Before tonight's first-round game between Maryland and Houston tips off, I think it's important to go back in time -- perhaps in our Hot Tub Time Machine! -- and remember where Maryland was a year ago prior to the 2009 ACC tournament. Just to put things into perspective. It's always a wise thing to do in sports, and to do it, we need to look back. Just for a second.
A year ago, before Maryland had secured a spot in the NCAAs, it felt, at least to some, like Maryland's program was in turmoil. The Terps had been blown out by 41 points in midseason by Duke, Greivis Vasquez had cursed out his own student section, recruiting had suffered some very public setbacks, Williams and the athletic department were engaged in a feud that was being waged mostly in the media, and various knuckleheads were calling for Williams to be fired. It was a tense time in College Park. I still contend the whole thing felt like a Shakespearean tragedy, where everyone was suspicious that someone was plotting against them.
Yet here we are a year later, with Maryland not only back in the tournament, but with a real chance to make it to the Sweet 16. Sure, the Terps have to win tonight against a sharp-shooting Houston squad, and then play like they did against Duke to beat (most likely) Michigan State, but it's certainly doable. In fact, anything short of that will probably be viewed as a disappointment.
It's not quite the return to the glory years of back-to-back Final Fours, but it's certainly better than three NITs in four years. I have to admit, I kind of enjoyed watching Gary Williams get a chance to thumb his nose at some of his critics this season. For all his perceived slights -- some real, some imagined -- and for all the criticism he gets for losing local recruits and not adapting to the modern game, he still knows how to win with a certain kind of player.
He and Greivis Vasquez are so much alike, I doubt they even realize the similarities. They're both emotional and stubborn and exciting and, at times, brilliant. In an era when coaches barely get to know a kid's name before he skips off to the NBA, watching them figure out one another over the past four years has been a pleasure. A year ago, a certain segment of the fanbase couldn't wait to be done with both of them. Now some of the same people don't want the journey to end just yet. Funny how sports works sometimes, isn't it?