Over the course of the last several seasons Maryland, led by Gary Williams, has become one of the top college basketball programs in the nation. The Terps have appeared in 2 final fours & won a national title during this period. The 2003-2004 season will help determine whether the Terps will be able to maintain that level of success. Last season, although Williams had lost 4 starters off of the 2002 title team, he did return 4 players who were regulars from that championship team. The Terps were able to compile a 21-10 overall record, an 11-5 ACC record, & an appearance in the Sweet 16. The current edition of the Terps will be the youngest & most inexperienced team that Williams has fielded in quite a while. However, the success of the Terp program under Williams has enabled him to amass two straight 5-man recruiting classes of talented players. How well Williams is able to mold the different parts of the last 2 recruiting classes together as a unit will determine the level of success that the Terps will be able to achieve this season & beyond.

 

The Terps return 5 players who averaged 9 MPG last season & it is very likely that those players will be starters early in the season. John Gilchrist (4.6 PPG, 1.7 APG) should be the starting point guard. Gilchrist, at times, served as a spark off the bench for the Terps. However, he also tended to often play out of control. He brings a lot of energy to the court, but he needs to be able to maintain a level of consistency as a starter. He is an excellent ballhandler & defender, but he only took 11 three-point shots last year. Although he made 54% of those shots, he needs to become more of a threat to take that shot this year. Chris McCray, 6-4 sophomore, will likely start the season at the other guard spot. McCray is a good long-range shooter & appears to be in a similar mold as last year's starter Drew Nicholas. He is a streaky shooter & also needs to improve his shaky ballhandling. McCray will be pushed hard by 6-4 freshman Mike Jones. Jones is explosive & athletic & also has good range on his shot. If he doesnt start, he should see major minutes for the Terps this season. Additional depth in the backcourt should be provided by 5-9 junior sparkplug  Andre Collins & 6-4 freshman Darryl Strawberry, Jr.

 

Returning for Williams in the frontcourt are 3 players who saw a lot of minutes last season & all should start. Travis Garrison (4.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG), 6-9 sophomore will likely start in the post. Garrison came in as a highly-rated freshman last season but never seemed to find a comfort zone. The additional minutes that he will see this year for the Terps should help him feel more comfortable & be more productive in the post this season. Jamar Smith (5.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG), 6-9 senior, should start at the other post spot. Smith has the potential to be a leading scorer for the Terps this year, but he needs to play tougher inside. The wing forward spot should be manned by 6-7 sophomore Nik Caner-Medley (5.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG). Caner-Medley is a tough, hard-nosed lefty, who also has a nice long-range shooting stroke. He could challenge for All-ACC honors this season if he continues to improve. Ekene Ibekwe is another freshman who will likely see lots of minutes for Williams' Terps this year. He is a slender & versatile big man who can score inside or out. It wouldnt be too surprising to see him challenge for a starting spot in the frontcourt at some point during the season. Two big freshmen may provide Williams with some depth inside. Will Bowers & Hassan Fofana are both big-bodied freshman. Fofana is slightly more advanced at this stage. Both could see limited minutes this season for Williams.

 

The 2003-2004 Maryland team will be very young & very inexperienced. There are many questions that will need to be answered. However, there is still a lot of talent on the roster at College Park. Gary Williams has demonstrated in the past that he is certainly capable of getting the most out of his available talent. The Terps may struggle early with their youth & they may be a year away from challenging for ACC honors. But don't expect them to drop too far down the ladder in the ACC this year. Look for this Terp team to earn an 11th straight NCAA tourney bid for Gary Williams this year.