March 27, 2002

ATLANTA - Amidst much excitment, the Maryland Terrapins made the trip from College Park, Md., to College Park, Ga., on Wednesday in preparation for the 2002 NCAA Final Four. Yes, it's true, by taking the No. 1 seed in the East Region and winning a coin toss to claim the "home" distinction in the national semifinal, the Terps have settled in to a hotel located a mere stone's throw from the Atlanta suburb with a familiar name. Here's the daily report as the Terrapins continue preparation for their Saturday match-up with Kansas.

The Terps continued their prep efforts with a practice at Cole Field House on Wednesday before making their trip south. Following practice, members of the local media and fans of the Terps joined the Maryland Athletics Department in wishing Coach Williams and the basketball team "good luck" with a spirited send-off. As the Terps boarded their bus for the airport, one particularly eccentric Terp fan cheered on the team while playing a trumpet and waving the Maryland state flag.

The Terps traveled to Atlanta in style, enjoying the comforts of a team charter provided by the NBA's Atlanta Hawks and NHL's Atlanta Thrashers. Some of the players duked it out in card games, while others were caught taking afternoon naps.

The Maryland team was welcomed at the runway by members of the NCAA host committee, and was delivered a welcome address by one of the senior members of the Atlanta organizing group. After the Terps settled into their rooms and ate dinner, it was off to Coach Williams' room to watch film and discuss the game plan.

"Postcards From Atlanta" will be written every evening as the Terps travel down the road toward the national championship. Be sure to log on to umterps.com for tomorrow's postcard!