Maryland basketball great Lonny Baxter on Kevin Willard, Derik Queen and depth concerns
The Maryland men's basketball team bounced back over the weekend with a win at Penn State, but they first had to put last Wednesday's crushing loss to Michigan State in the…
The
Maryland men's basketball team bounced back over the weekend with a win at
Penn State, but they first had to put last Wednesday's crushing loss to
Michigan State in the rearview mirror.
Maryland basketball great and 2002 national champion Lonny Baxter joined
"Glenn Clark Radio" on Thursday morning to talk about the Terps. Baxter was asked about how the adversity the 2000-01 team dealt with helped them make the Final Four, and if something similar could be said for this year's squad.
"Most definitely. Just have to learn from your mistakes," Baxter said. "I mean, those games that we lost back then to
Duke and the final, whatever, 50-something seconds. The
Florida State game, that really turned our season around for us. We just had to grow up and mature as players, and that's what we did. And as a result, we went to a Final Four, and the next year, an NCAA championship."
Baxter spoke about how you come back from a heartbreaking loss, why Kevin Willard "has done a great job," why he is impressed with Derik Queen and Julian Reese and more.
ON WHAT YOU SAY TO EACH OTHER AFTER A HEARTBREAKING MOMENT
"Oh man, I'm not going to lie, it's not easy when you think about how things played out. There's a little bit of depression you go through for a minute, but you got to be strong. You can't keep feeling sorry for yourself and what happened, like I say, you just have to be mature, learn from your mistakes, come out with a little bit intensity, a little bit more detail than what happened in the previous game, and just fix it."
ON TRE HOLLOMAN’S SHOT, WHAT HE WOULD HAVE SAID TO JA’KOBI GILLESPIE
On the shot: "Yeah, that was an unreal shot. How many times does that happen in a season? But you got to be aware of clock management and everything. And it's just one of those things that happens."
On Gillespie: "He was open, and he's a good shooter, so you want to encourage him to take the shot, but you still – in that situation, tie game – you want to milk the clock a little bit more. So, you never want to discourage a shooter from shooting. I mean, just – nobody expected a half-court heave to win that game. I mean, just nobody expected that to happen, but it did. And so, like I said, you can't discourage him, but at the same time, you just got to be a little bit more aware."
ON HOW IMPRESSED HE HAS BEEN WITH MARYLAND’S STARTING FIVE
"I'm very impressed with them. This year, they added a lot of good shooting, which they didn't have last year. You know, Gillespie, Rice, Miguel, I mean, they just did a good job in adding those pieces that they needed. Derik Queen has been phenomenal all year. JuJu Reese has stepped up. So, I'm very impressed to see how these guys do in the tournament this year."
ON IF HE IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEPTH COME THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
"Nah, I think they have a good starting five that's able to put together some good quality wins. They haven't had a good road win percentage this year, something I would like to see these last couple games, if they could pull out some good wins on the road. The tournament is going to be a neutral site, so, I mean, it's all about seeding and where they place in the NCAA Tournament."
ON GETTING BACK INTO THE MSU GAME BEING A TESTAMENT TO KEVIN WILLARD’S COACHING
"Most definitely. Coach Willard a good job getting these guys back in it. But, like I say, unfortunately nobody thought that the game to be won on half-court heave, but it's just one of those freak things that happened. And that's a game we feel like we should have won. But, like I said, things happen."
ON HOW IMPRESSED HE HAS BEEN BY WILLARD
"
Kevin Willard has done a great job. I met him when he first came on. I remember when he first took the job, and he had an impressive first year. The second year was a little down. This year, he's coming back strong. Like I say, he's did a great job in the transfer portal,
Derik Queen coming in. I mean, he just put all the right pieces together. He's managed them well all season, and that's why they had so much success as of late."
ON WHAT IMPRESSES HIM MOST ABOUT DERIK QUEEN
"I was impressed from day one, his first game when he had like 20 rebounds and 20 points, whatever. And that's, 20 rebounds, that's something that's not easy to do in your first college game coming out, so I was impressed from day one. His footwork, I mean, nice touch. I mean, there's really nothing that he can't do out there on the court. And he comes to play every night as a freshman, and that's really huge for this, for him being the leader of this team."
ON JULIAN REESE GOING THROUGH ADVERSITY TO FIND SUCCESS
"Yeah, it's his senior season. He's been around through the ups and downs, he's seen adversity, but he stood tough. He never complained that he wanted to transfer like most guys do. He stuck it out, and I'm very proud to see him coming along the way he has his senior year."
ON THE NCAA TOURNAMENT POTENTIALLY EXPANDING
"I mean, I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, you see how the game has changed, how things are changing, NIL, transfer portal. I mean, it's just – I mean, if it happens, it happens. It's just different times. That's the way the game has evolved. So, you just have to deal with whatever comes, and we'll see. … We're used to the good old days."
ON HIS CURRENT BUSINESS
On the next time they talk not being the morning after a heartbreaking loss: "Yeah, I mean, it's still, it's just so heartbreaking because nobody expected that. And, I mean, when I saw the replay, I was just like, oh my God."
