Maryland

After a brief scare of nearly losing its top player to the NBA, Maryland is looking to start off the season on a much stronger note with four returning starters, a plethora of guards and tall forwards.

“I think our team is different from last year in that we have a lot of experience, so hopefully we’re starting off from a different point than we did last year,” head coach Gary Williams said. “We’re very veteran in the backcourt, and overall, I think our team is a pretty tight team working hard together.”

Senior guard Greivis Vasquez, a Venezuelan native, was considering leaving Maryland to play professional basketball but decided against it last June after talking with Williams and seeing the abundance of guards wishing to entering the NBA Draft.

With Vasquez returning and bringing a great deal of enthusiasm and leadership to the team, Williams believes the Terrapins will rally to a strong finish and thinks being voted No. 4 in the ACC preseason poll is a good indication of what the season will bring.

But that doesn’t mean Williams is fine with being ranked just fourth in the ACC.

“I’d rather be ranked No. 1 in the country going into the season because you walk out with a certain swagger, and you have that going for you, but it’s difficult to crack that top 25,” Williams said. “We’ve been picked anywhere from 17 to 25, which is not bad because we still have to earn our way in, but it’s good because in the players’ minds they’ve been getting some respect.”

Maryland ended last season with a 21-14 overall record and tied for seventh place in the ACC with a 7-9 mark. The Terrapins reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Memphis 89-70.

This year could be more fruitful as younger players are eager to prove themselves on the court and vie with the veterans for playing time, pressuring both groups to work harder this season to become a more formidable team capable of challenging for a conference title.