Meanwhile The Maryland Whining Jag Continues

[1-of-the-6]

The "Bad for Women's Basketball" issue is often thrown at the Huskies, without merit IMO. What is bad for Women's basketball is a school like MD getting fat eating up a bunch of cupcakes. Women's basketball needs more big games which generate national interest.

UConn has clearly shown the way to every other big-time WBB program in the country. I will also give credit to Karen Aston at TX for similarly challenging her team in their non-conference schedule, but the rest of the top women's teams all need to pick it up, and MD is at the very top of the list.

This was the worst, and apparently Brenda Frese and UMD felt no guilt at all. Read this article. Brenda said it was a good tuneup. 146-17 over Bluefield State in an exhibition. They held them scoreless in the second half.

#5 Maryland Shines in First Exhibition

 

[JordyG]

At Lexington Darby Maggert not quitting as Kentucky holding on 68-66 with 28.9 left.

 

[JordyG]

Mitchell better not comb his hair. They'll be lots of hair in it. 69-68 13 secs left.

 

[1-of-the-6]

Mitchell better not comb his hair. They'll be lots of hair in it. 69-68 13 secs left.

Lots of Dapper Dan in it, too.

 

[JordyG]

Lots of Dapper Dan in it, too.

LOL. And how dare you! I'll have you know I still grease my bald noggin.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

I can honestly say that most fans of the women program at Maryland want to see the schedule beefed up. I really want to see a home and home with South Carolina. I don't know what Brenda's agenda for the program is though.

 

[Plebe]

The article was done on Tuesday so this is not continue whining. Anyone who believes that all the 8 seeded teams ahead of them had a better season than Maryland despite their OOC and Big 10 schedule, I have land in Western Sahara for you to take a look at.

Well, that all depends on how one defines "having a better season." The committee's definition is very big on quality of competition and (above all) quality of wins. When your only top-25 win is over Louisville, a #4 seed, and no one else you beat was better than a bubble team, just how good of a season was it? There is in fact a difference between "being good" and "doing good."

Don't get me wrong. Maryland is a very good team and capable of beating anyone. I'm sure you've noticed that many UConn fans are less than thrilled that we may have to play such a good team before the Final Four. But Maryland's seeding is all on Maryland. Their sucky scheduling is not the committee's fault. Nor was their sucky performance vs. Ohio State, which cost them at least a few spots on the overall seed board.

 

[Plebe]

I can honestly say that most fans of the women program at Maryland want to see the schedule beefed up. I really want to see a home and home with South Carolina. I don't know what Brenda's agenda for the program is though.

What's really odd about Maryland's scheduling is that it wasn't always this way. In 2015, Maryland's first year in the Big Ten, their nonconference SOS rank was #9. Last year it was lower, but not horrible, at #69. This year it just took a free fall to somewhere around #200 and Maryland just couldn't get the quality wins.

 

[huskyd]

Hmm, interesting categorization. Is 10 points also a crushing? Because Maryland then beat #4 seed Duke by 10 and #2 seed Tennessee by 10 as well. And that was on a neutral court, which statistically would equate to a roughly 12- to 15-point margin of victory at home.

Giant tortoise CRUSHES child:

Looks a little like Brenda's schedule.

 

[Outside Shot]

What you have to keep in mind is that there's a certain guy that over the years has recreated his board names on various sites, with the sole purpose of bashing Maryland. He was once a Maryland "Super Fan", but crossed the line in a way most of you would find disturbing.

 

[triaddukefan]

What you have to keep in mind is that there's a certain guy that over the years has recreated his board names on various sites, with the sole purpose of bashing Maryland. He was once a Maryland "Super Fan", but crossed the line in a way most of you would find disturbing.

There can NEVER be too much Maryland or UNC bashing in my opinion

 

[Waquoit]

Let's be honest. There aren't 8 teams better than the Terps.

 

[Plebe]

Let's be honest. There aren't 8 teams better than the Terps.

How many teams are better than Ohio State?

 

[AndyCT]

What's really odd about Maryland's scheduling is that it wasn't always this way. In 2015, Maryland's first year in the Big Ten, their nonconference SOS rank was #9. Last year it was lower, but not horrible, at #69. This year it just took a free fall to somewhere around #200 and Maryland just couldn't get the quality wins.

Sometime during the season some analyst opined (5¢ word of the day) that Brenda had purposely scheduled this way because she had so many new players and it was a chance to break them in without getting challenged too hard or rattled, etc.. Whereas Geno broke our freshmen in against Baylor. And Notre Dame. And Texas, South Carolina, Maryland, FSU, OSU, DePaul, etc.

Anyway, I don't know if that's true, but if it is, it does make some sense. I'm not saying it's the best plan, but there is some logic to it.

 

[Plebe]

Sometime during the season some analyst opined (5¢ word of the day) that Brenda had purposely scheduled this way because she had so many new players and it was a chance to break them in without getting challenged too hard or rattled, etc.. Whereas Geno broke our freshmen in against Baylor. And Notre Dame. And Texas, South Carolina, Maryland, FSU, OSU, DePaul, etc.

