A Maryland big man zaps Penders again

SPOKANE, Wash. --- Back in 1995, Joe Smith ended the season of one of Tom Penders's Texas teams by authoring a 31-point, 21-rebound, seven-block performance in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Friday night, Jordan Williams did the same thing.

Williams had 21 points and 17 rebounds --- the latter total the most by a Maryland player in the NCAA tournament since Smith's monster outing --- as Maryland ousted Houston 89-77 in the first round at the Spokane Arena.

So, how did the two outings --- and players --- stack up for Penders, who is now coaching Houston?

"Totally different kind of guy, more wide-bodied," Penders said. "Kind of like Lonny Baxter, who is really 6-9 because my George Washington team beat them the year before they won the national championships with Juan Dixon, Stevie Blake, Lonny Baxter, etc. It was the same kind of game as this out here. It was just we outlasted them. This kid's more like a big Lonny Baxter. There's another guy who he reminds me who's playing in the NBA right now, he went to North Carolina, [Sean] May."

Comments

[FREDTERP]

Penders needs a factchecker? GW won two years before the "title". FREDTERP

[D1scourse]

Fred ---

Yeah, I know.Maybe when youre 64 and it feels like it is past midnight, the years from one of your many stops run together. Id cut him a break on this one.

[John]

When you've coached in as many games as Penders, it's easy for some of them to run together.

Penders still has his wits. I think his comparison of J-Dub with Sean May is spot on. Very similar players.

May, it will be recalled, he was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2005 NCCA Tournament after leading UNC to the National Championship, dropping 24 points (10-11 shooting) and 10 rebounds on Illinois in the championship game. (Let's hope for similar results from Jordan.)

Here's May's Tarheel page, which only goes up to his sophomore year (he went pro as a junior).

http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/may_sean00.html