Notebook: Highly rated recruit Bays will redshirt for women's basketball

Touted freshman forward Whitney Bays will sit out this season as a medical redshirt for the Terrapin women's basketball team as she continues to recover from a torn ACL in her left knee that she suffered in summer 2009.

Coach Brenda Frese said Bays, who will have four years of eligibility upon her return next season, "is still only about 60 percent."

Ranked as the nation's No. 13 recruit in this year's freshman class by ESPN, Bays was one of the centerpieces of what might be Frese's best-ever recruiting class in her nine years with the program. Only fellow freshman forward Alyssa Thomas, the team's second-leading scorer, was ranked higher (No. 7).

The West Virginia native was also recruited by top-tier programs such as Connecticut, Duke and West Virginia.

"We want to be smart in terms of being able to utilize her for an entire season," Frese said.

REBOUNDING DOMINANCE

The No. 22 Terps knew they had length on their side coming into this season. With five contributing post players standing 6-foot-2 or taller, it was clear they had the potential to own the paint game after game.

The dominance the Terps have shown in the paint so far, however, has been perhaps greater than even they anticipated. The team is outrebounding opponents by 18.9 per game, a margin exceeding defending national champion Connecticut's 18.1 and trailing only Syracuse's.

"It's just about getting a body on somebody and boxing out," said center Lynetta Kizer, who leads the Terps in both scoring and rebounding.

Kizer is joined by forwards Diandra Tchatchouang, Tianna Hawkins and Thomas and center Alicia DeVaughn down low. The group comprises the team's five most prolific scorers and rebounders this season.

The depth at forward has helped the Terps "throw waves at opponents," an oft-stated goal of Frese that she says is paramount to a successful fast-break offense.

NEW LOOKS

The Terps continued to tinker with different guard combinations in Tuesday night's win at Loyola.

Frese has tried three different starting looks this season at a position that has been in flux since the graduation of All-America point guard Kristi Toliver in 2009.

With Thomas, who was nursing a leg injury, absent Tuesday, Frese employed a three-guard set against the Greyhounds, with hybrid guard/small forward Laurin Mincy starting in Thomas' place.

"We're still trying to figure out some of our guard rotations," Frese said after Tuesday's game.

Guard Anjale Barrett has started all but one game this season, rotating between the point guard and shooting guard spots for the Terps. Guard Natasha Cloud has started six games at point guard, while guard Kim Rodgers has rounded out the starting lineup with four starts at shooting guard. Guard Dara Taylor leads the Terps in assists despite coming off the bench in all nine games.

The constant changes have yet to yield consistent play. Mixing bright spots as playmakers with frequent lapses in decision-making, the Terp guards have contributed to a team that ranks both second-best in the ACC in scoring defense and second-worst in total turnovers.

cwalsh@umdbk.com