March 30, 2002

By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA -- If the Maryland Terrapins are to reach new heights in the NCAA tournament, they'll have to scale the backboards against Kansas.

Maryland needs one more victory to reach the national championship game for the first time. The Terrapins were in this position last year, but blew a 22-point lead in a 95-84 semifinal loss to Duke.

To bounce back from that defeat, they'll have to try to outrebound a Kansas team that had a 63-34 advantage on the boards against Oregon last weekend.

"Rebounding is a big key. We practiced hard all day working on offensive and defensive rebounding," 6-foot-10 forward Chris Wilcox said Friday. "Hopefully, we do that in a game situation and come out with a win."

Led by center Lonny Baxter, the Terrapins averaged 41 rebounds a game this season. But they haven't played a team as tall or as agile as Kansas, which has outrebounded the opposition 126-79 in its four NCAA tournament games.

The Jayhawks' 6-10 forward, Drew Gooden, had 20 rebounds against Oregon and 6-9 forward Nick Collison pulled down 15. If the duo put up similar numbers against the Terrapins, Maryland probably will be heading home Sunday.

This much is certain: The Terrapins' front line won't back down.

"When you have two great inside players like me and Chris going against Gooden and Collison, it doesn't get any better than that," Baxter said. "It's going to be a very physical inside game, very intense. I can't wait to get onto the floor and play them."

Wilcox and the 6-8 Baxter will get plenty of help from Tahj Holden, who started in the Final Four against Duke but in December lost his starting job to Wilcox. When Maryland coach Gary Williams goes with a front line of Wilcox, Baxter and the 6-10 Holden, the Terrapins can rebound with any team in the nation.

"Rebounding is definitely going to be a big factor for both of us," Holden said. "They like to rebound and get the ball out in transition, and if we can cut down their rebounding, they can't do that. They also get a lot of easy shots on offensive rebounds. We especially have to cut that out, because if we don't, they'll get easy layups."

Kansas was 29-1 when outrebounding its opponents this season, the lone loss coming 4{ months ago in the opener against Ball State. The Jayhawks were outrebounded only three times this season, going 2-1 in that situation.

"Rebounding is going to be huge," Collison said. "If anybody can get a huge advantage on the offensive glass, that's extra possessions. It's like Coach told us, if you outrebound a team by 10, that's like getting the ball 10 times at the start of the game."

The Terrapins' best player is guard Juan Dixon, but Maryland, like Kansas, relies heavily on its front court. If Baxter didn't have 29 points and nine rebounds last Sunday against Connecticut, then Maryland would already be planning for next season.

"Our focus is on the inside first, then kick it out for the easy, open shots," Holden said.

Kansas will get the same treatment, even if Collison and Gooden camp in the lane.

"We played a pretty good rebounding team in our last game. Now we play probably what I see as the best rebounding team so far, especially on the offensive glass," Maryland coach Gary Williams said.

That's why Baxter, Wilcox, Holden and even 6-9 reserve Ryan Randle will be called upon to offset the Jayhawks' front line - especially if Baxter and Wilcox get in foul trouble.

"Tahj and Ryan are important to the success we've had this year," Williams said. "If we get in foul trouble, we can put someone in that's a pretty good player and not hurt the way we play."

Maryland, in turn, will seek to get fouls from the Jayhawks. If that happens, then the Terrapins have a good chance of reaching heights that no Maryland team has seen before.