March 24, 2003

By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

Maryland entered the season with one overriding goal: to qualify for the NCAA tournament. After accomplishing that task, reaching the round of 16 was even more rewarding.

The defending national champions advanced to the South Regional semifinals with a 77-64 victory over Xavier on Sunday. The Terrapins, who next face Michigan State on Friday night, need two more wins to reach the Final Four for a third straight season.

It's been a marvelous run for a team that lost four seniors from a squad that last year fully anticipated winning the NCAA title.

The expectations of this squad weren't nearly as bold.

"My goal this year was to make the NCAA tournament," coach Gary Williams said. "Now that we're in, you want to go as far as you can."

Despite entering the tournament with a two-game losing streak that left them as a No. 6 seed - their lowest seeding since 1996 - the Terrapins are making yet another trip to the round of 16.

"The momentum is back to us," said senior guard Drew Nicholas, whose off-balance 3-pointer in the tournament opener against UNC-Wilmington enabled Maryland to stave off elimination. "We're riding high again, and we're anxious to play again on Friday night."

Maryland lost starters Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter, Chris Wilcox and Byron Mouton from a team that breezed to the school's first championship last year. Starting in their place are four reserves from that squad: Nicholas, Ryan Randle, Tahj Holden and Calvin McCall.

Those four seniors, returning starter Steve Blake and a freshman-laden bench played well enough to help the Terrapins finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference and mount another run in the NCAA tournament.

"This is a totally different team," McCall said. "We had great players last year, and we have good players this year, but we have a lot of young players who we are trying to get to step up. It's been fun for us older guys as well.

"This is a team that wasn't expected to do it. We've been fighting all year. It's different, and it's special at the same time. It's a great feeling."

Before reaching the Final Four for the first time in 2001, Williams was criticized in some circles for his inability to take any of his teams past the round of 16. He long ago silenced those critics, and this season he deserves credit for arguably turning in a better coaching job than in his first championship season.

Deftly blending freshmen Nik Caner-Medley, John Gilchrist, Travis Garrison and Jamar Smith into a mix with five seniors - including Blake, now 13-2 in NCAA tournament games - Williams has once again taken the Terrapins to the round of 16.

"It's funny, each year is different. I'm so happy for these guys because this hasn't been easy," Williams said. "It was a little easier last year. We've been written off a couple times, I think. It never gets old coming back ... We're still playing, and that's what counts."