Dec. 21, 2005

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - As we quickly approach the holidays, the 16th-ranked Maryland Terrapin basketball team has many things to be thankful for through the first nine game of the 2005-06 season. The Terps are 7-2, including six wins in the last seven games, and are fresh off a gritty two-point victory over No. 6 Boston College in the ACC opener. Maryland, which is a perfect 5-0 at the Comcast Center, and has also earned quality wins over Arkansas and Minnesota.

The Terps weathered a treacherous early-season schedule, which featured nine games in the first 24 days of the season, including a 10,000-plus mile trip to Hawaii for the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. Not only did Maryland have to play three games in three days on the Islands, but the Terps also played back-to-back games at 8:30 and 9:00 in the morning.

Maryland's only losses have come to then-No. 8 Gonzaga and No. 15 George Washington. The Terps are winning by an average of 21.3 points per game and lead the ACC in scoring (84.6 ppg) and three-point shooting (43.3%). Maryland has also displayed one of the most balanced scoring attacks in the country with four players averaging double figures, including senior guard Chris McCray who is one of the top-scoring guards in the ACC at 17.0 points per game.

McCray's all-around play has been a catalyst for the Terps. He also ranks among the league's leaders in assists (4.3 apg) and steals (2.1 spg), while proving himself as one of the ACC's top shooters, both from the field (56.6%) and free throw line (88.4%).

McCray is one of three Terps to reach statistical milestones already this season after scoring his 1,000th career point in the 73-71 win over Boston College. Nik Caner-Medley reached 500 rebounds for his career and became just the 11th Terp all-time with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 100 steals. Senior forward Travis Garrison, who has been one of the team's hottest players, also joined the 500-rebound club and is tied alongside teammate Ekene Ibekwe on Maryland's all-time blocks chart with 110 career rejections (9th all-time).

Meanwhile, head coach Gary Williams just keeps winning and staking his claim as one of the best coaches in NCAA history. Williams, who ranks 2nd among active ACC coaches with 140 league wins, is just eight wins shy of becoming the Terps' all-time winningest basketball coaches. With 341 career wins at Maryland, Williams trails just Lefty Driesell, who won 348 games from 1969-86.

Maryland opened the season with a resounding 111-85 win over defending Northeast Conference champion Fairleigh Dickinson as junior guard Mike Jones came off the bench to spark the Terps with 22 points in just 24 minutes. Following a 4,000-plus mile trek to Hawaii the next day, Maryland played the eighth-ranked Bulldogs even for 30 minutes before Gonzaga pulled away for the 88-76 win at the Maui Invitational. The Terps bounced back to beat host Chaminade, 98-69, in one of the earliest games in program history, and then grinded out a 75-62 win over upstart Arkansas to finish 2-1 in Maui.

After returning home from Maui, Maryland wore out Nicholls State, 88-56, thanks to 12 points and 12 assists from junior point guard D.J. Strawberry. Just two days later, the Terps dispatched Minnesota in the 7th Annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge, 83-66, at the Comcast Center. Garrison sparked Maryland with 18 points and 10 rebounds in his first start of the season.

Despite 21 points from McCray, including 18 in the second half, Maryland couldn't overcome its sloppy play in a 78-70 loss to No. 19 George Washington in the 11th Annual BB&T Classic at the MCI Center. However, the Terps bounced back to beat Western Carolina two days later, 87-57, thanks to 23 points and 14 rebounds from Garrison.

Ibekwe proved to be Maryland's hero against Boston College in the ACC opener, netting a career-best 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the Terps' hard-fought 73-71 win. McCray added 16 points, five rebounds and five assists after missing nearly a week of practice and the WCU game with a sprained ankle.

Following the win over the Eagles, Maryland jumped four spots in the Associated Press Top-25 Poll to No. 17 and moved up one more last week while taking finals. The Terps will play four consecutive non-conference games at home before jumping back into ACC play at Miami on Jan. 7 and at Duke on Jan. 11.