a time when the players (the freshmen especially) need to learn what the college refs will let them get away with. Defense is a mindset. You have to commit.

Offense. Too many early jump shots. Again, this tells me there’s a lack of commitment. You take early jump shots when you’ve given up fighting for the lay-ups and short jumpers. Of course, you also have to hold on to the ball. Maryland’s youth shows with how the players are passing and receiving the ball. I haven’t seen a lot of crisp passing except when someone is trying to show some flash. Worse, the recipients aren’t coming to the ball. Too often they are staying in place or drifting back. Again…a lack of commitment. As far as rebounding goes…sames as with defense.

Already in the season, some of the marquee players are starting to rise. Lynetta Kizer already has one year with a championship team so she knows what it takes to compete at the level Brenda Frese wants her team to compete at. Lori Bjork, the only active upperclassman brings her experience from Illinois and has been playing well, bringing much needed experience. Diandra Tchatchouang, Tianna Hawkins, and Jackie Nared look to be effective utility players once they have more experience with the system and learn the tendencies of their teammates. At point, Dara Taylor has a lot of potential. Some might criticize some of her passes. I don’t because she’s the only one rifling them in there. It’s up to her teammates to start paying better attention and catching them.

These six should form the core of the rotation this season. I can see Essence Townsend joining this group, but she’ll need to fight through the timidity her first few games showed. Given her frame, I’d suggest having her watch a reel of DeWanna Bonner’s season with the WNBA’s  Phoenix Mercury to see how a player with a volleyballer’s body can assert herself in the paint. Oh…and she’ll need to embrace these two words: ice bath.

This team has a lot of promise. I see great things when you combine them with the 2010 class next year. In many ways I liken the 2009-10 Terps to the 2004-05 team. They were good, but lacked a couple of key components. Once they got those, a team that started two freshmen, two sophomores, and a junior went out and won a national championship. They had the talent. They had the commitment. Perhaps most importantly: they believed. The current team isn’t there, but it’s early yet. If they don’t focus on the standings and instead look to always making their contribution to the team today better than the contribution they gave yesterday, this team has the potential to put several of its own banners up in the rafters of Comcast Center.