2008 Woodie Awards
Hoops endures rough offseason
Head coach Williams still confident in his roster for the 2008-'09 season
Aaron Kraut
Issue date: 7/17/08 Section: Sports
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Two highly touted recruits asked out of their commitments, another's academic standing was in doubt until a week ago, the team rescinded its offer to a player who had verbally committed in April and one player transferred out of the program.
Combine those events with a team coming off of its third trip to the NIT in four years, and you get coach Gary Williams facing criticism from fans and the media, as evidenced by a recent ESPN.com article profiling he program's decline from its national championship in 2002.
In an interview with The Diamondback on Tuesday, Williams, entering his 20th year at this school, brushed off critics and reiterated his desire to win hasn't wavered.
"In college basketball, it's hard to be loved by everybody, especially if you've been at a place for 20 years," Williams said. "It bothers you personally, but two years ago we won the fifth-most games in school history. You get judged here at Maryland if you win a national championship; at a lot of places your bar is set differently."
Williams talked openly about the circumstances involving the departure of Tyree Evans and Gus Gilchrist, the two recruits who asked out of their commitments earlier this summer and were expected to help the Terps try to get back to the NCAA Tournament.
Evans, a junior-college transfer and shooting guard from Richmond, Va., with a history of legal troubles, was expected to contribute immediately this season after averaging 21.2 points per game at Motlow State Community College in Tennessee last year. He signed a letter of intent with the Terps in April, but after media outlets, including The (Baltimore) Sun and SI.com, published stories detailing Evans' criminal record, Evans eventually asked out of his commitment.
"You could see it coming in the distance," Williams said. "There's no way he could have been a normal student on this campus. It wouldn't be right to him. If he got a parking ticket, he would have been in trouble."
Williams said he got no specific indication the Office of Student Conduct, which reviews all students with criminal backgrounds in the application process and is independent of the Athletics Department, would have denied Evans' admission.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
FIRE GARY
posted 7/17/08 @ 10:30 AM EST
I am sick and tired of Gary making excuse after excuse for his recruiting woes, and his ignorant optimism for the upcoming year. I understand it is his job to remain positive, and have a winning attitude, but it is just ridiculous to think that a team that was lucky to make the NIT last year and gaining very little in the offseason will succeed. (Continued…)
Jimmy
posted 7/17/08 @ 5:52 PM EST
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=oneil_dana&id=3469331
HILARIOUS!! DRINK UP GARY, YOUR TIME AT UMD IS FADING!!
No Bigmen Spells Doom
posted 7/18/08 @ 9:18 AM EST
VERY disappointed in and sad about the failure, yes total failure, Gary, of you and your staff to add quality players to the team during the off season and in particular your complete failure to add any talent in the front court. (Continued…)
James Montgomery
posted 7/19/08 @ 1:04 PM EST
First off let me say i love Gary Williams and the u of md athletics, how could you not if you grew up in the late Lefty era, and more importantly BOB FREAKIN WADE era. (Continued…)
Bill Benson
posted 7/20/08 @ 3:20 PM EST
Gary's career is in tatters--and so is the Maryland basketball program. He needs to step aside, get clean, and get his head together. Then start over somewhere else, preferably in a less-pressured environment. (Continued…)
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