Freshmen will guide Terrapins

Maryland opens this season having lost several established starters, and so the Terrapins have no choice but to rely on their freshman class to contribute right away if they hope to return to the NCAA Tournament.

And while the team's seven freshmen only met a few months ago, they have already proven to their older teammates that they belong at this level.

"Earlier in the summer, before preseason workouts had started, we were playing pickup games and we played the old five versus the new guys," senior James Gist said. "We played a few games and they came out there and beat us the first two times-beat us bad. It surprised me how well they played together and how much they knew about the game."

The Terrapins' talented newcomers include low-post players Braxton Dupree and Dino Greggory, as well as wing Cliff Tucker. But their season will likely rest on the broad shoulders of the 6-foot-9 Gist and fellow forward Bambale Osby. The duo combined for 18.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game last year, and those numbers will need to increase to make up for the departed Ekene Ibekwe, who averaged over 10 points and seven reboudns per game.

In particular, Osby's offensive game will need to develop in a hurry. The junior college transfer earned minutes in 2006-2007 because of his rebounding ability and energy, but his poor free-throw shooting and lack of touch around the basket made him a liability late in games last year.

Despite the lack of established depth on Maryland's roster, the team will continue to play the run-and-gun style it has become known for. Experienced point guard Greivis Vasquez, a sophomore, will lead the break, but head coach Gary Williams identified 3-point shooting in transition as a weak point, especially given sharpshooter Mike Jones' graduation.

Williams also cited the NCAA's new bench decorum rules as problematic. Williams is known as one of the most animated coaches in the country, and hopes he and his colleagues can continue to show emotion on the court.

"This isn't church," Williams said. "People go to the games to get excited, not to sit there. That's tennis. This is basketball."