Dec. 21, 2003
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Maryland basketball team (No. 24 AP, receiving votes in the USA Today/ESPN poll) comes off a nine-day break for exams looking to continue their winning momentum against UNC Greensboro. The Terrapins (6-2), who defeated Pepperdine at home on Dec. 14 after downing then-No. 1 Florida in Gainesville, meet the Spartans in a pre-Christmas tilt on Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Comcast Center. For the second-straight season, each of the Terps' 27 regular-season games are scheduled to be televised live - Maryland meets UNC Greensboro in a regionally-televised contest on Comcast SportsNet and FOX Sports Net South.
Since Dec. 30, 1989, the Terrapins own a 96-1 record against non-conference opponents in College Park. Maryland head coach Gary Williams has posted a 99-2 home record against non-conference opponents in his 15 seasons as the Terrapins' head coach.
The Terps earned a much-deserved break after a wild stretch that preceded end-of-semester exams. Before topping Pepperdine, the Terps had played in three overtime games during a nine-day, four-game stretch, earning extra-session victories over then-No. 15 Wisconsin and then-No. 1 Florida. Never before in the history of Maryland basketball had the Terrapins played in as many overtime games in such a brief stretch. Maryland hadn't played in back-to-back overtime games since 1967, hadn't played in three overtime games in a season since 1997-98, and once played in three overtime games during a 15-day stretch in 1984.
Maryland's most recent victory, a 96-72 win over the Pepperdine Waves, saw five Terps score in double-figures before the break for final exams. Sophomore point guard John Gilchrist followed up a fine performance at Florida with a career-high 24 points and added a game-high tying seven assists, earning the first ACC Player of the Week honors of his career and the first for the Terps in the 2003-04 season. Freshman D.J. Strawberry scored a career-high 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field, and combined with a solid effort vs. the Gators, earned ACC Rookie of the Week accolades. Senior Jamar Smith posted his seventh double-double in eight games (10 pts, 12 rebs) against Pepperdine, while Chris McCray added 11 points and seven assists.
The Spartans (4-5) visit Comcast Center as the last stop on a three-game road trip before the holiday, having fallen at Coastal Carolina, 77-72 on Dec. 18, before testing Missouri, 106-98, on Sunday. Senior Jay Joseph scored 22 points vs. the Tigers and leads UNCG with an 18.7 ppg average. Junior Ronnie Burrell netted 22 points as well to contribute to his 12.7 ppg season average, while point guard Ronnie Taylor scored 13 and dealt nine assists. Head coach Fran McCaffery owns a 65-63 record, now in his fifth season on the Spartans' sideline.
Maryland has faced UNC Greensboro only once in school history, an 84-55 Terrapin victory on Feb. 25, 1992, in College Park at Cole Field House, during Williams' third season at his alma mater.
Terp Streaks & Storylines
The Terrapins bring a new-look squad to the floor for 2003-04, as Maryland's roster features a combined nine freshmen and sophomores, two juniors and lone senior Jamar Smith. Head coach Gary Williams, now in his 15th season at Maryland and his 26th season overall, 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.
Williams reached his 500th career victory at NC State on March 2, 2003. His record stands at 508-283, which makes him the 17th-leading active coach in America in terms of victories. Williams 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 captured his 300th victory as the head coach of the Terrapins on Dec. 10 at Florida. Williams' record at Maryland currently stands at 301-155. Only six coaches in college basketball history have captured as many victories as the leader of a program in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
With the victory over No. 1 Florida, Williams became the winningest active coach in college basketball in terms of victories over top-ranked opponents. The Terps have posted wins over five No. 1-ranked foes with Williams as their head coach, and his Ohio State team captured a win over top-ranked Iowa in 1987, giving Williams a grand total of six. The win over the Gators marked the third-straight season in which Maryland has beaten a No. 1 squad.
ESPN's Dick Vitale named Williams the nation's "Coach of the Week" after the Terps' victory over then-No. 1 Florida. Earlier this season, CBS Sportsline's Gregg Doyel named Williams college basketball's No. 3 active coach in the country.
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.
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.
After a five-week hiatus, Maryland is currently ranked at No. 24 in the AP Poll, released Dec. 22. Including finishing the 2002-03 season ranked No. 17, the Terrapins had been ranked in 77 straight AP Polls, were "receiving votes" for the first five weeks of the 2003-04 season, and appeared back in the poll at No. 25 for the first time this season Dec. 15.
On Deck
ACC action is just around the corner, as the Terps' first conference contest comes just after the Christmas holiday vs. Florida State. The Terps meet the Seminoles in Tallahassee on Sunday, Dec. 28, in a nationally-televised tilt on FOX Sports Net.
The Terps have two final non-conference games remaining before hitting the bulk of their conference schedule. The Terps play host to Mount St. Mary's at 2 p.m. on Jan. 3 in a game on the Raycom/Jefferson Pilot Network.
