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What made the University of Maryland's 2001-02 basketball season the best in the schools history? How much credit should go to coach Gary Williams for last year's championship win? What is the future of Terrapin basketball and who are the star players to look out for in the coming years?

Washington Post sports writer Josh Barr was online to take questions on Maryland's first-ever NCAA title, his book "Good Enough to Be Great: The Inside Story of Maryland Basketball's National Championship Season," and college basketball in general.

The transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Greenbelt, Md.: Josh, I really enjoy your perspective on the Terps and how you present the reader with the fine nuances of the game.
My question is about the streak the Terps are on right now. Even though they lost to Duke at Cameron by basically 3 points, I personally think they are peaking at the right time unlike many other teams like L'ville. What are your thoughts, are the Terps playing their best basketball of the year and removing that "inconsistent" stamp?

Josh Barr: There is no question Maryland is playing well right now. I would hesitate to say whether they are peaking. The big issue for this team -- and many others around the country -- is inconsistency, which is only natural given that so many teams are relying on so many freshmen and sophomores.

Annapolis, Md.: How does the Terp incoming freshmen class rate? I understand Mike Jones may be the best of the group. What about the big men?

Josh Barr: Many people believe this is one of the best classes Gary Williams and his staff have put together. Mike Jones is supposed to be very good. Inside, Hassan Fofana and Spalding's Will Bowers will have an opportunity to earn time because Tahj Holden and Ryan Randle complete their eligibility this season. With freshmen, I would hesitate to make any predictions because making the adjustment from high school to college often is more difficult than the players expect.

Wayne, N.J.: Is there any way to keep talent in college rather than jumping prematurely to the pros a la Chris Wilcox? I haven't seen his name in any bylines this year but I think if he had stayed at Maryland, he would be in contention for player of the year.

Josh Barr: It is a tough situation. Imagine you are 19 or 20 years old and someone is offering you, guaranteeing you, a few million dollars per year to leave college and turn professional. In most instances, the money is too much to turn down because there is no guarantee it will be there in the future.

Boston, Mass.: As a Terp Alum who graduated alongside of Juan Dixon and Lonnie Baxter, it pained me to see Chris Wilcox leave early for the pros. How much of an impact do you think he would have made on the team this season had he stayed and how much would he have improved under Williams for another year?

Josh Barr: Continuing on the Wilcox theme, I believe this team, with Wilcox, would be among the top contenders for the national title. As last season wore on, Wilcox began to realize his ability to impact the game at both ends of the court. If he had stayed another year, I think it would have given him a great opportunity to improve his game. Remember, he never was the primary guy last season; Dixon and Baxter were. If he came back and with Gary Williams' insistence that the ball go inside, Wilcox would have had the chance for a special season.

Arlington, Va.: Thanks for your great Terps coverage this season. I look at this team and see balance, experience, speed and size, but I also see 7 losses -- some of the lousy variety. Do you think the two blowout wins are signs of this team catching fire at the right time or just another streak? Being as close as you are to the team, do you think they have the horses to make it to the rounds of 16, 8 and 4?

Josh Barr: I don't know about "lousy" losses, though I'm sure there are a few the eam would like back, particularly the one at home to Virginia.

When it plays well, this team is quite good, very good and I don't think it would surprise many people if that led to another big run in the NCAA tournament. That said, the team's inconsistency has been an issue throughout the season and I think a lot of people are watching to see if the Terrapins can keep it going in tough road games at N.C. State and Virginia the next two Sunday nights.

Silver Spring, Md.: Gary Williams had the knowledge and the guts to recruit Juan Dixon and Lonny Baxter. These guys weren't McDonald's All-Americans, but Williams made them the centerpiece of the team. It's nice to root for your school getting the highly touted players, but it was even better to see a team with the national title without the heralded recruiting "super classes" that Duke, UNC and Michigan have become famous for. Or is it infamous when Michigan's Fab Five come to mind? Big ups to Gary Williams.

Josh Barr: Thanks for the comments. I think the success and improvement of Dixon and Baxter was pretty well noted the past few years. Two pretty good players who worked extremely hard and accomplished great things.

Silver Spring, Md.: Don't you think Drew Nicholas needs to step it up more if Maryland wants to make it back to the final four. Is it just me or has he disappeared in some of the biggest games this year.

Josh Barr: I don't think I would go along with "disappearing." Like the rest of the team, Drew has struggled with consistency at times. He is in a tough situation. For the past three seasons, he watched everything Juan Dixon did and was a pretty good role player off the bench. This season, Drew has had to make a huge adjustment, becoming the team's leading scorer and one of its key players, while for the first time dealing with defenses that are focusing on him. And remember, it's his first year as a starter and he only gets one chance. He can't come back next year with a year of experience as a starter.

College Park, Md.: One often gets the feeling you aren't the world's biggest Terp fan, which is fine since you are supposed to be objective. However, many of your articles begin with the negative aspects of the University -- the basketball team in particular. I'm sure this isn't the first time you've heard this. Care to comment on why you have adopted this slant?

