Coach D on D

One of the perks of being Rebounders is that we get an invitation every year to a coaches chalk (and film) talk, where one or more members of the Maryland coaching staff share some insight into what we'll be seeing from the team this season.

This evening, new Assistant Coach Daron Park, despite already having put in a long "day at the office" on what is traditionally a day of rest (but obviously not so for the Terps staff!), endeared himself to the Terps faithful with an enthusiastic, informative and humorous presentation. The subject of his "clinic" was . . . De-fense! More specifically, the fact that this will be a significant point of emphasis for the team this season.

During the nearly two-hour session, the BasketCases very much enjoyed learning all about this season's defensive strategy. Using white board, video and live demonstrations (some with chairs, some with people), Coach D gave us an excellent defensive primer (heck, if the team is hit with any more injuries, the Rebounders are now ready to suit up and step right in!). Of course, we can't share what we learned today (even with our loyal readers), because if we told you, we'd have to kill you (just kidding). However, we don't think we're giving a lot away to say that EFFORT will play a major role.

For fans of a team whose defense hasn't, shall we say, always lived up to its offense, Coach D made believers out of us. We can't wait now to see all this theory put into action. It all starts on Wednesday against the USA National Team. Only 3 more days!!!

Photo Credit: DC BasketCases

Monday Morning Update: Today might be a good day to eat lunch at your desk . . . that way you could watch the Terps' Media Day Press Conference LIVE webcast at 1:30 PM. You can find the link to the webcast on the Terps' homepage. [Note: Access is free, but you need to register first, in case you haven't already done so.]