Men's Hoops Advance to Sweet 16 Round in Fifth Consecutive NCAA Tourney
6/21/1999 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Maryland Terrapins (21-11, 10-6 ACC)
NCAA Tournament "Sweet 16"
ACC Tournament Semifinalists
Franklin National Bank Classic Finalists
Post-Season HonorsGary Williams ACC Coach-of-the-Year (ACC Athlete Magazine)
Rodney Elliott 3rd Team All-ACC 2nd Team All-ACC Tournament
Obinna Ekezie Honorable Mention All-ACC
Laron Profit Honorable Mention All-American (Associated Press) Third Team All-ACC
Terence Morris Honorable Mention All-ACC Freshman Team
MARYLAND SEASON IN REVIEW
Maryland finished with a 21-11 overall record (10-6, 3rd place in the ACC) and played in its school-record fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Terps. Who played the nation's toughest schedule advanced to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament and advanced to the "Sweet 16" of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last five years.
MARYLAND IS...
...One of only 11 teams in the nation and one of only two teams in the ACC which has participated in each of the last five NCAA Tournaments. The Terps are joined by only Arizona, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Purdue, Temple and UCLA as teams in each of the last five NCAA men's basketball tournaments.
IN THE SWEET 16...
...Maryland is one of only 11 teams in the nation which has reached the "Sweet 16" round of the NCAA Tournament in at least three of the last five years. The Terps have advanced to the regional semifinals in 1994, 1995 and 1998. Maryland is joined by only Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, Syracuse, UCLA and Utah.
Associated Press Top 25 Final 1997-98 Poll 1. North Carolina 34-4 2. Kansas 35-4 3. Duke 32-4 4. Arizona 30-5 5. Kentucky 33-4 6. Connecticut 32-5 7. Utah 30-4 8. Princeton 27-2 9. Cincinnati 27-6 10. Stanford 30-5 11. Purdue 28-8 12. Michigan 25-9 13. Mississippi 22-7 14. South Carolina 23-8 15. Texas Christian 27-6 16. Michigan State 22-8 17. Arkansas 24-9 18. Mew Mexico 24-8 19. UCLA 24-9 20. MARYLAND 21-11 21. Syracuse 26-9 22. Illinois 23-10 23. Xavier 22-8 24. Temple 21-9 25. Murray State 29-3
ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Final 1997-98 Poll 1. Kentucky 749 2. Utah 717 3. North Carolina 688 4. Stanford 653 5. Duke 619 6. Arizona 599 7. Connecticut 561 8. Kansas 510 9. Purdue 468 10. Michigan State 442 11. Rhode Island 364 12. UCLA 347 13. Syracuse 313 14. Cincinnati 302 15. MARYLAND 298 16. Princeton 295 17. Michigan 277 18. West Virginia 224 19. South Carolina 173 20. Mississippi 170 21. New Mexico 166 22. Arkansas 139 23. Valparaiso 120 24. Washington 106 25. Texas Christian 90
PROFIT NAMED HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICAN
Junior Laron Profit was named an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press. It marked the first time in his career that he had earned All-America status. Profit was also named third team All-Atlantic Coast Conference. He has earned All-ACC honors during the last two consecutive seasons.
TERPS RANKED SEVENTH IN RPI REPORT
Maryland was ranked seventh in the RPI poll this season. The RPI is the featured mathematical theory used by the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Selection Committee. Maryland played five of the teams ranked in the Top-10 of the RPI Report during the season.
RPI Report 1. Duke 2. North Carolina 3. Arizona 4. Kentucky 5. Connecticut 6. Kansas 7. MARYLAND 8. Stanford 9. Michigan State 10. South Carolina
MARYLAND RATED AS HAVING THE NATION'S TOUGHEST SCHEDULE
Maryland's tremendous national and ACC finishes came as the Terps played the nation's toughest schedule according the both major ranking services. The Terps schedule was judged far and away the toughest by the RPI Report and the Sagarin Rankings. The RPI Report is used exclusively by the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament selection committee, and the Sagarin Rankings appear weekly in the USA Today Newspaper.
RPI Report Sagarin Rankings 1. Maryland 1. Maryland 2. Wake Forest 2. Florida State 3. Clemson 3. Wake Forest
CONFERENCE RANKINGS
The Atlantic Coast Conference finished the season as the nation's top-ranked conference according to the RPI Report. The ACC has been the nation's top rated conference for each of the past two full seasons and took over the top spot during the 1994-95 season.
