Jan. 16, 2004
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Maryland basketball team (10-3, 1-1 ACC) looks to continue its momentum from a 90-84 victory over No. 9 North Carolina on Wednesday in College Park as it hits the road to take on the No. 12/14 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Terrapins look for their first road victory of this young ACC season as they meet Tech on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 8 p.m. at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum. For the second-straight season, each of the Terps' 27 regular-season games are scheduled to be televised live - Maryland meets Georgia Tech in a regionally-televised contest on the Raycom/Jefferson Pilot Network, UPN-20 (WDCA) in Washington, D.C., and WB-54 (WNUV) in Baltimore.
The Terrapins have achieved victory in 31 of their last 38 (.816) 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 126-96 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, put in a complete team effort to overcome a 10-point first-half deficit to down the No. 9/11 North Carolina Tar Heels on Wednesday at home. The victory was the third of the season over a ranked team for the Terrapins, and marked the second time this season the Terps downed a team ranked in the AP Top 10. Senior center Jamar Smith put in an outstanding effort in battling Tar Heel big man Sean May, as Smith used his quickness and made key free throws down the stretch to finish with a game-high 22 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Second-year floor general John Gilchrist was solid at the point for the Terps as he totaled 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting with five assists, five rebounds and four steals. Forward Nik Caner-Medley scored 11 of his 17 points in the second half and blocked three Tar Heel shots, while rookie Ekene Ibekwe helped the Terps stay in it early with 11 first-half points. Freshman Mike Jones contributed five points and three rebounds in seven first-half minutes, while sophomores Travis Garrison and Chris McCray nailed clutch free throws down the stretch to ice the victory.
No. 12/14 Georgia Tech is off to its best start in school history, now at 13-2 (1-1 ACC) after a 75-57 victory over Virginia at home on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets have won 23 of their last 25 games at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Against the Cavaliers, senior Marvin Lewis, Tech's third-leading scorer at 12.5 ppg, came off the bench to net a game-high 17 points. Junior guard B.J. Elder, who ranks sixth in the ACC at 15.6 ppg, scored 16 and sophomore point guard Jarret Jack added 12 points and seven assists. High-flying junior Isma'il Muhammad scored 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting for head coach Paul Hewitt, who is now in his fifth season on the Georgia Tech sideline with a record of 60-44.
The Terrapins trail in the all-time series by a 31-28 margin, but have won three of the last four and are 12-3 vs. Tech since Dec. 12, 1996. The teams split a pair of games in the regular season last year.
Terp Streaks & Storylines
Maryland has won 31-of-38 (.816) 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.
Georgia Tech is the fifth ranked opponent (out of a scheduled 11) that Maryland will face during the 2003-04 season. In addition to No. 9/11 North Carolina (Jan. 14), 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 Tar Heels was Maryland's 53rd 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 512-284, 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 305-156. 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 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. The Terrapins have taken two of the last three meetings with the Devils.
The Terps then head to Clemson for a 6:30 matchup with the Tigers on Jan. 25 on FOX Sports Net.
