Seattle U Basketball: Maryland's Size In The Post Overwhelms Redhawks

It was a somewhat sloppy opening game for both teams most strongly defined by its turnovers and transition baskets and in the end Maryland simply outlasted Seattle University, running away with a 105-76 win in the Redhawks first ACC game in over 30 years.

However, although Seattle turnovers and transition baskets late helped Maryland extend the lead, Maryland's size in the post and athleticism on the perimeter simply overwhelmed the Redhawks. In addition to a considerable 50 to 34 rebounding advantage for the game, Maryland also got to the line at a significantly higher rate in the second half with 27 attempts from a combination of Seattle U guards reaching on the perimeter and trying to defend the basket on the interior.

Maryland center Jordan Williams dominated the paint as expected, pulling in 15 rebounds total and 5 offensive rebounds to complement his 17 points. More impressive though might have been his ability to run the floor and get easy baskets in transition. The combination of increased Maryland intensity, Seattle turnovers, and a little more poise from Maryland in the second half in executing their offense just simply wore the Redhawks down.

Guard Sean Mosley was aggressive from the perimeter, finishing with 21 points including an impressive 8-for-10 from the free throw line.

After being within 10 with 12 minutes left in the second half, the Redhawks just committed too many turnovers for too many easy transition baskets. Cervante Burrell's performance might exemplify that: although he led the team with 13 points with aggressive drives to the basket particularly in the first half, he also committed seven turnovers, often as a result of driving into the paint with Maryland's defense collapsing on him. The two teams combined for nearly 60 turnovers, which is undoubtedly a combination of the fast pace and first game jitters.

Another perhaps more subtle problem was that Seattle shot 3-for-16 from the 3-point line, which made it easy for Maryland to clog the paint and dare the Redhawks to shoot long shots.

There are positives to take from this game, although Seattle U wasn't able to maintain them for the full 40 minutes. First, Redhawks guards remained aggressive offensively and defensively for most of the game until Maryland just took the air out of them with increased defensive intensity and physical play inside. Maryland was much more poised in attempting to break Seattle's full court press in the second half, but it was quite effective in the first half with wing Aaron Broussard having four steals and guard Garrett Lever finishing with seven.

Regardless of whether you believe in "moral victories", the first half game film will give them something to build on. They can't change that they don't have a 6-foot-10 post to contend with the likes of Williams. But they can try to do what they did well in the first half for a full 40 minutes.

For the full box score, visit the GameTracker from the Maryland website.

Seattle U Men's Basketball Halftime Report: Redhawks Down 10 In A Sloppy Game In College Park

Well, the uncertainty about Maryland's ball handlers has played out as the key to Seattle U staying in this one.

It's as fast as might have been expected and Maryland turnovers have allowed Seattle to stay in the game to this point, with Maryland needing a 12-2 run late in the first half to head to the locker room up 46 to 36.

Seattle used a 15 to 6 advantage in points off turnovers to stay within one possession of Maryland early in the half, but eventually Redhawk turnovers led to easy transition points for the Terrapins. The teams entered halftime with Seattle holding a 19-16 turnover advantage.

Seattle wing Aaron Broussard is leading the way defensively for the Redhawks with four steals at halftime, contributing to Maryland's 16 turnovers while guard Cervante Burrell led the way in scoring with 13 points.

The game is on TV on CSN Northwest, but to follow the game online visit the University of Maryland's game tracker.

Seattle U Basketball: Three Keys Against Maryland

It would be perfectly fair have low expectations for Seattle University going into their 2K Classic game against the Maryland Terrapins in College Park.

They don't have a clear individual answer to 6-foot-10, 260 pound post Jordan Williams and this isn't a sub-.500 Pac-10 team we're talking about - they're an ACC opponent led by one of the best coaches currently in the game.

So although this is the first major test for the Redhawks, it might be unfair to say that it's a barometer for their entire season - they don't match up terribly well with Maryland and have only one exhibition game without Charles Garcia under their belt as a unit. A win would certainly be a monumental upset, but a loss at this stage in the program's development wouldn't be a devastating blow either as it would be expected.