Anyway, I don't know if that's true, but if it is, it does make some sense. I'm not saying it's the best plan, but there is some logic to it.

In a podcast interview, Brenda was asked about her scheduling and she said (a) she has several freshmen and (b) a few of their opponents are not quite as good as last year (she specifically named Duquesne and ASU).

 

[ocoandasoc]

A few points...

First, if you move Md up one spot they are a number 2 seed but still in UConn's region, still having to play them in Bpt, and they still would have been unhappy.

Second, if Md had been a three seed in anybody else's region they wouldn't be as unhappy as they are.

Third, the importance of Md's "good" showing against UConn is over-rated. They were down big, UConn got in foul trouble and gutted it out.

Fourth, Md is a very good team and probably just as dangerous when they're on as any team UConn will face in the Tourney.

Fifth, Md's game plan is going to involve getting Collier/Williams/Samuelson in foul trouble. You can count on it. And if UConn has to ease up on their defense or bench any of these three for long periods because of foul trouble, they are vulnerable to a good offensive team like Md.

 

[oldude]

Let's be honest. There aren't 8 teams better than the Terps.

Probably true, but there are certainly 8+ teams that have stronger schedules than MD.

 

[veryolddog]

Maryland wasn't the only one who pads their schedule with cupcakes. If you remember the UConn Men's schedule of 20 to 25 years ago, Jim Calhoun use to pad his schedule with cupcakes so that he could increase the amount of UConn wins before he got into the Big East schedule in order to get a tournament bid. The more wins, the higher the rankings, the better the seeding.

What most people did not suspect is that UConn women would play with the fierce tenacity that they have exhibited all season long including me. I expected UConn to lose 3 to 4 games and so did Brenda, Kim, Kevin, Dawn and pretty much everyone else. So screw them. It's not the walk in the park that they expected. The titan has not left the room.

 

[oldude]

Maryland wasn't the only one who pads their schedule with cupcakes. If you remember the UConn Men's schedule of 20 to 25 years ago, Jim Calhoun use to pad his schedule with cupcakes so that he could increase the amount of UConn wins before he got into the Big East schedule in order to get a tournament bid. The more wins, the higher the rankings, the better the seeding.

What most people did not suspect is that UConn women would play with the fierce tenacity that they have exhibited all season long including me. I expected UConn to lose 3 to 4 games and so did Brenda, Kim, Kevin, Dawn and pretty much everyone else. So screw them. It's not the walk in the park that they expected. The titan has not left the room.

Excellent point about the UConn men. I will take it a step further and make the point that lining up your pre-conference schedule with "cupcakes" used to be standard operating procedure for many teams such as Syracuse, Georgetown and others.

It's only been in the last 10 years or so that the selection committees in men's & women's basketball have begun considering SOS as a key determinant in which teams get in and where they are seeded.

Obviously, Brenda didn't get the memo.

 

[1-of-the-6]

Excellent point about the UConn men. I will take it a step further and make the point that lining up your pre-conference schedule with "cupcakes" used to be standard operating procedure for many teams such as Syracuse, Georgetown and others.

It's only been in the last 10 years or so that the selection committees in men's & women's basketball have begun considering SOS as a key determinant in which teams get in and where they are seeded.

Obviously, Brenda didn't get the memo.

Meme. Obviously, Brenda didn't get the meme. This is 2017.

 

[JordyG]

I can honestly say that most fans of the women program at Maryland want to see the schedule beefed up. I really want to see a home and home with South Carolina. I don't know what Brenda's agenda for the program is though.

Neither does anyone else at this moment. But stealing Carnac's turban for just a moment I'd say Frese's OOC next year will be miles stronger than 200th. Just a guess.

 

[Waquoit]

Probably true, but there are certainly 8+ teams that have stronger schedules than MD.

So what?

 

[oldude]

So what?

"So what" is that the Selection Committee has been sending the message for several years now that SOS matters, and MD gave them the proverbial middle digit when they put together their weak schedule, sealing their fate as a 3 seed when they lost to tOSU in Columbus.

 

[Waquoit]

"So what" is that the Selection Committee has been sending the message for several years now that SOS matters, and MD gave them the proverbial middle digit when they put together their weak schedule, sealing their fate as a 3 seed when they lost to tOSU in Columbus.

Still doesn't mean teams with a stronger SoS are better. Folks that make such hay about SoS remind me of Lady Vol fans back in the day.

 

[oldude]

Still doesn't mean teams with a stronger SoS are better. Folks that make such hay about SoS remind me of Lady Vol fans back in the day.

I don't disagree with you, but you and I are not on the committee that selected & seeded the 64 teams. I would have had MD as the #5 team overall, which would have placed them in the Stockton region with SC as the #2 seed. It is interesting that with a similar situation on the men's side, with Gonzaga, the Zags still received a #1 seed despite a weak SOS.