RPI Report Sagarin Rankings 1. ACC 1. ACC 2. SEC 2. SEC 3. Big Ten 3. Big Ten 4. Big East 4. Pac-10 5. Pac-10 5. Big East 6. Big 12 6. Big 12 7. Atlantic 10 7. Atlantic 10 8. Conf. USA 8. Conf. USA 9. WAC 9. WAC 10. Midwestern 10. Midwestern
MARYLAND LEADS THE NATION IN WINS AGAINST TOP 50 TEAMS
Maryland played a nation's best 19 games against the top 50 teams in the country. The Terps were the only team in the nation to have played 17 or more top 50 opponents and were one of only four teams to win at least eight games against the teams ranked in the nation's top 50.
ELLIOTT AND PROFIT EARN THIRD TEAM ALL-ACC HONORS
Senior Rodney Elliott and junior Laron Profit earned third team All-ACC honors. It marked the first time that Elliott earned the honor and the second consecutive season that Profit earned third team All-ACC honors. Junior Obinna Ekezie was an honorable mention All-ACC selection, while Terence Morris was an honorable mention All-ACC freshman team selection.
ELLIOTT NAMED TO ACC TOURNAMENT SECOND TEAM
Senior Rodney Elliott, who averaged 14.5 points and 9.0 rebounds during the 1998 ACC Tournament, was named to the all-tournament second team.
MARYLAND'S 20 VICTORY SEASONS
Maryland finished the 1997-98 season with a 21-11 record. The 21 victories marked the second consecutive season and third time in the last four years that head coach Gary Williams had led the Terps to a 20-victory season. The last time Maryland won at least 20 games in back-to-back seasons was during the 1983-84 and 1984-85 seasons. Williams has now led nine teams to 20-win seasons during his career. Williams averages 18.6 wins per season in his 20 years as a collegiate head coach.
TERPS IN THE ACC IN THE LAST FIVE SEASONS
Maryland have recorded a cumulative record of 47-33 in the ACC in the last five seasons. The Terps' 47 victories marks the most in a five-year period in their ACC history.
Season ACC Record 1998 10-6 1997 9-7 1996 8-8 1995 12-4 1994 8-8 Total 47-33
KOVARIK PLAYS ON FIVE UPPER ECHELON ACC TEAMS
Matt Kovarik, who completed his collegiate playing career as a five-time NCAA tournament participant, has helped the Terps to a 103-55 overall record (65.2 winning percentage) and a 48-34 ACC record (58.5 winning percentage) in his five seasons in College Park. Kovarik is the first player in school history to play on five teams which finished in the upper half of the ACC standings. Kovarik played on Maryland's regular season ACC championship team in 1995.
ELLIOTT AND JASIKEVICIUS HAVE SEEN MUCH SUCCESS
Seniors Rodney Elliott and Sarunas Jasikevicius played on four consecutive NCAA Tournament teams and helped the Terps to four consecutive top drawer ACC finishes. With Elliott and Jasikevicius in the lineup, Maryland won more than 62 percent of its ACC games (39 of 63) and finished first, third and fourth (twice) in the ACC standings.
MARYLAND'S FIVE CONSECUTIVE UPPER ECHELON ACC FINISHES
Maryland's third place finish in the ACC standings marked the fifth consecutive season that Gary Williams has led the Terps to an upper-division conference finish. It marked the first time since the 1972-73 through 1976-77 seasons that the Terps have finished in the top half of the ACC standings in five consecutive seasons.
ON MARYLAND'S CAREER LISTS, LARON PROFIT RANKS...
...Third in steals with 187;
...Seventh in 3-point shots attempted, 249;
...Eighth in 3-point shots made, 80;
...Sixteenth in blocked shots, 59;
...Twenty-eighth in scoring, 1,072.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
TRIO OF SENIORS END STELLAR CAREERS
Rodney Elliott (Baltimore, Md.), Matt Kovarik (Greensboro, N.C.) and Sarunas Jasikevicius (Kaunas, Lithuania) saw their Terp careers come to an end with the close of the 1997-98 season. The trio enjoyed the best seasons of their careers, both individually and collectively, as they helped the Terps reach the NCAA Tournament for a school record fifth consecutive season.
IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE MARYLAND BASKETBALL PROGRAM...
...Played in a school record five consecutive NCAA Tournaments;
...Finished in the top half of the ACC five times;
...Won 103 games;
...Lost only 11 times in Cole Field House;
...Played the nation's No. 1-ranked team six times;
...Defeated the nation's No. 1-ranked team twice;
...Played 53 games against teams ranked in the nation's top 25;
...Was ranked among the nation's top 25 for 54 weeks;
...Won one regular season ACC championship;
...Won six NCAA Tournament games;
...Played in the ACC Tournament semifinals four times.