A "moral victory" - as detestable as that notion is to some people - is certainly within the realm of possibility here. But what might it take to pull off an upset?

1. Should they speed up the game or slow it down?

Seattle U played some of the fastest pace basketball in the nation and it's no secret that they intend to continue that this season. However, as Ben Broman of Testudo Times has said, trying to run with the Terrapins might lead to the Redhawks being run right out of the building - even though star point guard Vasquez has graduated, Maryland is still built to run.

Back to Basketball: Looking at Seattle, Maryland's First Opponent of the Season - Testudo Times
Only VMI had a faster tempo last year and Seattle was substantially faster than run-happy Maryland. Dollar plans on going as far as ten-deep despite the youth and general lack of depth; in short, playing deep is crucial to the up-tempo type of game the Redhawks like to play. They'll run as much as possible and likely make liberal use of substitutions, even it means not having their proven guys in the game.

Of course, Maryland has the same plan, and they have the athletes to run the floor. If Dollar thinks that speeding up the game will work against the Terrapins, I'm not sure it will; Maryland already wants to run, and trying to consistently beat Sean Mosley and Dino Gregory down the court probably isn't going to work.

On the one hand, if there is a size advantage, waiting for Maryland to get set in their defense is not necessarily wise. On the other hand, if you struggle to get defensive rebounds it's difficult to run at all.

2. Shoot well from the perimeter

So there's really no way around this - if the Terps have the size advantage in the paint, then the Redhawks pretty much have to knock down outside shots in order to spread the defense and take advantage of the half court possessions they get. If they can't get anything going outside, it would be rather easy for the Terps to clog the paint and force long jumpers all night. Long jumpers are not a winning tactic.

3. Pressure the ball handlers

As described by Broman, with Vasquez and Eric Hayes having departed the Terps lost their most productive ball handlers from last season. And Broman isn't yet confident in this year's starter Adrian Bowie.

Maryland Basketball Season Preview: The Guards - Testudo Times
Can AB run the show? Maybe. He can get to the basket and score, he knows the offense, he's a tough defender, and he's a senior. But his overall inconsistency, particularly the inconsistency of his jump shot and decision making, scares the crap out of me. (Ed's note: That jumper is fugly, but it started to drop at the end of last season). The other option, having a freshman run the point, isn't too settling either.

One strength Seattle U does have is that they're relatively deep around the perimeter and their top ball handlers are a bit more experienced. In the optimal situation, Seattle might be able to push the tempo by forcing turnovers and scoring in transition.

Playing with nothing to lose?

OK, it's a reach to suggest that the Redhawks will win this one.

So ultimately, as cheesy as it sounds, Seattle has nothing to lose in this situation: they're on the road, they would be expected to lose no matter where this game occurred, they are clearly disadvantaged in this match up, and the bottom line is a lot would have to go well for them to win.

But also obvious is that outcome of an athletic competition is never predetermined -- if Seattle U plays well and Maryland plays down to their level, this could at the very least be a closer game than expected if Seattle U can defend and find a way to at least get after clearly 50/50 balls.

So...anything is possible?

Seattle University Faces First Major Test Against Maryland (5 p.m. CSN NW)

You have to go all the way back to the 1977-78 season to find the last time when Seattle University men's basketball last played an ACC team and even further to the 1952-53 season to find the last time they beat an ACC team (Wake Forest, 99-86).

Granted, this is only their second year participating in Division I sports again after a 29-year hiatus in the NAIA and Division II. But it does speak to the significance of starting the season with a first ever meeting with the University of Maryland tonight. Seattle U is quickly trying to reassert themselves in the national basketball landscape after producing more NBA players than any other school in the 1960s.

Of course, whether it wins or not is another matter entirely. 

While Seattle U's strength will likely be on the perimeter, Maryland will present a challenge with some of its strength in the frontcourt after losing star guard Greivis Vasquez.

