Familiar Foe Awaits Maryland In Terps' First Final Four

March 30, 2001

MINNEAPOLIS -Maryland may be in unfamiliar territory, but the Terrapins know plenty about their opponent.

Maryland's first Final Four game will be its fourth meeting this season with Duke, as the Atlantic Coast Conference foes meet in the second national semifinal.

In its 18th NCAA tournament, Maryland has finally reached the Final Four. Duke, on the other hand, almost always seems to be playing on the last Saturday in March.

The Blue Devils are in their 13th Final Four, including their ninth since 1986. This time, they know they will be in for one of their most difficult tests.

"The common thread all the time (in the Final Four) is that you are going to face a good team," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "I think at times it is difficult to sell your kids on how a good team is, but our kids have the highest amount of respect for Maryland."

The teams have already played three times this season. Maryland won the middle game, while Duke's victories came in two of the most exciting contests of the season.

The Blue Devils scored an improbable 98-96 overtime victory at Maryland on Jan. 27, erasing a 10-point deficit in the final 54 seconds of regulation behind Jason Williams, who scored eight points in a 14-second span.

After Maryland ruined Duke's senior night with a 91-80 victory on Feb. 27, the teams met again in the ACC tournament semifinals. The Blue Devils won 84-82 on a tip-in by Nate James with 1.3 seconds remaining.

A Duke-Maryland semifinal seems appropriate, since the teams have had no competition except each other in the latter part of the season. The Blue Devils have won 11 of 12, while the Terrapins have won 10 of 11. Their lone losses in those spans were to each other.

"We respect Duke probably more than anybody else because we've played them three times," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "But at the same time, we know we can play with them."

Naismith Award winner Shane Battier has collected at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in each of Duke's first four games, but that wasn't enough to make him the Most Outstanding Player of the East Regional.

That honor went to teammate and fellow All-American Jason Williams, who is averaging 28.8 points and shooting 50.6 percent for the tournament. He also has made 20 3-pointers, seven shy of the NCAA tournament record set by Michigan's Glen Rice in 1989.

Maryland counters with its own star guard in Juan Dixon. The Terps' leading scorer with 18.1 points per game, Dixon has averaged 16.5 points in the tournament and had 28 points in Maryland's lone victory over Duke.

"Dixon is tough for anyone to guard," Jason Williams said. "He is the most underrated player in the country. It is going to be a war. Maryland is a heck of a basketball team. It has developed into one of the greatest rivalries in college basketball."

Maryland's strength comes from its inside game of Lonny Baxter, who was dominant in the West Regional. The 6-foot-8 center has 50 points and 20 rebounds in the last two games.

To contain him, the Blue Devils likely will need a strong game from center Carlos Boozer, who returned to the team last weekend after breaking a bone in his foot in the second Maryland game.

While the Terps were threatened in the first round by George Mason, Duke has not been challenged in this tournament. The Blue Devils have won their four games by an average of 19.8 points and haven't faced a deficit of more than six points thus far.

The Duke-Maryland matchup is the first in the Final Four between ACC schools since 1981, when North Carolina beat Virginia. A pair teams from the Big Ten met last year when Michigan State beat Wisconsin.

The winner advances to face the defending champion Spartans or Arizona in Monday night's championship game.

PROBABLE STARTERS

Maryland
F Byron Mouton (9.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
F Terence Morris (12.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg)
C Lonny Baxter (15.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg)
G Juan Dixon (18.1 ppg, 2.7 apg)
G Steve Blake (6.7 ppg, 6.9 apg)

Duke
F Shane Battier (19.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg)
F Mike Dunleavy (12.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
C Casey Sanders (2.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
G Jason Williams (21.7 ppg, 6.1 apg)
G Chris Duhon (7.1 ppg, 4.4 apg)

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Maryland - At-large bid, ACC, beat George Mason 83-80, first round, beat Georgia State 79-60, second round, beat Georgetown 76-66, West Regional semifinal, beat Stanford 87-73, regional final.

Duke - Automatic bid, ACC tournament champion, beat Monmouth 95-52, first round, beat Missouri 94-81, second round, beat UCLA 76-63, East Regional semifinal, beat Southern California 79-69, regional final.

ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD

Maryland - 26-17, 18 years
Duke - 71-22, 25 years