PROFIT HITS 1,000 CAREER POINT MARK
Junior Laron Profit, who will enter his senior season with 1,072 career points, stands in 29th place on Maryland's all-time career scoring list. He became the 33rd player in school history to reach the 1,000 career point plateau against Temple on Feb. 28. Profit reached the mark in his 86th career game, becoming the 13th junior to reach the plateau and is tied with former All-American Keith Booth for 21st fastest player in school history to reach the mark.
Rank Points Player, Years Profit Needs to Pass 28. 1,087 by Keith Gatlin (1984-88) +16 29. 1,072 by Laron Profit (1996-Present)
PROFIT MOVES INTO THIRD ALL-TIME ON CAREER STEALS LIST
Junior Laron Profit will begin his senior season with 187 career steals. He is currently ranked in third place in school history and needs only 7 steals to move into second place.
Rank No. Player, SPG, Years Profit/to Pass 1. 344 by Johnny Rhodes (2.8 spg; 1993-1996) +158 2. 193 by Keith Booth (1.53 spg; 1994-97) +7 3. 187 by Laron Profit (2.05 spg; 1995-96 - Present)
PROFIT'S SINGLE SEASON TOTAL IS SECOND BEST AT MARYLAND
Laron Profit recorded a career-high 87 steals during the 1997-98 season. His total is the second best single-season total in school history.
Rank No. Player, SPG, Year 1 110 by Johnny Rhodes (3.7 spg, 1995-96) 2. 87 by Laron Profit (2.7 spg, 1997-98)
JASIKEVICIUS RANKS THIRD ON 3-POINT SHOOTING LISTS
Senior Sarunas Jasikevicius ranks third in school history for career 3-point field goals made, 136, and third for 3-point field goals attempted, 363.
JASIKEVICIUS MOVING UP THE CAREER LISTS
Senior Sarunas Jasikevicius ranks third in school history for 3-point field goals made and third for 3-point field goals attempted.
Rk Player, Years 3FGM Rk Player, Years 3FGA 1. Johnny Rhodes, 1993-96 186 1. Johnny Rhodes, 1993-96 557 2. Walt Williams, 1988-92 154 2. Walt Williams, 1988-92 429 3. Sarunas Jasikevicius, 1995-98 136 3. Sarunas Jasikevicius, 1995-98 363
JASIKEVICIUS ON THE SINGLE SEASON LISTS
Senior Sarunas Jasikevicius has made 60 3-point shots in 51 attempts this season. His 60 3-point shots is the third best single season total in school history. Jasikevicius' 60 3-point shots made this season are a career-high.
TERP TEAM RECORDS IN 1997-98...
...Maryland's 602 assists was the second highest total in school history;
...Maryland's 275 steals was the fourth highest total in school history;
...Maryland's 794 free throws attempted was the fifth highest total in school history.
TERPS SIGN TWO PLAYERS DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
Maryland signed a pair of blue-chip high school players, guard Danny Miller and forward Lonnie Baxter, on the first day of the early National Letter of Intent signing period in November. At 6-6, Miller (Mt. Holly, N.J./Rancocas Valley H.S.) is rated as the 11th best high school prospect in the nation while the 6-8 Baxter (Rockville, Md./Hargrave Military Academy) is rated among the top 50.
MILLER NAMED AS MCDONALD'S ALL-AMERICAN
Danny Miller, who signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Terps next season, was recently named as a McDonald's All-American.
THE TOP 10 RECRUITING CLASSES IN THE EAST
Maryland's current recruiting class of Danny Miller and Lonnie Baxter has been ranked as the fourth best recruiting class in the east by Eastern Basketball Magazine. Miller was called a "top guard who can offer instant help" while Baxter was characterized as "the kind of hard-nosed player all schools with ambitions of national prominence must possess."
TERPS BY THE NUMBERS IN 1997-98
Overall Record: 21-11
When Outrebound Opponent: 12-4
ACC Record: 10-6
When Outrebounded by Opp: 8-8
Home Record: 12-2
When Rebounds are Equal: 0-0
Road Record: 4-5
When Leading at Half-time: 17-2
Neutral Site Record: 5-4
When Trailing at Half-time: 4-8
Day Games: 11-2
When Tied at Half-time: 0-1
Night Games: 10-9
When Shoot Better from Field: 17-4
In Home ACC Games: 6-2
When Shoot Worse from Field: 4-7
In Road ACC Games: 4-4
Versus a Ranked Opponent: 6-7
When Score At Least 80 Points: 12-0
When Score 100+ Points: 4-0
When Score Under 80 Points 9-11
