ACC Opener: Terps Host Yellow Jackets To Begin Conference Play

Dec. 27, 2002

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland basketball squad (No. 23 AP, No. 22 USA Today/ESPN) takes on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Sunday in the first Atlantic Coast Conference matchup of the season for both teams. The Terrapins and Yellow Jackets square off in a contest aired live on FOX Sports Net at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The Terrapins (5-3) take on the Jackets in a post-Christmas matchup after cruising to a 101-60 victory over area squad UMBC on Dec. 23. Senior Ryan Randle paced the Terrapins with 21 points and nine rebounds in Maryland's first 100-point performance of the year, nearly posting his second double-double in as many games. Senior Drew Nicholas netted 15 points and junior transfer Jamar Smith scored 12 as six different Terrapins finished in double-figures. Senior Steve Blake added nine assists to his 11 points, becoming the 23rd player in NCAA history to reach 800 assists for a career and moving into 21st on the all-time assist chart (806 total).

The Yellow Jackets (5-3) enter the game after a week-long break following a 92-65 loss at Syracuse. Sophomore B.J. Elder paces the young squad, which features only one senior, with 16.7 points per game. Freshman Chris Bosh averages 14.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per contest, while newcomer point guard Jarrett Jack averages 6.1 assists.

The Terrapins took both regular season meetings last season between the two schools, and have captured four of the last five matchups to bring the series within three games. Georgia Tech holds a 30-27 advantage all-time, but the Terrapins are 11-2 against Tech since the 1996-97 season.

Terp Streaks & Storylines

Maryland is ranked No. 23 in the AP Poll and No. 22 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, released Dec. 23. The Terrapins were No. 24/23 in the previous AP and USA Today/ESPN Polls from Dec. 16. The Terps have been ranked in the AP top 25 for 61 consecutive weeks, and the USA Today/ESPN top 25 for 54 straight votes.

The Terrapins are currently riding a 12-game ACC regular season win streak, which stands as a school record. The Terrapins have achieved victory in every ACC regular season game since a 99-90 home win over Clemson on Jan. 20, 2002, in Cole Field House. The Terps' last ACC loss came at Duke (99-78) on Jan. 17, 2002.

The Terrapins are currently riding a 10-game ACC regular season win streak at home. Sunday's contests marks the first-ever ACC basketball game played at the Terps' state-of-the-art, $125 million Comcast Center. Maryland has not fallen to an ACC team in College Park since Feb. 14, 2001, when they fell to Florida State, 74-71. The Terps rebounded to win 10 of their next 11 games and reach the first Final Four in school history to finish that season.

Senior point guard Steve Blake enters Sunday's game with 806 assists, placing him 21st on the NCAA all-time career assist chart. He is 194 away from becoming the fourth Division I player in history to reach 1,000 assists. The only others are all former ACC players - Bobby Hurley (1,076), Chris Corchiani (1,038) and Ed Cota (1,030). Blake is the nation's active leader in career assists, averaging 6.99 per game.

Blake led the ACC in assists as a sophomore (6.9) and a junior (7.9), and ranked second in the country last season while guiding Maryland to the NCAA title.

True freshman Nik Caner-Medley drew the first two starts of his Terrapin career against Notre Dame and George Washington in the BB&T Classic, and also started against Florida and UMBC. The last true freshman to play for the Terrapins in a starting role was Steve Blake, in the 1999-00 season.

Fellow freshman Travis Garrison made his first career start vs. the Retrievers, marking the first time since March 16, 2000, when two freshmen appeared in Maryland's starting lineup. In that game, then-rookie Tahj Holden joined Steve Blake in the starting lineup when then-sophomore Danny Miller was injured for a NCAA Tournament First Round game against Iona.

An early trend in the young season, the Terrapins have outshot seven of their first eight opponents from the field (.463 vs. .356), and have held four opponents to less than 33% shooting, including now-No. 6 Indiana.

Maryland began its 80th consecutive basketball season against Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 24, and the Terps own a 4-1 record in the $125 million, 17,950-seat Comcast Center. Comcast is historically the fourth home of Terrapin basketball, following: The Gymnasium (1923-24 to 1930-31); Ritchie Coliseum (1931-32 to 1954-55); and Cole Field House (1955-56 to 2001-02).

Maryland has played 137 consecutive home games since suffering consecutive home defeats. The last time Maryland lost back-to-back home dates was against No. 6 North Carolina (77-63, Feb. 9) and No. 10 Florida State (87-84, Feb. 13), during the 1992-93 season.

On Deck

TIME CHANGE - Maryland's first opponent of the New Year will be the Wagner Seahawks of the Northeast Conference. The Terps meet Wagner in Comcast Center on Jan. 4 at 4 p.m. in a game that will be televised live by the Raycom-Jefferson Pilot Network. It was originally scheduled for 1 p.m.

The Hampton Pirates of the MEAC visit Comcast Center on Jan. 8, in a game that will also be aired live by the Raycom-Jefferson Pilot Network. That game is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m.

ACC play continues at home when the Florida State Seminoles make their first trip to Comcast Center on Saturday, Jan. 11. The 1:30 p.m. contest between the Terps and Seminoles will air on Raycom-Jefferson Pilot Networks.

Consistency & Excellence

Maryland made a repeat appearance at the NCAA Final Four last season and is the ONLY school in the nation that has advanced to the Elite Eight in each of the past two seasons.

The Terps also are the ONLY school to have achieved ALL of the following:
- Appeared in each of the last nine NCAA Tournaments from 1994 to 2002 (Arizona, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland and UCLA).
- Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen at least six times since 1994 (Arizona, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland).
- Won at least 25 games over each of the past four seasons from 1999 to 2002 (Duke, Maryland, Cincinnati, Gonzaga).

ACC Opener: Terps Host Yellow Jackets To Begin Conference Play

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