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TCU Recap:

OK, today I am going to try something a little different.  Since I have time to sit still and watch the game uninterrupted today, I am going to do the Recap as the game is in progress.  I have seen this done before so the idea certainly isn’t original, but it is nice to shake things up every now and then.  Do not look for this to make sense and it could just break down into a bunch of random thoughts or some pile of trash I end up throwing away, but let’s see what happens.  Time for the tip.  Go Terps!!

TCU gets the tip.

Bowers, NCM, Garrison, McCray, and Sterbo get the start.  Notice the lack of nickname for Bowers. 

Garrison gets fouled to start the scoring and is 2-2 from the line. 

NCM with a great block which leads to a TCU three, there should be a rule against that.  If you block a shot out and the other team recovers it, thou shall not get credited for more than 2 points.

Bowers makes two from the line.  Still no FG for Maryland yet, but up 4-3.

Annoucer commenting on how TCU wanted Maryland to beat Davidson so they could get a shot on the “Big Stage” of College Park.  Bring it on Toads!

And of course my boast is followed by a TCU 3.  I hate 3’s!!!!

NATCH, the 44% Free throw shooter drills both, 8-4 bad guys.

McCray steal and dunk, way to fill out the stats.  10-8 TCU

Sterbo great drive, Johnny Who!

Garrison has a great pass to Ledbetter costing us an over and back.  Where’s Johnny?!

First TV timeout. 10-10.  Since we are not blown out yet, like most first halves we play, I would say so far so good. 

Great a Coach K reference, didn’t he lose and isn’t even involved in this game?  By the way, I think it is safe to officially give Coach K the title for “Most Endorsements by a Coach who finished 0-2 against a team that couldn’t even make it into the NCAA’s”. 

12-12, 10 Turnovers so far (6 MD-4 TCU). 

Announcers talking about how serious Gary is taking the NIT, I am glad he is taking it serious but if you have to mention that about your tournament, that isn’t a good sign.  Do you think you would ever hear “Tubby Smith is really taking this NCAA thing seriously.”?

Mike Jones 3!!!!

10-0 Maryland run, what is this a first half lead?

Ah…Factoid…..Maryland has given up 60 more 3’s than we have scored this year.  That sounds about right.  I also nominate this for the “2005 Maryland Factoid of the Year” award…..if there was one. 

Gist gets rapped by a call, good block, don’t worry by the time he is a senior they won’t have the guts to call that on the Player of the Year.

And now a Gary Technical, what’s the gripe Gary, we’re winning.

TCU finally misses a free throw.  But nail the second.  18-14 good guys.

Gist steals it and then slows things down and gives it to a guard, what a player!  A heady freshman.

Gist’s steal wasted by a stupid fade away by Ibekwe. 

By the way, this is what a horned frog looks like:

Great story about Gary starting out having to coach soccer. 

Announcer one says: “Can you imagine Gary Williams coaching soccer?” 

The other Announcer: “Yes.  I can imagine Gary Coaching anything”. 

Way to help out your partner!

20-19 and Garrison working his way to the line.  Missed first, they showed a shot of Gilchrist on the bench, still looks like he cares which is surprising, he must have a hot date up in New York.  Oh and Garrison missed the second one as well.

Another 3, Terps down 2.  TCU on a run now.  Jones misses a three adding to our -60 3 point deficit.

Now the announcer says a horned frog is really a lizard.  Horned Frogs also shot blood out of there eyes.  I think I need to make a trip back to the internet next commercial.

TCU breaks the press for an easy one.  24-21 TCU.

Garrison gets first field goal to give us the lead. 

Another Santee 3 for TCU.  I think he has 53 points up to this point. 

Wow Mike Jones hits another 3.  I am sure Gary will be benching him soon. 28-27 Terps.

OK that last picture was of “Muffin” a Argentinean Horned Frog.  I guess the American one is a lizard.  At least Argentina knows the difference between Frogs and Lizards, us Gringos could learn a lot from them.

NCM with the steal and dunk. 30-27.  I smell a TCU three coming……Luckily I was wrong.

NCM is now officially the best Athlete to come out of the state of Maine according to the Announcers.  They also who brought up Oriole great Mike Boddicker (who is from Iowa), I think they meant Mike Bordick (U of Maine, but not a native).  This made me wonder how accurate this statement is and after a little Google search, I think the announcers may be correct.  One site even claimed the elder Bush as a famous Mainer since he vactions there, talk about a stretch.  Did not find anything on Univeristy of Maine basketball star Hugh Campbell though, will look harder at half time.

Ibekwe 3, now 3-18 on the year from behind the arc.  You figure after being 2-12 or something you would give up.  Way to persevere Kenny.

Terps now up 34-27 and on a 9-0 run.  This doesn’t make any sense.

