Sunday, October 15, 2006

Practice Makes Perfect. On Sunday afternoon, Coach Frese and the National Champions graciously opened their three-hour practice to the Rebounders (we told you to join, didn't we?). It was a real practice; there was no acknowledgment before or during the practice that there were any observers. The Terps were there for one reason only: to start getting themselves ready for another season, a season in which they will have a target on their backs.

With the entire three hours divided into timed segments, Brenda and her staff put the Champs through their paces, in several instances having them scrimmage with male practice players or among themselves. Every scrimmage was scored, and the losers got to run the floor. For part of the time, Coach Walz worked on one end of the floor with the guards, while Coach Floyd and Mark Pearson worked with the post players at the other end. The practice concluded with every Terp having to make a free throw. Each time someone missed, the entire team had to run the floor. Some hit their first free throws (you can probably guess who), but no one who missed the first one missed the second. It was special to see the team in action again, and wonderful to see Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood and Christie Marrone on the court as Terps.

After practice, Brenda addressed the several dozen of us who were there and had everyone on the team introduce herself and take questions. Brenda stated that the players had set high goals for themselves and that she had never seen a team with such chemistry. That surely appeared to be the case, as it was last year. And indeed, with small exception, we were looking at the very same team that won the Natty. And so it begins . . .

Photo Credit: DC BasketCases

3 Comments:

At 10:26 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Do you think there will be any tension between Kristi and Sa'de, since they both want to be point guard? After all, if Sa'de had come to Maryland first (instead of Tennessee), Kristi probably would have picked another school, right?

 
At 10:44 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

One thing I've noticed about Sa'de is that she's got a ton of swagger. That's neither a compliment nor a criticism, just a casual observation . . .

 
At 12:25 PM, Blogger BasketCases said...

Re any tension between KT and Sa'de: don't think so. Brenda does a great job of making all the stars feel like starters, even if they come off the bench. There's a ton of playing time to go around. The Terps needed another point guard. We think there will be times when Sa'de (who is more of a passer than Kristi is) will play the point and Kristi will be in at the same time playing the two. Brenda has lots of options here with the guards, and we think she'll make all the guards feel equally valuable.

-BC

 

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