What I'm Hearing: Maryland football upheaval, a breakthrough basketball moment and a quietly key cog
Why did Maryland defensive coordinator Brian Williams leave and what will Mike Locksley go from here? Which other staffer could be out? And some scoop from behind the scenes of basketball's hot streak below.
Why did Maryland defensive coordinator Brian Williams leave and what will Mike Locksley go from here? Which other staffer could be out? And some scoop from behind the scenes of basketball's hot streak below:
My first reaction to Brian Williams leaving for Jacksonville State was that Mike Locksley must've been ready to move along from him and allowed him to find a job rather than firing him. That's been the standard courtesy he's extended when he's let assistants go. But it doesn't sound like that's the case. Williams seemed to make the decision on his own, and it sounds like he interviewed at a few other bigger-name schools before taking the step down to Jacksonville State.
Why Williams left isn't totally clear, though it sounds like he and Locksley might not have had chemistry as good as they had in previous years.
It's too early to speculate on potential replacements, but Locksley will likely move quickly with spring ball around the corner. I'm also hearing tight ends coach Kevin Sumlin isn't expected to return.
Locksley is in Vegas for the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches Convention. He's likely prospecting while there.
Williams was a valuable staffer and one of the program's best recruiters. Universally liked and respected, he had the defense playing better than his predecessors until this reason, when a slow pass rush and poor pass coverage made Maryland one of Big Ten's worst defenders. A source said Locksley is likely to opt for someone who plays a more aggressive style as opposed to Williams' conservative approach. Or he could promote co-defensive coordinator Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, who will be under pressure to improve the lagging pass defense.
On the basketball side, an interesting anecdote I heard this week: when Derik Queen and teammate Braden Pierce went to a Wizards game and met several NBA stars, including future Hall of Famer Chris Paul, work ethic was one of the main topics of conversation.
"They talked about finishing strong and taking every team and opponent seriously," a source said.
It might be a coincidence, but Queen torched Nebraska for his second consecutive starring performance (24 points on 9-for-11 shooting, 12 rebounds) a few days later. He's scored 20 points or more nine times this season, but it was the first time he's done it in back-to-back games, and it came in a tough road environment. He's In the past two games; he's posted 53 points on 18-27 shooting (66.7 percent) and 26 rebounds. No one can play at that level, but Queen appears to have turned a corner and figured out how much energy he needs to bring consistently.
Which, given how brilliant a player he is, could be an ingredient for an exciting March.
"It's definitely been some games where I struggled a lot. And my numbers or my performance wasn't great," he said after Maryland's 85-72 win at Nebraska. "But now since my coaches and my teammates [have been] getting on me, telling me I'm better than this, and me just watching film of myself. Just keep building and keep learning what mistakes not to make."
Credit the NBA meeting to Maryland director of player personnel Ricky Harris, who's friends with Paul, for arranging the meeting. Harris, a Baltimore native, has quietly been a key cog to Maryland's success, having been a primary recruiter for Queen, Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Tafara Gapare.
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