Pitt Gorilla
03-19-2006, 02:38 PM
From cbssportsline:
Gary Williams talks tough. Soon, we'll find out if he is tough.
Williams, Maryland's wonderful if occasionally condescending coach, suggested to the Washington Post on Sunday that teams from the Missouri Valley Conference -- whose hopes for a record five NCAA Tournament bids would come at the expense of larger leagues -- have been ducking schools like Maryland.
"They haven't been banging down anyone's door in the ACC to play," Williams told the Post. "The phone works both ways, last time I checked."
Yes, it does. And sources in the Valley tell me that by the end of this week, Williams will have received calls -- and offers to play a home-and-home series beginning next season -- from every team in the Missouri Valley.
Don't you love that?
Missouri State coach Barry Hinson was so excited by Williams' apparent offer that he had his scheduling director call the Maryland basketball offices first thing Monday morning to schedule a home-and-home series with the Terps beginning next season. And Missouri State is willing to play the first game on the road, even if that means bailing out on a money-making home game already on the schedule for next season.
By 3 p.m., when Maryland hadn't returned the call, Hinson called Maryland himself and left the same message. As of this morning, Williams hadn't returned Hinson's call. He also hasn't yet returned a message left this morning by CBS SportsLine.com to discuss the issue further.
In Williams' defense, he's preparing for this little thing called the ACC tournament. He has a lot on his mind.
But if he's going to talk tough when the Washington Post calls, he better be prepared to back it up when Missouri State and Northern Iowa call.
Gary Williams talks tough. Soon, we'll find out if he is tough.
Williams, Maryland's wonderful if occasionally condescending coach, suggested to the Washington Post on Sunday that teams from the Missouri Valley Conference -- whose hopes for a record five NCAA Tournament bids would come at the expense of larger leagues -- have been ducking schools like Maryland.
"They haven't been banging down anyone's door in the ACC to play," Williams told the Post. "The phone works both ways, last time I checked."
Yes, it does. And sources in the Valley tell me that by the end of this week, Williams will have received calls -- and offers to play a home-and-home series beginning next season -- from every team in the Missouri Valley.
Don't you love that?
Missouri State coach Barry Hinson was so excited by Williams' apparent offer that he had his scheduling director call the Maryland basketball offices first thing Monday morning to schedule a home-and-home series with the Terps beginning next season. And Missouri State is willing to play the first game on the road, even if that means bailing out on a money-making home game already on the schedule for next season.
By 3 p.m., when Maryland hadn't returned the call, Hinson called Maryland himself and left the same message. As of this morning, Williams hadn't returned Hinson's call. He also hasn't yet returned a message left this morning by CBS SportsLine.com to discuss the issue further.
In Williams' defense, he's preparing for this little thing called the ACC tournament. He has a lot on his mind.
But if he's going to talk tough when the Washington Post calls, he better be prepared to back it up when Missouri State and Northern Iowa call.