GETTING INSIDE

With Greivis Vasquez returning for his senior year instead of entering the NBA draft, Maryland has gone from a team that would have struggled for a mid-pack finish in the ACC to one that should contend for one of the league’s top four spots.

Yes, Vasquez means that much to the Terps.

He led them in scoring with 17.5 points a game, 66 3-point baskets, 5.4 rebounds per game, 176 assists and 49 steals to lead Maryland to the NCAA Tournament’s second round last March.

His return puts the Terps in position for a much deeper run this season.

It’s not that he’s going to have to do it alone, however. Guard Eric Hayes, who made 21 starts, and Adrian Bowie, who had 28, return in the backcourt along with sophomore Sean Mosley, who stepped at midseason and started 16 games.

Hayes shot 37.5 percent from 3-point range and finished second to Vasquez with 112 assists last season. He became even more valuable coming off the bench late in the season.

Landon Milbourne, who spent his first two years as a swingman, may have to return to the low post, where he averaged better than 11 points and five rebounds a game last season.

That’s because the transfer of Braxton Dupree and the decision by Jerome Burney to give up basketball for health issues leave things a little thin. Junior forward Dino Gregory will be asked to play a bigger role, but the answer inside may come from two promising freshmen.

James Padgett, a 6-8 forward, and Jordan Williams, a 6-10 forward, have the potential to produce bigger numbers than Dave Neal, who was a steadying influence and solid leader but averaged under nine points and slightly more than four rebounds a game as a senior last season.

NOTES, QUOTES

• Maryland lost to Memphis in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but held a unique distinction. The Terps were the only team in the country that owned victories over national champion North Carolina, 88-85 in overtime, and national runner-up Michigan State, 80-62. It’s the first time since 2004, when North Carolina beat Connecticut and Georgia Tech, that a team has managed the accomplishment.

• G Greivis Vasquez had 22 assists in four games for his native Venezuela in the 2009 FIBA Americas Tournament. He averaged 9.8 points a game, but his team did not advance to the quarterfinals after winning only one of its first four games in the tournament.

• G Eric Hayes has hit 39 percent of his 3-point shots through his first three seasons.

Last Year:   21-14 overall, 7-9 in the ACC; lost in second round of NCAA Tournament.

Head Coach:   Gary Williams (career 625-357); 21st year at Maryland (404-224).

Quote To Note:   “I truly believe he will be one of the best players in the country in college basketball as a senior.”—Coach Gary Williams, speaking of G Greivis Vasquez.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Scouting The Newcomers:   Freshman forwards Jordan Williams and James Padgett give the Terps some much-needed muscle up front. Williams is 6-10, Padgett stands 6-8, and they will help fill the starting spot vacated by the steady but unspectacular Dave Neal. Williams was rated among the top 100 recruits by Rivals.com.

Key Early-season Games:   Maryland will play in the EA Sports Maui Invitational, opening against Chaminade on Nov. 23, but will face a challenge the next game against either Cincinnati or Vanderbilt. Arizona, Gonzaga and Wisconsin are potential opponents in the opposite bracket. The Terps play at Indiana (which should be an improved team) on Dec. 1 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, then face Villanova in their next game on Dec. 6. That’s a pretty salty schedule over a three-week period. Things lighten up after that.

Program Direction:   With Greivis Vasquez returning, the Terps will try to make it to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four seasons. If Jordan Williams and James Padgett are the answers up front, the Terps will challenge for one of the top four spots in the ACC.

Probable Starting Lineup:   PG Greivis Vasquez, SG Eric Hayes, SG Adrian Bowie, F Landon Milbourne, F Jordan Williams.

Roster Report:  

• F Jerome Burney, a 6-9 junior, decided to give up basketball after being hampered by foot injuries for the last three seasons. He will stay with the team but not suit up.

• F Braxton Dupree, who would have provided needed depth up front, announced his decision to transfer in the spring.