Off The Press

Off the Press, the kids are at it again.  What's up with all these freshmen and sophomores winning college basketball titles?   I mean, is this some hidden benefit from the NBA's new age limit?  Yesterday, it was the University of Florida and Sophomore Joakim Noah leading the championship celebration.  Today, it's the University of Maryland's super freshman Kristi Toliver playing the role of parade-master as the victory parade winds its way back to College Park. 

Terrapins tip Duke in overtime to win national championship, reads Dick Patrick's headline in USA Today.  Patrick's report is comprehensive, including links to audio clips of interviews with Maryland coach Brenda Frese and stare guard, Shay Doron.  The secret behind Maryland's success is Coach Brenda Frese. Frese's story is one of bringing a team which was mired in mediocrity to the Promised Land.  Patrick writes:

For symbolism's sake, it would have been nice if the winning points had come on a turnaround jumper.

Maryland will settle for free throws by two freshmen for its last four points in a 78-75 overtime win against Duke in Tuesday's NCAA women's basketball title game.

For the Terrapins (34-4), it was a turnaround in program fortunes in Brenda Frese's fourth season as coach. It was also a turnaround for the Terps in their fourth game against their Atlantic Coast Conference rival, which had four 13-point leads, the last with 14:53 left in the second half.

It was fitting freshmen Kristi Toliver and Marissa Coleman provided the decisive points. A year ago they were spectators at the Final Four, in Indianapolis to play in the high school All-American game, predicting they'd win a title at the TD Banknorth Garden.

Not bad for Mcpaper, eh?

Back home in Maryland, fans were exultant at the Terrapin triumph.  Ecstatic students dance on U.S 1, reports Michael Dresser in the Baltimore Sun.  Dresser's account of the frenzied celebrations of students on the campus of the U of Maryland is an interesting peek into the world of America's future leaders.  Dresser notes:

One male student, dashing outside, shouted, "We're going streaking!"

Victoria Wedge came prepared for last night's game, sporting University of Maryland gear and waving her "Fear the Turtle" poster. A Terps fan all her life, the sophomore from Landover was brimming with excitement as she lined up at the student union to watch the UM women vie for a national title on a movie-size TV screen with hundreds of fanatical fellow fans.

The only thing out of place was her friend - Natasha Ellis of Silver Spring - an island of Duke University blue in a sea of red, black and white.

The UM sophomore was proudly proclaiming her love of Duke sports despite being rejected for admission there while insisting that she's not the least bit contrary.

Wedge wasn't buying it.

She noted that her friend also cheers for the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees.

"She always wants to go against the grain," Wedge said.

That is rich on so many levels, meta and sub, I'll let you decipher it yourselves.

Enjoy,

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