2010-2011 ACC Basketball Preview - Blogger So Dear
Maryland Terrapins - Now that the hated Greivis Vasquez has finally departed, the question for the Terps is who will step up and take a leadership role. The top candidate for this is almost certainly senior guard Sean Mosley, who averaged 10 points and 5 boards last season. Mosley is joined by fellow seniors Dino Gregory, Cliff Tucker and Adrian Bowie, all of whom have been role players throughout their Maryland careers. Gregory is mostly known for his great defensive ability. Easily the biggest name on the Maryland roster is Jordan Williams. Williams had a fantastic freshman season at center, averaging nearly 10 points and 9 rebounds while showing off impressive post moves and soft hands.

While Mosley is the team's team's leading returning scorer, Williams stands to be the player that gives the Redhawks the most problems. Despite concerns about conditioning problems as a freshman, Williams showed last year that he could not only run the floor, but might have the potential to leave a strong legacy at Maryland.

Maryland Basketball Season Preview: The Bigs - Testudo Times
Coming in as a freshman, Williams was expected to be in too poor of shape to contribute in the ACC. At best, he'd be competing for playing time with the other bigs off the bench. Instead, he claimed a starting role with a 19-point, 13-rebound night against Villanova shortly before ACC play started and became a legitimately game-changing player for Maryland: for the first time since Lonny Baxter, Gary Williams had a wide body to bang in the paint.

So it makes sense that in a preview of the game at SBN's University of Maryland site Testudo Times, Ben Broman concludes that Williams' rebounding against the Charles Garcia-less Redhawks could be a major difference-maker in the game.

Back to Basketball: Looking at Seattle, Maryland's First Opponent of the Season - Testudo Times
Dollar has the Redhawks going in the right direction with recruiting and excitement around the program. Their situation is pretty similar to Maryland's: they lost three starters, including their best player, and are welcoming in a variety of newcomers. The only difference is that Maryland is in much better position to rebound from their losses than the Redhawks, who had less of a talent base and want to go deep but may or may not have the personnel to run the way they want to.

Every game against this type of team should be an easy win, and this one is no different. A team looking for leadership and depth that's just two years removed from D-II status shouldn't be too difficult to best in the Comcast Center. Expect a lot of points - both teams want to run - and, presumably, a lot of rebounds for Jordan Williams, who will be the biggest player on the court. No one knows exactly what to expect out of a young Seattle U team, but I'm skeptical that they'll be able to hang for too long.

It always stings to see someone write that your city's team amounts to nothing more than your average non-conference easy win. But if we're honest, this is not a good match-up for the Redhawks and the likelihood of them taking this one is not necessarily high. That won't stop me from being minimally optimistic: nobody would have expected - or even understood - the Redhawks to blow out Oregon State on the road with Garcia playing limited minutes last year.

And yet...

Okay, not the same situation, but the game is certainly worth watching just to see how strong a challenge the Redhawks can pose the Terps.

Tonight's game - televised on CSN Northwest at 5 p.m. PST - in College Park is part of the 2010 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer, as described on the Seattle University athletics website.

Men's Basketball Ready to Open Season at Maryland - Seattle University Redhawks Athletics
Besides Maryland, fourth-ranked Pittsburgh, #16 Illinois, and 25th-ranked Texas are hosting contests tonight and Wednesday night. No matter the results of the regional round games, those four teams will move on to Madison Square Garden for the championship rounds of the tournament Nov. 18-19, with Pittsburgh facing Maryland and Illinois going against Texas in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Seattle University will join host UC Irvine, Louisiana Tech and Navy in Irvine, Calif., for one of two subregionals taking place Nov. 19-21. Each team will play three games in three days against the other teams in the subregional. Toledo hosts the second subregional that same weekend, welcoming Rhode Island, Charleston, and Illinois-Chicago for that series of games.

For more on the game from a Maryland perspective, visit SBN's Testudo Times.

For more on Seattle U basketball, visit our preseason storystream.