Official Maryland Terps Thread 2.0

[Rafael122]

Quite frankly the campus and surrounding area doesn't help. Haven't been there in a number of years but it was quite ugly and non-inspiring for recruits compared to a Kentucky/UNC/Duke/UCLA/University of Miami. He'll even George Mason's campus was exceedingly nicer at the time.

Much of UMD reminded me of a remote public housing development. To be fair this was 1997 while an ex of mine was considering DC area universities. She was NYC Dominican and dismissed UMD straight away when we toured the area, it felt like a piece of the Bronx fell into a Maryland forest. Odd. Could have changed drastically since then, just not sure. She ended up at Georgetown.

I'm not sure why you're so negative about MD's campus. It looks very nice and spaceous to me. The
surrounding area - I agree - is not impressive.

It's PG County, all the way at the end of the green line. If I were 17, I wouldn't exactly be jumping to come to College Park either.

[Ruzious]

Quite frankly the campus and surrounding area doesn't help. Haven't been there in a number of years but it was quite ugly and non-inspiring for recruits compared to a Kentucky/UNC/Duke/UCLA/University of Miami. He'll even George Mason's campus was exceedingly nicer at the time.

Much of UMD reminded me of a remote public housing development. To be fair this was 1997 while an ex of mine was considering DC area universities. She was NYC Dominican and dismissed UMD straight away when we toured the area, it felt like a piece of the Bronx fell into a Maryland forest. Odd. Could have changed drastically since then, just not sure. She ended up at Georgetown.

I'm not sure why you're so negative about MD's campus. It looks very nice and spaceous to me. The
surrounding area - I agree - is not impressive.

It's PG County, all the way at the end of the green line. If I were 17, I wouldn't exactly be jumping to come to College Park either.

The subway doesn't even go to the campus - which is another problem. The "College Park Station" is a bus ride away from the campus.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

After growing up in PG County in the 70s and leaving for the military in the mid 80s, I didn't return to the area for about 20 years. A couple years ago, I visited around Father's Day.

Showed my sons the house I grew up in, located in Rose Valley. It is now such a busy area, but back in the day there were lots of woods around. First thing I noticed in the surrounding neighborhood is all the bars on the glass of the local convenience store. (Used to be a 7-11 back in the day). Oh, it's the hood now. Places that i used to walk to the store are gone and replaced by places that look very unsafe. Second thing I noticed was the strategic patrol of the police cruiser when my HS let out for the day. They could have cued up the theme song for "Cops" or played the theme music for "Colors". The neighborhood that was predominantly white when my family moved their in 1972 is now all black.

I stayed in a known chain hotel by Andrews AFB. IIRC it was a Comfort Inn, I think. Security guard was packing what looked to be a .44 Magnum gun. Some glass had been broken near the lobby. My sons said the room "smelled like butt". I get around to different places and besides East St. Louis, IL, and Detroit; this area gave me the feeling I wasn't safe at all the most.

My thoughts were I cannot wait to get back to Hawaii.

I have to say the area has really, really, really gone down. Up near Hyattsville, where UMCP is, always was a little like what I described above. There and Suitland used to be the rougher parts of PG County. Maryland has never been the safest campus and I can only imagine the Rte 1 area now.

[TGW]

They are slowly improving the Hyattsville area. It's on the comeup...

[go'stags]

I'm from PG County, so I may be biased, but you guys just sound old.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I'm from PG County, so I may be biased, but you guys just sound old.

I am old. 50.

When I was younger, I would hang out in DC, on 14th street, and basically anywhere. I was the guy who looked scary then. I've been places all over the world and done stuff, but as an older guy I see life differently.

For houses to cost as much as they do, PG County seems to be not the best place to me.

stags, I'm not ashamed of where I am from but I don't want to come back. That's just me.

[Rafael122]

I'm from PG County, so I may be biased, but you guys just sound old.

I'm 26. Been to countless house parties at College Park and it's definitely not an area where I'd want to spend 4 years of my life, but that's just me. If I were an 18 year old kid and I visited Chapel Hill and then had a visit to College Park....there's no comparison. It's at the ass end of the green line to greenbelt train, and like Ruz said, you'd then have to catch a bus to the actual campus. The hell with that.

[go'stags]

I'm no fan of the CP area either, but thats because I'm from 10 minutes away. All of my friends from out of the area at UMCP love it and don't regret going there at all. I currently live in Philly, but am about to move back. College is the time to try something different.

Maybe I'm just tired of people from outside PG County talking down about it when they only come for a visit, or a Maryland game, and therefore don't actually know what it's like. Or Maybe it's because I don't see what PG has to do with our inept AD or lack of committment to a top basketball program. In reality I'm probably just overly defensive, but whatever. It's not just this one conversation that led me to say this.

As as for this infamous Bus Ride that you guys keep harping on, it is literally 5 minutes at most, with frequent pickups. Please remind me, what Metro stops does Chapel Hill have? Durham? Right. And if they did exist, what city would they take you to? Perspective.

[Rafael122]

I'm no fan of the CP area either, but thats because I'm from 10 minutes away. All of my friends from out of the area at UMCP love it and don't regret going there at all. I currently live in Philly, but am about to move back. College is the time to try something different.