McCray 3, 12-0 run.  5 minutes left in the half, don’t pull a Davidson guys!

A TCU 3 to end the run, but still looking good.

McCray hits again.  41-30 Terps.

Another TCU 3 cuts it to 8.

McCray misses and again our -60 3 point deficit grows.

41-33 Maryland going to commercial.   Back to the net.

Another Horned Frog Picture:

I am thoroughly confused about what a horned frog is right now.  This one looks nothing like the other.

Great a phone call.  Mom wants to know how her bracket is.  Doesn’t everyone else realize we are playing to go to the NIT final four, they should be glued to their TV’s!  Anyway she has Louisville in the final 4, but Utah in the championship game so I don’t know how that will work out for her.  Anyway back to the game.

I have no idea what happened, but now the score is 44-43 Maryland, WTF, I was only on the phone for a second or two.  I did see the MJ missed three and the bogus push off call on Gist, ok, maybe not bogus, but still I am sure it was an accident.

I couldn’t find anything that looked like the TCU mascot so I searched Horned Lizard and found this, which I am going to claim is a real TCU Horned Frog:

Jill, any help you can give me on this matter would be greatly appreciated.  I don’t think I will be able to sleep tonight.

Here we go to the second half.

Announcer reminding everyone that Gilchrist is hurt……yeah….ok.

Lame foul on Ibekwe.

Announcer hoping Gilchrist returns next year, that makes at least one person in Comcast today thinking that. 

TCU takes the lead, maybe the Terps can’t play with a lead and this will get them going. 

A 3 by TCU and the Horned Frogs lead is now 4 at 48-44.  Comcast is getting quiet.  I think now is a good time to cut and paste “A 3 by TCU” it looks as though it may save me some typing. 

Bowers misses two free throws thus reducing his chances of getting his nick name back.

Another 3 by TCU.  Now may be a good time to plug my new website www.banthethree.com (note not really my website).

53-46 TCU now, Maryland needs to reel this back in and quick.  15:00 minutes left.

Thankfully a NCM 3 to cut it to 4.  Now a NCM steal and dunk and it is 53-51.  The Pine Tree State is being heard from today!!  (another Maine fact, the state song is “The State of Maine Song”, talk about your creativity). 

Gist scoreless on the day, but that doesn’t count the intangibles. 

I turned my head for a second and I think Ibekwe fired up another 3.  Which isn’t nearly as bad as that attempted lob the Terps just threw out of bounds.

Good runner by Jones who now has 13 points.  55-53 TCU.

Just checked www.banthethree.com is NOT a current website….but it should be.

OK, there has been some clarification, a horned frog is really a Horned Toad and here is a picture:

I am soooo confused.

NCM makes another 3.  Has had 8 of his 12 points in the second half.  57-56 still TCU.

Jones with a great follow up dunk now has 15!  TCU by 1 still.

Nice block by Ibekwe (I think, could have been a foul not sure, announcers are talking about the McD’s all American game).

Garrison gives the Terps the lead but it is only for like 10 seconds.  TCU back up by one.

TCU, worst free throw shooters in Conf USA, are 10-12 today.  Good the curse worked, they just missed two. 

Garrison going to the line with a chance to take the lead.  Stubbs fouls out. What a great name Stubbs.  “You better come up with the money or else I’m sending my boy Stubbs down to pay you a little visit”.  He should be mobster, or at least a hockey enforcer, with that name.  I am jealous.

Garrison 9 points and 6 boards, not to shabby, makes a free throw to tie and gives him 10.  And makes the second, Maryland now leads.

Santee now has 17.  TCU back up by one. 

Of course the O’s game is in a rain delay, whenever I have a chance to either watch or listen this spring it is raining.  Why don’t they just do spring training in the Amazon rain forest as much as it rains in Florida in the month of March.

Mike Jones drills one to put us up by 2. 

Gist with a HUGE block and Garrison puts one in down low to build the lead to 4.

Jones misses an open 3, but Garrison alone under the basket brings it down and gets fouled.  69-65 Terps.

Gist forces a turnover, you just don’t see that stuff in the box score.  Maryland can’t convert at the other end though.  6 minutes to go.

Two free throws by TCU, cuts the lead to 2.

TCU going back to the line to tie.  Makes the first, misses the second, Terps still lead by 1. 

Announcers keep saying that this is a tougher game than the Maryland fans expected.  Have they watched any Maryland games this year?  I’m pleasantly surprised everytime we score a basket. 

Ibekwe to the line, misses, the Duke ref forgets that we are in the double bonus so after some shenanigans, Ibekwe gets a second shot.  Ibekwe misses the second as well, hard to imagine with such beautiful form.  By the way, if watching Michael Jordan shot a basketball was like watching a fish swim, or a bird fly, watching Ibekwe shot is like watching a giraffe trying to thread a needle. 

