Nov. 16, 2001

THE GAME

* Maryland (No. 2 AP, No. 6 USA Today/ESPN) faces unranked American in the Terps' regular season home opener at Cole Field House. Tipoff is 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17.

* In pregame ceremonies, Maryland will unfurl a banner from the Cole Field House rafters commemorating the Terrapins' trip to the 2001 Final Four.

* In what is Maryland's home opener in their final year at Cole, Williams takes on the school that first hired him as head coach in 1978. Williams was 72-42 during four seasons at American. He guided the Eagles to back-to-back NIT appearances in 1981 and 1982 before taking the head coaching position at Boston College.

* Maryland opened the 2001-02 campaign with its loftiest AP preseason ranking in history - No. 2. The Terrapins' No. 3 preseason rank by USA Today/ESPN matched its previous high (both polls in 1972 and 1975).

* Gary Wiliams is one win from passing his own Maryland coach, Bud Millikan, as the second-winningest coach in Terp history. Millikan retired following the 1967 season with 243 wins. Williams also boasts 243 after the Terps defeated Temple last week in what was also the milestone 450th of his 24-year head coaching career.

* Maryland is 9-1 all-time against American, losing only in their first meeting in 1927. The Terps have won nine straight since Nov. 27, 1977, all at Cole Field House. Maryland won the last outing 81-74 on Dec. 21, 1996.

* Maryland closed its exhibition season last Tuesday with a 99-67 win over Nike Elite. Lonny Baxter posted 22 points and 12 rebounds to lead six Terps in double-figure scoring. Maryland outscored the visitors 60-39 during the second half to coast to the win and hold Nike Elite to just 32 percent shooting. Byron Mouton scored 18 points, Juan Dixon netted 15, Tahj Holden had 12, and Chris Wilcox and Drew Nicholas contributed 11 and 10, respectively. Point guard Steve Blake had nine points and 10 assists.

* Maryland opened the regular season following a 98-80 exhibition win over the EA Sports Southeast All-Stars on Nov. 2. Senior center Lonny Baxter led the way with 22 points and 10 rebounds while senior guard Juan Dixon scored 20 points with eight assists. Chris Wilcox started the second half and posted 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting, mostly dunks. Junior guard Steve Blake added 14 points and nine assists, and shot 9-of-10 from the free throw stripe.

* Maryland's season-opener in this week's IKON Classic was the earliest the Terps have ever opened a regular season. The earliest Maryland ever opened previously was on Nov. 14, during each of the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons.