Feb. 7, 2003
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Maryland basketball team (No. 8 AP, No. 8 USA Today/ESPN) looks to begin the second half of conference play on a positive note as the Terrapins travel to Atlanta, Ga., to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Sunday. Maryland posted an 84-77 victory over Tech to open its conference schedule on Dec. 29, and hopes to complete the season sweep and hand the Jackets their first home loss of the year in a game that airs nationally on CBS. Game time at Alexander Memorial Coliseum is 1 p.m.
The Terrapins (14-5, 6-2 ACC), who are currently tied for first place in the ACC as the first half of conference play comes to a close, enter into the game looking to rebound from a 86-78 loss to Virginia at home. Seniors Drew Nicholas and Steve Blake scored 20 and 12 points, respectively, to help the Terps overcome an early deficit while each surpassed the 1,000 career point milestone. Center Ryan Randle chipped in 17 points and six rebounds and forward Tahj Holden scored 11, but it was not enough to hold off the hot-shooting Cavaliers, who halted Maryland's win streak at five games.
Maryland is ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll and No. 8 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll (both released Feb. 3), earning its highest AP ranking and matching its highest coaches poll appearance of the season. The No. 8 AP ranking is Maryland's highest since the final poll of 2002, released March 11 prior to the NCAA Tournament. The Terrapins' previous high ranking of the year in the AP Poll was No. 9 on Dec. 2, and their first No. 8 rankling in the coaches poll came that week as well.
The Yellow Jackets (11-8, 4-4 ACC) occupy the league's sixth place spot as both teams make the turn, but own an impressive 10-0 record at home. In its last outing, Georgia Tech was edged at Clemson, 69-67, on Wednesday. Freshman Chris Bosh, a four-time ACC Rookie of the Week selection, leads the Jackets in scoring (16.3 ppg) and rebounding (9.3 rpg). Sophomore B.J. Elder adds 15.7 ppg to the young squad's arsenal.
The Terrapins have taken five of the last six matchups between the two schools and are inching closer to evening the all-time series, which Tech leads 30-28. In the teams' first meeting of the season on Dec. 29, 2002, Nicholas scored a career-high 29 points, which included an 8-of-19 performance from the field and a 10-of-13 display at the free throw line. Randle netted 20 points and grabbed six rebounds in his unofficial ACC coming-out party.
Terp Streaks & Storylines
Maryland head coach Gary Williams is now just five wins from 500 career victories, with a career record of 495-276. He is the 20th-leading active coach in America in terms of victories. Williams owns a 120-92 record against ACC opponents, good enough for sixth all-time. He is three conference wins away from passing former Maryland head coach Lefty Driesell, who amassed 122 victories in 17 seasons in College Park. Williams has led the Terps to a league-best 2-1 ACC record on the road.
Maryland has won 25 of its last 28 ACC regular season games, including a school-record 14-game streak which was ended at Wake Forest on Jan. 15.
Senior shooting guard Drew Nicholas scored 20 points against Virginia and reached the 1,000 career point mark with 4:08 to play in the first half. He paces the Terps and is fifth in the ACC with a 17.8 scoring average, and averages 19.0 ppg in ACC games - good enough for second in the conference.
Senior point guard Steve Blake totaled 12 points against the Cavaliers and became Maryland's 39th 1,000-point career scorer with 13:15 to play in the second half. He would be Maryland's only 1,000 point/1,000 assist man in history should he reach both marks. By reaching the milestone, he became the only player in ACC history to boast at least 1,000 points, 800 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals.
Blake enters Sunday's game with 881 career assists, having dished five Thursday to crack the NCAA all-time Top 15. Blake passed Delaware's Taurence Chishold against Virginia, who finished his career with 877 in 1988, and needs only four assists to move past Old Dominion's Frank Smith and Bradley's Jim Les, who finished their careers with 883 and 884 assists in 1988 and 1986, respectively.
Blake is 119 assists away from becoming the fourth Division I player in history to reach 1,000 assists. The only others are all former ACC players - Bobby Hurley (1,076), Chris Corchiani (1,038) and Ed Cota (1,030). Blake is the nation's active leader in career assists with 881, and averages 6.99 per game for his career.
Blake led the ACC in assists as a sophomore (6.9) and junior (7.9), and ranked second in the country last season while keying Maryland to the NCAA title. His 6.84 assist per game average this season is currently second in the conference.
The Terrapins have outshot 17 of their first 19 opponents from the field, have held seven opponents to less than 33 percent shooting, and 10 under 35 percent. As a team, Maryland is tied for first in the nation and is first in the Atlantic Coast Conference in field goal percentage defense at .367, according to most recent ACC and NCAA rankings.
The Terps have been ranked in the AP Top 25 for 67 consecutive weeks, and the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 for 60-straight votes. Maryland has been in the Top 10 for 21 of the past 31 votes by the Associated Press, and in 24 of 33 by USA Today/ESPN.
On Deck
After Tech, the Terps continue conference play away from home with a road matchup at Florida State on Wednesday, Feb. 12. The game will be televised regionally on the Raycom/Jefferson Pilot Network at 9 p.m.
Maryland then returns to Comcast Center for a meeting with the other first place ACC squad, Wake Forest, on Feb. 16. The Terps-Deacs rematch airs on FOX Sports Net at 8 p.m.
Consistency & Excellence
Maryland made a repeat appearance at the NCAA Final Four last season and is the ONLY school in the nation that has advanced to the Elite Eight in each of the past two seasons.
The Terps also are the ONLY school to have achieved ALL of the following:
- Appeared in each of the last nine NCAA Tournaments from 1994 to 2002 (Arizona, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland and UCLA).
- Advanced to the Sweet Sixteen at least six times since 1994 (Arizona, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland).
- Won at least 25 games over each of the past four seasons from 1999 to 2002 (Duke, Maryland, Cincinnati, Gonzaga).