Maybe I'm just tired of people from outside PG County talking down about it when they only come for a visit, or a Maryland game, and therefore don't actually know what it's like. Or Maybe it's because I don't see what PG has to do with our inept AD or lack of committment to a top basketball program. In reality I'm probably just overly defensive, but whatever. It's not just this one conversation that led me to say this.

As as for this infamous Bus Ride that you guys keep harping on, it is literally 5 minutes at most, with frequent pickups. Please remind me, what Metro stops does Chapel Hill have? Durham? Right. And if they did exist, what city would they take you to? Perspective.

Not when you're 18 and are about to make the single biggest decision of your life. You're seriously going to tell me you'd rather be in College Park than Chapel Hill or Austin? Or USC? Florida?

[Ruzious]

I'm no fan of the CP area either, but thats because I'm from 10 minutes away. All of my friends from out of the area at UMCP love it and don't regret going there at all. I currently live in Philly, but am about to move back. College is the time to try something different.

Maybe I'm just tired of people from outside PG County talking down about it when they only come for a visit, or a Maryland game, and therefore don't actually know what it's like. Or Maybe it's because I don't see what PG has to do with our inept AD or lack of committment to a top basketball program. In reality I'm probably just overly defensive, but whatever. It's not just this one conversation that led me to say this.

As as for this infamous Bus Ride that you guys keep harping on, it is literally 5 minutes at most, with frequent pickups. Please remind me, what Metro stops does Chapel Hill have? Durham? Right. And if they did exist, what city would they take you to? Perspective.

I hear ya, but at least when I went, it took at least 10 minutes for the bus to come, so by the time you get off the train till you get to campus, it's 20 extra minutes. But I do think the campus itself is terrific. It's the surrounding area that's the problem.

[DCZards]

Not when you're 18 and are about to make the single biggest decision of your life. You're seriously going to tell me you'd rather be in College Park than Chapel Hill or Austin? Or USC? Florida?

Nowadays, there are more important things to a top HS ballplayer than the sun and fun of a place like USC or Florida. Such as conference. The Big East and ACC are far bigger draws than certainly the PAC10 (USC) and probably the SEC (Florida). The top 18 year old players readily go to UConn where it's often bitterly cold and the campus sits in the middle of nowhere. St. John's in Queens, NY has one of the top incoming freshmen classes and it's basically a commuter school with not much of a real campus.

Most of all, it helps to be seen as a "winning" program. That trumps location. Yes, it's hard to top the winning tradition and beautiful campus of the likes of a UNC and Duke where ball players are worshipped by the other students (girls!). UMD might do well to tout its proximity to DC and some of the social and cultural things it has to offer...though that cuts both ways when you're talking 18 and 19 year-old kids.

The right coach can make a big difference. I was hoping Sean Miller would take the UMD job after reading that he was well-connected with AAU coaches in both the DC and NYC areas. That's a major recruiting plus.

On a related note (for those of you dogging PG County): There are 10 kids from PG on NBA playoff teams...and probably another 5-6 PG ballers on teams that didn't make the playoffs.

Kevin Durant
Roy Hibbert
Ty Lawson
Jarrett Jack
Sam Young
Delonte West
Jeff Green
Keith Bogans
Roger Mason
Grevis Vasquez (played hs ball in PG)

That's an awesome statement about the quality of talent in the same county in which UMD is located. It bodes well for a new UMD coach who knows how to recruit.

[closg00]

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Panathinaikos won the Euroleague basketball final Sunday, beating Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv 78-70 behind 16 points and nine assists from Dimitris Diamantidis.

This was the sixth European title and third in five years for the Greek club. Italy's Montepaschi Siena beat Real Madrid 80-62 for third place.

Former Arizona State center Mike Batiste, who also won the title with Panathinaikos in 2007 and '09, scored 18 points and Drew Nicholas added 14. Maccabi's Chuck Eidson had 17.

Drew Nicholas went on from that championship squad to have a very successful career overseas.

[fishercob]

Greivis played HS ball in Rockville.

[DCZards]

Greivis played HS ball in Rockville.

Ok, Grievis comes off the list..but I'll use this as an opportunity to point out that the ACC 2011 player of the year, Nolan Smith, is another PG county kid.

[Ruzious]

Greivis played HS ball in Rockville.

...in the mean streets of Montgomery County (next door to Prince George's), a veritable hotbed of big-time talent

...for chess teams.

[Wizardspride]

Kevin Anderson....

Also heard that Miller knew the Maryland offer Friday night. Money wasn't the issue.

Appears Miller was ready to accept went he walked into interview in Marriott, and then it
crumbled

.

Latest on Sean Miller: Heard that Maryland bombed the interview

Normally true, no doubt. But MD job has always held special place in Miller's heart. $$$ not the issue

http://twitter.com/#!/wilnerhotline

[DMVleGeND]

FIRE KEVIN ANDERSON!!!

[DCZards]

I'm inclined to believe it was about money...and Miller just used the UMD job to get more of it from Arizona. It happens all the time.

[Wizardspride]

I'm inclined to believe it was about money...and Miller just used the UMD job to get more of it from Arizona. It happens all the time.

That's not what they're saying on the Arizona message board.

But either way, the net result is a raise.

[Ruzious]

I'm inclined to believe it was about money...and Miller just used the UMD job to get more of it from Arizona. It happens all the time.

That's not what they're saying on the Arizona message board.

But either way, the net result is a raise.

Indeed it twas. If I had to guess and put a percentage on it - 99% chance it was about money.