Congrats to the Maryland Women; so what if their post season record is a "pedestrian" 6-4, at least they've got a post season record in their NCAA tournament.

IMHO the Women's game in the area is much stronger than the Men's game (please, no misogynistic comments now, I acknowledge it's a different game and if it's not your thing that's great, I've liked it since I coached my daughter's CYO teams back in the day) with UMD and GW making a strong run in the NCAA tournament.

Down in Fredericksburg the Mary Washington Women went to their third straight D-III NCAA Tournament, making the Sweet 16 before losing a hard fought game to eventual national runner up Messiah. Last year they went to the D-III Final Four and the year before they made the Sweet 16. Not a bad three year record.

If I've left out any other successful Women's programs in the area I beg your forgiveness for the oversight. Way to go Ladies.

Maybe Sally Jenkins should organize a Women's Atlantic 11.

Brenda Frese is a great recruiter but these past 2 seasons she hasnt really been a great coach in the big games. and the terps have lost every big game theyve played the past 2 years.

the terps lost to carolina and duke last year and then of course lost in the acc tourney and early in the ncaa tourney.
this year they lost to rutgers and carolina and then to duke in the acc tourney and now this.

Frese never makes adjustments.

Brenda likes playing from in front but she hasnt beeen able to get the terps to play from behind when they are challenged.

a telling statement from last night after halftime, frese when interviewed, said "we're not changing anying, just gotta play better."

this after getting torched by wiggins in the first half--not changing anything??

thats on the coach.
real big disappoinment.

Sorry, a #1 seed losing to a #2 in a regional final doesn't qualify as underachieving. They were a marginal #1 seed anyway. I do agree about needing to look at big game performance though.

I watched Maryland women a lot this year. They won some come-from-behind games precisely by NOT changing anything -- by sticking to their game and what they do best. I don't know WHO could have beaten Stanford last night. 42 points on threes? Wow.

There's a little of both "success" and "disappointment" in this season. Maryland is now definitively among the top programs in women's college basketball. But getting up there into elite status with the Tennessees and UConns of the world will require Final Fours and national championships. This year could have been a major step towards that goal, and they didn't get there.

The "Brenda Frese can recruit, can't coach" line of argument has been around for a couple of years. I think the next couple of years will bear out its accuracy.

Steinz, you're the king of the "i'm not saying X, i'm just saying [multiple points of evidence that X is true]" argument. if you ever get a print column, i hope you call it "Equivocations - by Dan Steinberg". don't you know that the sports columnist M.O. is to take a position - no matter how little you might know about the subject - and then stand by it in the face of all counter evidence, challenging all dissenters?

Maryland(without Frese) definitely came from behind without changing a thing to beat the school Toliver should have been at...

I agree that Maryland was probably the shakiest #1 seed and even Stanford had a case for a #1. It's not really an upset, but it was another disappointment. It's hard to beat a team shooting like Stanford was last night. Maryland was not consistent about their level of play all season. I think it is fair to put some of that on coaching especially when the team is as experienced as they were. Unfortunately? for Maryland, it's looking more and more like the players won the Championship and not the coach.

I don't think god himself could have beat Standford last night the way they were playing...The Terps played ridiculously well, I mean how often do you shoot over %50 from the floor, score 87 points, get 35 from Toliver, limit the turnover problems that have plagued them all season and still lose?

the answer is when you play stanford and they put up an almost perfect game.

I agree that Maryland was probably the shakiest #1 seed and even Stanford had a case for a #1.

Posted by: sitruc | April 1, 2008 03:52 PM

you guys are missin the big picture. first off md shoulda been a #2 seed and stanford a #1 based on this season.
BUT
md shoulda had a better season than it had and shoulda entered the postseason a dominant #1.

the terps never shoulda lost to rutgers, nc or duke. the terps had the acc tourney crown right at their feet and unbelieveably gave it away. how do you explain that!?
the games that really counted they coughed up.

if you all recall, right after md cut down the nets following their national title, every1 said the terps should be a dynasty in the making and the terps were proclaimed the preseason #1 for the next year.

they had every1 coming back. and they had more talent than any1 in the acc and probably as much as any1 in the country.
we were the dominant dog.

yet for the past 2 seasons, when push came to shove, this team always choked.
thats on coach.
sorry.

btw, this from the washington times today sez it all:

When the shots started falling for Stanford, Maryland coach Brenda Frese opted not to change her game plan.

bingo.

I didn't think they would be a dominant dynasty after the NC, but I thought they would be top 2 in the ACC and a #1 seed for the next couple years. I agree coaching was a problem. I don't want to take away from her accomplishments, but Frese wasn't too special before Maryland and her success at Maryland can be greatly attributed to other factors(UMD opened up the wallet when she came in).

//just realized I didn't hit submit 8 hours ago...

//just realized I didn't hit submit 8 hours ago...

Posted by: sitruc | April 2, 2008 01:36 AM

bwahaha. Md grad?

I agree coaching was a problem.

Posted by: sitruc | April 2, 2008 01:36 AM

sitruc what do you think the problem is with freses coaching?

I'm just a Hokie with too many tabs open on too many computers. I wish we had gotten Toliver. I haven't watched as much Maryland this season as I have in the past, but I think others have said what the main noticeable problem is. It doesn't appear that the team makes adjustments. It's hard to say Maryland is as deep as the top programs, but Maryland has enough talent to get results. They have enough depth to do the same thing over and over and hope it finally has a positive result, but that doesn't work against the top teams that can match Maryland's depth. It also appears as though they are prepared to play together so practices are probably going well. I just don't think she is a great game coach. I wouldn't get rid of her just yet, but I would hold her to a high standard with the next few classes. If there is a coach in the ACC whose time should probably be up it is Beth Dunkenberger.

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