Nov. 20, 2003
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Maryland basketball squad (No. 25 USA Today/ESPN, receiving votes AP) opens the 2003-04 season with a matchup against the local American Eagles. The Terps and Eagles square off on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. at Comcast Center. For the second-consecutive season, each of the Terps' two scrimmages and 27 regular-season games are scheduled to be televised live - Maryland will meet American in a regional telecast on the Raycom/Jefferson Pilot network, locally on UPN-20 (WDCA) in the Washington, D.C., area, and WB-54 (WNUV) in Baltimore.
Maryland looks to win its second season-opener at Comcast Center, and its 12th season-opening game of the Gary Williams Era. The Terps bring a new-look squad to the floor for 2003-04, as Maryland's roster features a combined nine freshmen and sophomores, three juniors and lone senior Jamar Smith. Williams, now in his 15th season at Maryland and his 26th season overall, began his head coaching career at American University in 1978. He returned to his alma mater in 1989 and has since guided the Terrapins to 10 straight NCAA Tournament berths - a run that includes seven Sweet Sixteen appearances, Final Four showings in 2001 and 2002, and the 2002 NCAA Championship.
The 2003-04 Maryland squad appears to be the youngest Williams has coached since the 1993-94 season. That year, with a five-man freshman class that included Keith Booth, Joe Smith and current Terp assistant coach Matt Kovarik, the Terps posted an 18-12 record en route to the Terps' first Sweet Sixteen appearance of the Williams era. The 1994 NCAA Tournament appearance was the first of Maryland's current streak of 10 straight.
The Terps look to begin the 2003-04 regular season on a positive note after falling in their final preseason exhibition game to NBDL-Roanoke, 81-72, on Nov. 18. Smith led the Terps against the professional squad with 19 points, while sophomore John Gilchrist netted 16 points and dished four assists. Second-year forward Travis Garrison grabbed double-figure rebounds in both of the Terps' preseason exhibition contests, corralling 11 vs. the EA Sports All-Stars (Nov. 12) and 12 against the Roanoke Dazzle.
Saturday's game marks the season-opener for American as well. The Eagles were victorious in exhibition games against Sakalai Vilnius, 86-80 (Nov. 16) and the World HoopStars, 85-39 (Nov. 4). Eagle head coach Jeff Jones is in his fourth season at American and has compiled a 187-150 overall record in 11 years, which includes an eight-year stint at Virginia. Senior forward Jernavis Draughn averaged 16.5 ppg in the preseason for American.
Terp Streaks & Storylines
Maryland is ranked No. 25 in the USA Today/ESPN Preseason Coaches Poll (released Oct. 30), having now appeared in the last 68-consecutive votes of the head coaches. The Terrapins, who finished the 2002-03 season at No. 10, have been ranked in the Coaches Poll's Top 10 in 25 of the last 31 votes.
Maryland head coach Gary Williams reached his 500th career victory at NC State on March 2, 2003. His record stands at 502-280, which makes him the 17th-leading active coach in America in terms of victories. Williams now totals 25 NCAA tournament victories - ranking ninth among active coaches - and is 21-9 at Maryland for a .700 winning percentage after once again leading the Terps to the Sweet Sixteen last season.
Williams was recently named the No. 3 college basketball coach in the nation by CBSSportsline.com's Gregg Doyel. Williams' active string of 10-straight trips to the NCAA Tournament ranks tied for fourth in the nation, and he was listed behind only Kentucky's Tubby Smith and Texas Tech's Bob Knight as the NCAA's top mentors on Sportsline's list.
The Terrapins open the 2003-04 season as the sixth-strongest team in NCAA Division I, according to the preseason Sagarin power rankings released Nov. 7. The computer-based power ratings for men's college basketball were devised by Jeff Sagarin, a 1970 MIT mathematics graduate. The rating is a numerical measure of a team's strength.
The 2003-04 Terrapins look to continue a school record this season by earning a berth in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Maryland is currently one of only six schools in the nation riding a streak of 10-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Maryland has won 30 of 36 (.833) ACC regular-season games over the last three seasons, including a second place 11-5 mark in 2002-03 and a 15-1 ACC regular-season championship in 2001-02.
The Terrapins will look to extend an active school-record streak of 20-win seasons to eight in 2003-04. The Terps have established a streak of seven 20-win seasons since 1997.
For the second consecutive season and the second time in school history, all of Maryland's 29 preseason and regular-season games are scheduled to be aired on live television. The Terps' 2003-04 broadcast slate includes 14 games that will be broadcast nationally, on ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports Net, ABC or CBS. With the exception of the snow-delayed victory over Wake Forest last February 17, every preseason and regular season game of the Terps' 2002-03 season was aired live, and the Terps' Feb. 19 tilt at Duke ranked as ESPN's top-rated college basketball telecast of all of last year.
Maryland is currently the top receiving-vote getter in the Preseason AP Poll, released Nov. 10. Including finishing the 2002-03 season ranked No. 17, the Terrapins had been ranked in 77 straight AP Polls.
On Deck
The Terps then take on 2001 NCAA first round opponent and regional squad George Mason on Tuesday, Nov. 25 in a game that will air on Comcast SportsNet/FOX Sports South. Tip time at Comcast Center is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Maryland meets Hofstra for the first time since 1998 on Saturday, Nov. 29. The Terps and Pride clash at 8 p.m. in a game televised live by the Raycom/Jefferson Pilot Network (UPN-20 (WDCA) in Washington; WB-54 (WNUV) in Baltimore).
Consistency & Excellence
Head coach Gary Williams has established his alma mater's basketball program in a position among the nation's elite. Williams resurrected the Terrapins from NCAA sanctions inherited from the previous coaching regime, and reestablished the Terps as perennial contenders for the NCAA and ACC championships.
Further - Maryland, Arizona and Kentucky are the only schools in the nation that have achieved each of the following:
Won a national championship in the last 10 years.
Received berths in each of 10 NCAA Tournaments from 1994 to 2003 (Maryland, Arizona, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky).
Made appearances in the Sweet Sixteen at least seven times since 1994 (Maryland, Arizona, Connecticut, Kansas, Duke, Kentucky).
