Jan. 12, 2004
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Maryland basketball team (9-3, 0-1 ACC) begins its run of 15-consecutive ACC contests when the No. 9/11 North Carolina Tar Heels (10-2, 1-1 ACC) come to College Park on Wednesday, Jan. 14. The Terps face UNC in their ACC home opener at 9 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 North Carolina in a nationally-televised contest on ESPN, with Mike Patrick and Dick Vitale calling the action.
Maryland has won its last three ACC home openers, including a 112-79 victory over North Carolina in January, 2002, at Cole Field House. The Terps are 7-7 in ACC home openers during the Gary Williams Era, and look to bring their record in ACC home openers against North Carolina to 2-2 with a victory on Wednesday.
The Terrapins have achieved victory in 30 of their last 37 (.811) ACC regular-season games since the 2000-01 season, including a 15-1 regular-season championship in 2001-02. Overall the Terps have captured the league's regular-season championship four times, including outright titles in 2002, 1975 and 1980 and a tie for first in 1995. Williams is 125-95 in ACC regular-season play in his 15 seasons at Maryland.
The Terps, who are receiving votes in both the AP and USA Today/ESPN polls, cruised to victories in their final two non-conference games of the year, most recently downing Maryland-Eastern Shore, 87-38, last Tuesday, Jan. 6. Led by ACC Co-Rookie of the Week Mike Jones, who posted a career-night with 25 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals, the Terps outscored the Hawks 57-19 in the second half and held UMES to only 38 points on the game - the fewest points allowed by a Terrapin team since Nov. 1998. Sophomore Nik Caner-Medley, the Terps' scoring leader at 14.6 ppg, netted 15 points and made four steals, while senior center Jamar Smith totaled 13 points and nine rebounds. Second-year floor general John Gilchrist scored 13 as well, while rookie forward Ekene Ibekwe chipped in with seven points, seven rebounds and four blocks in his first career start.
The No. 9/11 Tar Heels are off to a 10-2 start under first year head coach Roy Williams and enter Wednesday's matchup fresh off a resounding 103-88 victory over then-No. 8 Georgia Tech on Sunday. The sophomore trio of Sean May (17.1 ppg, 10.3 rpg), Rashad McCants (17.2 ppg) and Raymond Felton (11.8 ppg, 8.3 apg) combined for 70 points vs. the Yellow Jackets and highlights a group of five UNC double-figure scorers that includes juniors Jackie Mauel (15.3 ppg) and Melvin Scott (11.8 ppg). May joins the Terps' Smith as the only ACC players averaging a double-double, while Felton leads the league in assists.
The Terrapins trail in the all-time series by a 108-52 margin, but have won four of the last five matchups overall and five of the last six in College Park, including a 96-56 victory last Feb. 22 at Comcast Center.
Terp Streaks & Storylines
Maryland has won 30-of-37 (.811) ACC regular-season games over the last four seasons, including a second place 11-5 mark in 2002-03 and a 15-1 ACC regular-season championship in 2001-02.
North Carolina is the fourth ranked opponent (out of a scheduled 11) that Maryland will face during the 2003-04 season. The Terps defeated a pair of ranked opponents during non-conference play in No. 15/13 Wisconsin (Dec. 2) and No. 1/1 Florida (Dec. 10). The win over the Gators was Maryland's 52nd victory over the Top 25 since Gary Williams took over the program in the 1989-90 season.
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. 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. The 1993-94 Terps' posted an 8-8 ACC record.
Williams reached his 500th career victory at NC State on March 2, 2003. His record stands at 511-284, which makes him the 16th-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 304-156. 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 on Dec. 10, 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.
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.
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 receiving votes in both the AP and USA Today/ESPN coaches polls. Including finishing the 2002-03 season ranked No. 17, the Terrapins had been ranked in 77 straight AP Polls. Maryland has been "receiving votes" in both polls all season long, and the young squad has been ranked as high as No. 24.
On Deck
The Terps next travel to No. 8/8 Georgia Tech on Jan. 17 for an 8 p.m. tilt on the Raycom/Jefferson Pilot Network. The Yellow Jackets are currently 12-2 and face Virginia on Jan. 15 before playing host to the Terrapins at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
The hottest rivalry in college basketball is renewed on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at Comcast Center when the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils come to College Park for a 9 p.m. matchup on ESPN.