TCU gets called for 10 seconds and Terps lead by 1 with 4 minutes to play.  NCM air balls it and TCU now has a chance to take the lead.  Luckily TCU passes it to the mysterious 6^th man and the Terps get it back.

Going to the TV timeout. 

NCM gets a big basket, Garrsion grabs a board and McCray gets a put back to put the Terps up 5 with 2:30 to play.

TCU answers.   73-70 2:11.

NCM not intimidated by his air ball drills a HUGE three to put Maryland up by 6.  Good look by Garrison by the way.

At the other end, TCU misses the free throws and Maryland is looking to put the dagger in this one. 

Maryland TO with 1:32 left and up by 6.

NCM gets to the line, shooting two big ones.  First shot….good, second……….good.

Marcus Sloan fouls out after a Randolph like performance (2 points 5 fouls).

Already talking about the Memphis-Maryland rematch, South Carolina and St. Joes are probably getting ticked.

TCU misses, but Maryland turns it back over. 

TCU cuts it to 6 with :53 left. 

Ohhh Hip Hop Cheerleading up after this.  Glad the O’s ARE in a rain delay.

NCM misses a free throw, but makes the second.

79-72 with :40 left.  TCU misses, McCray gets the rebound and is fouled.

McCray makes the first, and the second  81-72 :30 left.

HUGE BLOCK by Ibekwe. 

Factoid- Maryland 8 blocks, TCU-0

TCU goes to line and missed the first.  Things not looking good for the Frogs.   Makes the second one.   81-73 and Maryland has the ball.

McCray fouled and looking to pick up some trash points.  Good and good.

Maryland by 10.  Missed three and McCray is fouled.  Fans boo. 

AND HERE COME DARIEN HENRY!!  Great foul by TCU.

McCray needs to make these to get Henry in the game.  Good.  Here come Henry!!!

Maryland now up 12 with 10.5 seconds left. 

TCU runs out the clock and the Terps are going to NY.  Start Spreading the News!!!

Terps Go Here:

Well that raps up the first ever D-7 live game recap.  Not sure when the next one will be.  I think I have carpel tunnel syndrome.

REPORT CARD

John Gilchrist- DNP

The good:  Gets to go to NYC without breaking a sweat.

The bad:  Won’t get to see the floor at MSG.

Travis Garrison- A

The good:   It is hard to imagine putting an A next to his name, but if we win this thing he could be the NIT MVP.  9-12 from the foul line.  10 boards and 15 points.

The bad:  0-1 from three. 

Nik Caner-Medley- A

The good:  Coming out of his funk.  20 points, 7-12 from the field, 3-5 from behind the arc, and 3-4 from the free throw line. Also 3 steals.

The bad:  0 rebounds and 3 T/O’s.

Ekene Ibekew- A-

The good:  10 points, 8 boards, 3 blocks.

The bad:  1-4 from the foul line.

Chris McCray- A

The good:  2-5 from 3 point land and 6-6 from the line.  18 points 5 assists, 3 steals.

The bad:  6 Turnovers. 

DJ Strawberry- C

The good:  3 assists no turnovers, 7 points

The bad:  0-3 from behind the arc, 1-3 from the foul line. 

Sterling Ledbetter-B

The good:  His stats don’t justify a B, but I sure thought he was B worthy.  6 boards, 6 assists, 2 steals.

The bad:  Shot poor.  1-4 from the field, 0-2 from behind the arc. 

James Gist- D

The good:  4 boards and 2 blocks in 12 minutes.

The bad:  I know, not his best game, but I still love his potential.  3 fouls in 12 minutes and no points.

Mike Grinnon- INC

The good- Got on the court for his last game at Comcast.

The bad:  Only played 10 seconds and all TCU did was let the clock run out.

Mike Jones- A

The good- Shocker, Mike Jones gets decent minutes and puts up good numbers.  7-14 and 4-10 from 3 point land. 18 points.

The bad- Only 22 minutes, I am still not satisfied with his PT.

Will Bowers- D

The good- Had he played the whole 40 minutes would have been on pace for 4 blocks.

The bad- 2-4 from the foul line for his only points.  No other shot was attempted.

Darien Henry- INC

The good- he got in the game and Comcast (almost wrote Cole) went nuts.

The bad- Got in so late all he did was stand on the court while the last 10 seconds ran off the clock. 

Gini Chukura- INC

The good- he got in the game and Comcast (almost wrote Cole) went nuts.

The bad- Got in so late all he did was stand on the court while the last 10 seconds ran off the clock (Yes, all I did was copy and past Henry’s line, sue me!).  

Next up The hated USC Gamecocks on Tuesday.

Random Thought of the Day:

Is Louisville’s Taquan Dean, related to Napoleon Dynamite’s Rex Kwan Do?