April 23, 2000

by Michael Ashley, ACCToday.com

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - In 25 years on the Maryland bench, Chris Weller had seen it all. ACC championships, 20-win seasons, trips to the Sweet 16, and Final Four berths.

What she hadn't seen - until last year - was a 20-loss season.

That experience didn't set too well with the veteran coach. So Weller rounded up her young team - nine players were either freshmen or sophomores this season - and set about rebuilding the proud Maryland women's basketball program.

What resulted from the ashes of last year's 6-21 campaign was an unexpected break-even season that even included a post-season run. The Terrapins were 16-15, posting victories over Sweet 16 teams Virginia and Duke, and earning a bid to the National Invitational Tournament. Once in the 32-team NIT field, Maryland made the most of its chance, winning two games before bowing in the quarterfinals to foul trouble and Florida.

"(It) was a bonus for us," said Weller of the Terps' postseason opportunity. "That's how we approached it."

Last week, the Maryland athletic department approached Weller about staying on as coach, extending her contract another season through the 2000-01 campaign.

It's another good personnel move for Maryland AD Debbie Yow, who knows a thing or too about women's basketball. With 469 career wins, Weller certainly deserves the benefit of the doubt coming off just her fourth losing season ever.

Maryland's 16-15 record this year isn't the kind of season Weller built her reputation on but it's a huge step back in the right direction. And one that proves her worthy of a chance to keep rebuilding the program she once had competing at the highest level.

"Considering the rough road we had last season, this year was outstanding," said Weller. "I am so proud of our young team, and so happy that we were able to receive the experience from playing in the NIT. That was the best thing that happened to this team.

"We learned that we really can win against good teams, and we know, now, that we're ready to move forward again next season."

They'll make that move forward without four seniors but only one of the departing players, Tiffany Brown, was a starter. Seven of the top eight players return and they should be all the more ready following the nice NIT-picking they did this March.

Leading scorers Marché Strickland and Deedee Warley both are back for their junior campaigns and the outlook is the brightest for the team since the 1996-97 season when the Terps were 18-10 and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Wins over Virginia and Duke and a road win at Clemson showed the Terrapins can play with the conference's elite, and that's still saying a lot in Atlantic Coast Conference women's play. Five ACC teams - Clemson, Duke, North Carolina, NC State and Virginia got NCAA bids, and two more - Maryland and Georgia Tech - went to the NIT. On percentage of total schools in the league, that's the highest mark in the land, though the Southeastern Conference sent more teams (9) to postseason play.

Back in this neck of the woods, Maryland became the first ACC team to qualify for postseason play after winning as few as just six games the previous season. The Terps are the ninth team in ACC history to stage a 10-win improvement in one season.

The run to the NIT's Elite Eight should have a positive affect for next year, too. Maryland dominated Georgetown in a 63-46 first round win and then eked out a 68-60 overtime win at powerful Virginia Tech.

"This was the biggest win we've had all year," said Weller. "A lot of people talk about how earlier in the season we beat Duke at Duke, but this was really an important win. We're a young team, and we've grown a lot this season."

The triumph at Tech marked the first time all season Maryland came from behind in the last five minutes of a game to win. It's a big hurdle for a young team but one the Terps couldn't capitalize on this year as they fell 77-57 at Florida in the NIT quarterfinals.

The 6-2 Warley, Maryland's hottest player down the stretch averaging over 20 points the last five games, picked up her second foul less than five minutes into the game and was never a factor. Strickland tried to pick up the scoring slack with 27 points, but Florida's inside game controlled the paint.

"They went inside a little too easily," summed up Weller. "Fouls controlled this game completely."

Chalk it up as another learning experience for maturing Maryland. The Terps came further than anyone - with the possible exception of Weller - expected this year.

As often happens, her great coaching job in College Park this season got buried on page six in the local sportspages by a guy named Williams on the men's bench. That's good news and bad news to the Maryland women's program. No doubt, Williams and Co. will get all the attention and have to deal with all the high expectations again next year.

Weller doesn't always mind that situation. Williams' and Steve Francis' Sweet 16 run a year ago dominated the headlines while the women's program was winning just six games. The Maryland women's program flew under media radar again this season as they righted the ship.

The attention will come back with more wins. Hey, they even got some postseason practice this year. Weller has been around. She knows how that works.

And for the 25th time, there's always a next year.