Terps Stay On Their Toes

Lineup Tinkering Is Keeping Practices Competitive

On game days, Maryland basketball players learn the starting lineup by reading the white board that hangs in the Terrapins locker room, and for most of the season, the names have stayed the same.

But lately, it's become a little more important to read the writing on the wall.

"Everybody's playing well in practice," Maryland guard Mike Jones said. "It's very competitive. Everybody is going hard because we never know who's going to start."

When the Terrapins (10-2) return to the court after a 10-day layoff to face American University today at Comcast Center, Coach Gary Williams might trot out a different starting lineup. A team news release lists probable starters as Greivis Vasquez, D.J. Strawberry, James Gist, Ekene Ibekwe and Jones, a combination that would be making its starting debut. But Williams declined to say exactly who would start.

"I'd rather wait until tomorrow," Williams said. "There might be an element of surprise."

Williams played down the importance of a potential lineup change, saying the same leading group of eight to nine players will still play regular minutes, and that designation as a starter is more important to players than coaches.

"I think most players would rather start," Williams said. "But the idea that they're going to get minutes whether they start or not is important, too."

The players are aware of the possible changes.

"Each practice determines your playing time," Jones said. "Coach has messed with the lineup a couple of times just to see who's better at starting."

With the exception of a Nov. 28 game at Illinois, where an ankle injury kept Ibekwe off the court, Williams stuck to the same starting lineup of Eric Hayes, Strawberry, Gist, Jones and Ibekwe.

But during the Terps' last outing, a Dec. 13 thrashing of Missouri-Kansas City, Williams started Vasquez ahead of his freshman counterpart, Hayes, at point guard, and Bambale Osby started at center over Ibekwe.

"Competition is always tight in practice," Ibekwe said. "Everybody wants to go out there and play more minutes."

Williams said he prefers not to experiment with changes because of the effect it has on rotations, but he said the timing works out well. Maryland plays four non-conference home games before resuming ACC play against Miami on Jan 10.

"Sometimes you have to, because you're just looking for different things, especially kind of early in the year," Williams said. "You see what it's like and you go from there."

Meantime, Williams said improved rebounding was a primary focus in the team's practices during the layoff. The Terps rank third in the ACC with 27.3 defensive rebounds per game but have allowed opponents a league-worst 37.3 defensive boards per game.

"I think we can be a better rebounding team, and we'll probably have to be as time goes by," he said. "We're big enough. I don't see any reason why we can't be a good rebounding team."

Maryland has been outrebounded in half of its games this season, including in both of its losses (Notre Dame and Boston College).

Jones said the gap could be bridged with improved rebounding from the team's guards.

"The guards want to fill up stats, too," Jones said. "It's definitely always big when guards can get five or six rebounds per game, taking a little bit of pressure from the big men."

American (7-3) enters the game having not played since a 70-53 loss at Yale 13 days ago.

Guard Andre Ingram leads the Eagles at 13.2 points per game and is one of four seniors in the starting lineup. Paulius Joneliunas (6-foot-11) and Brayden Billbe (6-10) give the Eagles size inside and combine for 15 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Reserve Arvydas Eitutavicius, another senior, averages 10.8 points.

The Terrapins are 13-1 all-time against the Eagles, who fell to Maryland 81-55 in the last meeting between the two exactly a year ago today.