1. How will the Terps respond in their new role as the hunted?
Creeping up on teams will no longer be an option for the Terps. The target is now on their shells.
Last season, the Terps took pride in the fact that no one believed they could beat the big dogs. Now they are the big dogs, and everyone else has the Terps circled on their schedules.
Can the Terps put their status behind them and play with the same grit they did last season? They might have to with the quality of play the ACC still boasts this season.
If the Terps aren’t careful, they could let another team blind-side them, just as they did to the favorites last year.
“To go in preseason ranked No. 1, you have to understand that you are going to be the hunted,” coach Brenda Frese said. “And everyone giving us their best shot is going to make us a better team. The fact that we’re going to get everyone’s best shot, regardless of who they are, will constantly put pressure on this team, and make sure they are ready to play.”
2. Can the Terps go undefeated before conference play starts?
When you are the No. 1 team in the nation, it is conceivable you could win every game you play. Once ACC play starts, the Terps will have battles every week, so it is important for them to get off to a hot start against the non-conference teams they should beat.
“We put some games that are out there on the road that are going to challenge us,” Frese said. “At Middle Tennessee to open up the season, at Temple. Those games are going to be difficult road games. Our tournament with TCU, [George Washington] and Arizona are early games that are going to be tough opponents.”
Even though Frese scheduled some frisky competition, none of the non-conference games should pose a huge threat. The teams are simply not on the same level as the Terps.
Seven of their non-conference games will be against teams that reached the tournament last year, but those seven teams combined for just two tournament wins.
The nationally televised contest with No. 17 Michigan State is the only non-conference game scheduled against a preseason top-25 team.
If the Terps can go undefeated for the first portion of the season, they can send a message to ACC foes that they are back. It is important for the Terps to establish themselves as the class of the conference and remind teams why they are the reigning champions.
3. Can the Terps avoid the injury plague and keep their core players healthy all season long?
Last year the Terps were very fortunate health-wise, as early injuries to Kristi Toliver and Laura Harper were the only significant setbacks, and neither player missed much time.
Toliver was nicked up and missed some games toward the beginning of the season, but had enough time to gain experience for the tournament run.
Harper returned last year after tearing her Achilles’ tendon the season before. Her NCAA Tournament final four Most Outstanding Player distinction shows how well she bounced back from that injury.
“We have a lot of question marks … how we’re going to handle getting everyone’s best game for the next 35-plus games that we play this season and how healthy everyone’s going to be,” Frese said. “We were fortunate last season to stay healthy and avoid injuries.”
On the surface, it looks like the Terps have a lot of depth, because their reserve players are experienced contributors. But to start the season, they will only have nine active bodies due to freshman Emery Wallace tearing her ACL, and Sa’de Wiley-Gatewood sitting out her transfer time.
Early season injuries could be crippling to the Terps, who don’t want to wear out their players in preparation for tournament time.
4. Will they have same chemistry as last year?
The Terps treat each other like a family, rather than a team.
“This team is really like a bunch of sisters both on the court and off the court,” Frese said.
But will the kids get in a fight with their coaching parents if they aren’t getting the playing time they are used to?
With the addition of Wiley-Gatewood, there could be a logjam at the guard position. She will have to battle with Toliver, Shay Doron, Ashleigh Newman and transfer Christie Marrone for playing time in the backcourt.
The newcomer Wiley-Gatewood doesn’t foresee a problem.
“My visit here felt so comfortable, being around the coaching staff and team. The chemistry was awesome. They made me feel like family the second I stepped on campus.
“We’re probably all going to share time. I don’t have a problem sitting on the bench, as long as I’m happy and get to play and enjoy myself on this team.”
This family is on vacation right now, and everything feels like paradise. It will be interesting to see how they handle the matter once they begin work.
5. Can the Terps establish a program of excellence, or will it be an ephemeral reign atop women’s basketball?
The Terps were obviously a great team, but they were one or two breaks away from being eliminated against Utah and Duke in the tournament last year.
Can they repeat this year? It’s always tougher to defend a title than to chase after one, but the Terps have the team makeup to replicate the success of last year.
And repeating in women’s basketball isn’t unheard of. Both Tennessee (1996-1998) and Connecticut (2002-2004) have had three-peats in the last 10 years.
Although they have a light non-conference schedule, the Terps will be tested once again in the ACC. Even though they are favorites to win it all, they may have trouble just winning the conference.
“I think the best teams are in the ACC, so it’s a great preparation, a great step towards the tournament,” Harper said.
North Carolina returns their talented duo of Ivory Latta and Erlana Larkins, while Duke is once again projected to make noise on a national level.
“North Carolina is going to be our biggest rival in the country, not only in the ACC,” Doron said.
Stanford, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Connecticut will all probably be in the mix again this season, plus a team could come out of nowhere like Baylor did in 2005 and the Terps in 2006.
Contact reporter Mark Selig at mseligdbk@gmail.com.
