Terps lose Smith, will still be an ACC force

Old Gold and Black Reporter

Courtesy of Maryland Sports Information

In his six years as Head Coach, Gary Williams has brought Maryland back into the limelight.

There are quite a few fans who, for good reason, believe that the Maryland Terrapins (26-8 in 1994-95) will be in for a great letdown now that star Joe Smith has darted for the NBA. The fact is that his veteran teammates may be so talented that he will not be missed.

Maryland, who is ranked No. 19 in this year's pre-season poll, has advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament for the past two years, and four of their five starters from last year's team return.

Head Coach Gary Williams returns Johnny Rhodes, Duane Simpkins, Keith Booth and Exree Hipp. The one new starter is Mario Lucas, who was the best sixth man in the ACC last year. The 6-8 senior averaged 15 minutes per game, with seven points and three rebounds. He is expected to reach double-digits often, but nothing like Smith. His one downfall is his free-throw shooting. He only shot 57 percent last year.

Rhodes is Maryland's all-talented player. He will score, pass and defend the opponent's backcourt. He led the conference with 85 steals last year. He is a very consistent player, except from behind the three-point arc.

Simpkins will fill the point guard position on the team. He excels from the floor, the free-throw line and in assists.

Booth, a 6-5 power forward, is undersized for the position. He is very strong bringing down rebounds but has trouble in scoring behind six feet from the basket. Last year he had 102 turnovers, a number he must lower substantially this year if he wants to have a great impact.

Hipp is the most consistent player on the team and the most durable. He is very strong and fast on his feet. He will always have an effect on the play of the Terps.

The new sixth man of the team is Rodney Elliot. His size and flexibility will translate to more minutes this year.

The recruiting class produced no new Joe Smiths, but it does give the Terps some solid players. Obinna Ekezie has played the game for only three years, playing in Nigeria. With his size, 6-9 and 250 pounds, he will get a lot of playing time and experience.

The non-conference schedule is a challenging one. They open the season with Kentucky in the Tipoff Classic and play Massachusetts and UCLA in the following three weeks.

This team has good talent and great experience. With this, the team could go farther in the tournament than last year.