Terps Tip-Off the Basketball Season against Upstart Fairleigh Dickinson at Comcast Center

Nov. 17, 2005

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -

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The men's basketball team tips off the 2005-06 season against upstart Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday at 8 p.m. at the Comcast Center. The Terrapins are looking for their fourth straight season-opening win against the Knights, who are 1-1 on the season after playing in the NCAA Tournamentlast year.No. 24/21 Maryland has won 21 straight non-conference games at the Comcast Center and hopes to use its core of four seniors and six juniors to open the season with a win before heading to Maui for the EA Sports Maui Invitational. The game will be broadcast live on Comcast SportsNet with Steve Buchantz and Glen Consor on the call.

Maryland enters the season opener with high expectations as the Terps return a veteran team which features four seniors and six juniors. The Terps enter the 2005-06 season ranked No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll and No. 24 in the Associated Press Preseason Top-25. Since Gary Williams' arrival, Maryland is 13-3 in season openers, including 3 straight victories, and the Terps are 10-0 in home openers during that stretch. The Terps are 109-2 in non-conference home games under Williams, including 21 consecutive wins at the Comcast Center.

Maryland enters the 2005-06 season as one of the most consistent winning programs in the country. The Terps have averaged 23.5 wins per season the last nine years, including eight consecutive 20-win seasons from 1996-2004. Maryland has made 12 straight postseason appearances, including 11 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament from 1993-2004 - a feat that only six schools have accomplished of late.

Maryland will once again play one of the toughest schedules in the country. The Terps' will play at least 15 teams which made the postseason a year ago, including 11 teams which played in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland will also play in the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational next week, which features five NCAA teams from a year ago, and former national champions UConn, Kansas, Arizona, Michigan State and Arkansas. The Terps open the tourney against No. 7 Gonzaga.

Head coach Gary Williams is the 11th-active winningest coach in NCAA Division I men's basketball with an overall record of 541-306 (.639). He is also the Atlantic Coast Conference's second-active winningest coach with a 334-178 (.652) record as The Terps' mentor, while ranking 5th all-time among ACC coaches with his 334 wins at Maryland. Williams currently ranks 4th all-time in victories over ACC league teams (139) and is one of only 3 head coaches currently in the league who have captured an NCAA title. He is also the ACC's second-longest tenured active head coach (16 seasons).

The Terrapins are 5-0 all-time vs. Fairleigh Dickinson , including a 104-45 (59 pts) win over FDU in 1999, which ranks 9th among the Terps' most lopsided wins. The Knights are 1-1 this season after splitting a pair of games at the Guardians Classic: L, FDU 73-62 vs. Wofford; W, 74-58 vs. Louisiana-Monroe. Fairleigh Dickinson returns three starters from last year's NCAA Tournament team, which lost to Illinois in the first round, 67-55.

Terps Tip-Off the Basketball Season against Upstart Fairleigh Dickinson at Comcast Center

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