Josh Barr: When the team wins, what I write often is perceived as positive. When it loses, maybe it's perceived as negative because so many people identify closely with the team and they don't want to see it lose. I don't think I have a slant.

Springfield, Va.: Hi Josh, One thing that stands out to me with this year's team is how much they reflect the personality of their coach. What they may lack in talent they certainly make up for with toughness and tenacity.

Josh Barr: Throughout the season, I think this team has been gaining a certain toughness. It probably starts with the coach, who is said to be somewhat intense, but I don't think it would be wise to overlook Steve Blake. His intensity and attitude are well regarded and I think sometimes it helps to have that coming from a teammate.

Baltimore Md.: Question concerns the national rankings -- I can not understand how maryland can fall in the national polls after losing only one game against a team that was already ranked 5 places higher.

Josh Barr: Anytime you lose a game, you are likely to fall in the polls. Flip-flopping with Xavier is not a big deal. The expection might be when everybody else loses too -- which has happened a few times this season.

Richmond, Va.: What do you think of the Comcast Center?

Josh Barr: Maryland did a great job building its arena. The one thing I think most people notice is that Comcast seems more compact than most other arenas with similar seating capacities.

Washington, D.C.: Jumping ahead a few weeks. Who do you expect to see in the final four this year?

Josh Barr: I would put Oklahoma, Florida, Kentucky and Arizona as the favorites, but given the unpredictability of this season, this might be a year when some lesser-known teams make a run to New Orleans.

College Park, Md.: I didn't watch the game last night, but did you catch any of the Jaun Dixon/Steve Francis match-up? What do you think of Jaun's potential as a professional player?

Josh Barr: Saw some of the game, I'm sure it was a kick for both of these guys to be guarding each other at times.

I think Juan will be able to do what it takes to have a successful career. He already might be a little ahead of schedule.

Miami, Fla.: Being from the same high school as Steve Blake I know Steve is ready to lead his team to a another great run in the NCAA's do you think he has the supporting class to do what the terps did last season?

Josh Barr: If everybody plays to their ability, then yes the players are in place and I think Maryland can make a good run in the tournament.

What do you remember of Blake as a player? He had a pretty good supporting cast in Miami, too.

Columbia, Mo.: Huge Terp fan living out in the mid-west. Any thoughts on what region Maryland will end up in, for this years NCAA tournament?

Also, as far as next year's incoming class; will they have a couple big guys that can bang around under the basket and be a force like Lonny was and Randle sometimes can be?

Josh Barr: No clue where Maryland might end up. None of the sites are close to home (Boston and Tampa are the east sites) and the Terps won't be a top seed, so I think there is a chance they get sent out west for the first weekend -- none of the top seeds are going to be from anywhere close to Spokane.

Yes, the team has a couple big men coming in, but I would expect next season's team might be like some of Gary Williams' early teams -- run, run and run some more.

Arlington, Va.: Given Maryland's rank this season and RPI, how high a seed should we expect in the NCAA tournament? If they win out and at least get to the ACC Final, would a #2 seed be possible?

Josh Barr: Winning out and winning the ACC tournament, in my eyes, probably would lead to a #2. I think otherwise the team could be seeded anywhere from a 3 to a 6.

Frederick,Md.: Hi, Josh
Can you tell us a little more about the Terps recruiting for next year? And who do you see as starting next year? Thanks.

Josh Barr: Maryland signed 5 players -- two big men (Will Bowers from Spalding High outside Annapolis and Hassan Fofana), a small forward (Ekene Ibekwe), a shooting guard (Mike Jones) and a combo guard (D.J. Strawberry, son of Darryl).

I don't think anyone knows who starts, other than John Gilchrist at point guard. With the exception of Andre Collins (coming on strong the past week) and Mike Grinnon, no one will have more than one year of experience and that could lead to the freshmen getting a chance to earn a starting role. Jones is supposed to be the best of the recruits.

Washington, D.C.: Was last year's team as good as the '85 Lenny Bias team? What helped the team become such a cohesive unit?

Josh Barr: I'm not in position to compare the 1985 team to this one, but I don't think is much question that last season's team came together because of the players' personalities and their drive to win. Everyone had told Juan Dixon and Lonny Baxter they were never going to be able to succeed at a high level and all they wanted to do was prove people wrong. They worked hard and imposed their will on the team, especially Juan.

Herndon, Va.: Josh;

What do other coaches around the ACC/NCAA think of Gary Williams, is he as respected as I would think? Does he have any friendships with other coaches? And what's the relationship, if any, with Coach K?

Can't wait to read your book!

Josh Barr: I think the other coaches around the league respect what Gary Williams has done. Here's a guy who worked his way up the coaching totem pole, from high school assistant to small college assistant (and soccer coach!) ... and so on down the line. For what it is worth, Herb Sendek just said he thinks Gary is a Hall of Fame coach.

Josh Barr: Thanks for stopping by everyone -- enjoy the game Sunday night.

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