Colleges

Maryland's future remains bright

By GREG AUMAN
Published April 6, 2006

BOSTON - How quickly can a team go from Cinderella to dynasty in the making? As fast as Maryland, which returns every starter and more from the confident young team that upset top-seeded Duke 78-75 in overtime Tuesday night for the program's first national title.

"We set the bar high," said freshman point guard Kristi Toliver, who typified Maryland's youthful swagger, coolly sinking a 3-pointer with 6.1 seconds left to force overtime. "We have high expectations. Next year, we expect to be back."

The Terrapins' two graduating seniors combined for 73 points this season, accounting for all of 2.3 percent of Maryland's scoring. In Tuesday's win, the Terrapins became the fourth women's team to win a championship game without a senior scoring.

Coach Brenda Frese's starters, Toliver and fellow freshman Marissa Coleman, sophomores Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper and junior guard Shay Doron, scored in double figures Tuesday. Frese also has enough new talent that her biggest challenge next season should be keeping everyone happy.

"You hope that we're building a dynasty here," said Frese, 35, who went 10-18 three years ago in her first season at Maryland. "Each and every season defines its own, the players define it with their character and really how they come together. I don't even want to look ahead yet to next year because I want to enjoy this year."

Next season's Terrapins will have two new guards who sat out this season after transferring: Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, the 2004 Parade magazine national high school player of the year, from Tennessee, and Christie Marrone from Virginia Tech. Junior guard Kalika France, who averaged 11.0 points in 2004-05, will return after taking a medical redshirt with knee injuries. And Frese hasn't stopped recruiting, signing two more forwards who should contribute off the bench.

Consider the depth advantage Duke had Tuesday night, with its reserves playing 59 minutes to Maryland's 35, outscoring the Terrapins bench 15-8. Duke might be the best way to illustrate how far Maryland came this season, as the Blue Devils had beaten the Terrapins 14 times in a row until Maryland got an upset in the ACC tournament semifinals.

Maryland-Duke could emerge as one of the nation's best rivalries - the last two meetings at the Terrapins' Comcast Center drew crowds of 17,243 and 16,097, the largest in ACC history.

"I just feel utter disappointment right now for my players, and specifically my seniors," Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. "It's killing me right now. Not for myself, but for my players."

Another major difference for next season's Terrapins will be the expectations. Maryland was ranked 14th in the preseason Associated Press poll, the second-lowest preseason ranking for a national champion in the tournament's 25 years. Now, the tournament run should make the Terrapins a consensus No. 1, though some of their toughest competition will again come from their conference.

The ACC made history by placing three teams in the Final Four, and while Duke lost senior star Monique Currie, the Devils' depth won't let them fall far. UNC only lost forward LaTangela Atkinson, returning stars Ivory Latta and Erlana Larkins.

For Maryland, the most difficult part of repeating as champion will likely be replicating the emotion and attitude that carried this team further than nearly anyone expected. The Terrapins' underdog cards have expired, and their season-long motivation in not gaining national respect is long gone.

"Of all the years I've been coaching, never have I seen a team go through a season and play for each other the way they played tonight," Frese said. "It depends on your chemistry, how much you click."

[Last modified April 6, 2006, 01:59:19]