COLLEGE PARK - Don't tell Andre Collins he is too short to make an impact with the Maryland Terrapins. Don't tell Collins he might not get much playing time for the defending NCAA men's basketball champions. And don't suggest he might be a career backup point guard for as long as he remains with the Terps.
To watch Collins compete is to watch a prospect full of fire and energy. This is not a sophomore point guard worried about the pecking order on a roster led by senior Steve Blake, the team's court general and most experienced player, and including freshman John Gilchrist, the blue-chip recruit who is Blake's heir apparent.
During last year's Final Four, Collins dismissed rumors that he was considering transferring from Maryland to a school where he could expect to step in as a starter. Six months later, Collins sounds like a guy who still plans to stick around. This season, he aims to make a dent in the Terps' backcourt rotation, a year after averaging 2.2 points and 3.8 minutes.
"All of the adversity I'm seeing because of my height just motivates me more," said Collins, 5 feet 9, 180 pounds, who, before coming to Maryland, led Crisfield High School to a Class 1A title, then spent a year at Hargrave Military Academy, where he averaged 15.6 points and eight assists and led the team to a 27-1 record.
"Going through what I went through last year makes you hungrier," he said. "You play hard because you sat on the bench and you've never gone through that before and you don't want to go through that feeling anymore. I did my time, as far as watching and learning and taking notes and making guys play hard in practice. I want to be out on the court."
In last week's open Red-Black scrimmage, Collins made a mark with 13 points, three steals and a team-high 10 assists. Maryland coach Gary Williams likes the way Collins is creating his own shot and the way he is asserting himself on the court.
"Andre's whole body language is better. He's not a freshman anymore," Williams said. "He's as quick with the ball as he is without it. Even though he's 5-9, he still creates space to get his shot off. When you're that size, you learn how to do it.
"That playing time thing just works out. Guys play themselves in and out of the lineup. Andre has done a great job of getting ready for the season. We'll see what happens."
Nicholas has his shot
Senior shooting guard Drew Nicholas has paid his dues. As a freshman, he established himself as an instant scoring threat off the bench. As a sophomore, he improved his ball-handling enough to be a credible backup point guard. Last year, he played three different positions, and sacrificed his scoring on many nights as a defender and rebounder in a three-guard alignment.
With his final season approaching, Nicholas anticipates mostly doing what he does best - shooting the ball from the off-guard slot. And after the Terps lost four starters who were their top four scorers, Nicholas will be a focal point in the offense for the first time.
"I was the sixth man on a national championship team. You're not going to hear me complaining about not getting enough shots," said Nicholas, who averaged 20.5 minutes and 7.1 points a year ago. "It's not about that, and it not going to be about that this year. But I understand I'm going to have to put the ball in the basket."
Although he played in the shadow of Juan Dixon, the most prolific scorer in school history, Nicholas' shooting skill has always stood out. Remember those back-to-back 28-footers he made in crunch time to spark a huge comeback victory at Virginia last year?
For his career, Nicholas has shot 46.6 percent overall and 38.3 percent from three-point range.
"I'm not going to miss chasing Juan around in practice, and I'm not trying to be Juan this year," he said. "When the shots come, they'll come."
Three cheers
The Ravens plan to honor the Maryland players before tomorrow's 1 p.m. kickoff against the Cincinnati Bengals at Ravens Stadium.