March 14, 2002

By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The game has all the makings of another first-round blowout by a top seed in the NCAA tournament.

Maryland, the No. 1 seed in the East, is a heavy favorite Friday night against Siena, which entered March with a 12-18 record and is the only team in the field with more losses than wins.

After last week, however, the Terrapins know better than to look ahead to the next round. While peeking ahead to a matchup against mighty Duke, Maryland got ambushed by North Carolina State last Saturday in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

"We've just got to be real focused. We can't be overlooking people," Maryland forward Byron Mouton said Wednesday. "That's what happened against N.C. State. We were looking toward the big matchup with Maryland and Duke. We can't do afford to do that Friday night."

Siena is the first obstacle in Maryland's bid to reach the Final Four for a second straight season. For now, it's the only obstacle. Only after Maryland wins that game will coach Gary Williams allow his players to look ahead to the second round.

"At this time of year, you have to play well. It doesn't matter who you play," he said. "What we're trying to do this week is make sure we're playing well. We've been a consistent team all year, and I assume we will continue to play that way in the NCAA tournament."

Maryland (26-4) won 13 straight before falling to the Wolfpack 86-82. Some believe the loss served as a reality check for the Terrapins, but Williams saw no benefit from the humbling defeat.

"When you're 26-3, you're not looking for any lessons. We were a little flat, emotionally, from the previous three weeks here," he said, referring to the team's win over then-No. 1 Duke in mid-February, a narrow victory over Wake Forest a week later, and a rout of Virginia in the final game at Cole Field House.

Maryland can't afford a drab performance in the NCAA tournament, where one off night can be disastrous. Long before they reached the Final Four last season, the Terrapins barely beat George Mason in the opening round.

As much as Maryland has accomplished this season - winning the ACC regular-season title for the first time since 1980 and earning its first top seed - a loss to Siena would be disastrous.

A No. 1 seed has never lost to a No. 16 team, and the Terrapins have no desire to make history that way.

"Against N.C. State, we kind of lost our focus a little bit," guard Drew Nicholas said. "This is the NCAA tournament. You lose one game and you're done. Lose this one, and there isn't any more practice until Oct. 15 of next year. We don't want to be going home early."

"Home" is only 20 minutes from the MCI Center, where the Terrapins will begin their quest to return to the Final Four on Friday around 10 p.m.

Better then than at noon, the starting time for the N.C. State game.

"Our guys are really sharp at 10 o'clock at night. Sometimes they're not real sharp like at noon last week," Williams said. "Our guys like to be out at 10 o'clock at night in D.C. Are you kidding me?"