Feb. 10, 2005
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Maryland basketball team (14-7, 5-5 ACC) faces No. 7/8 Duke (18-2, 8-2 ACC) at Comcast Center on Saturday in the latest chapter of what has become college basketball's hottest rivalry. The Terps look to post a second-straight win during their two-game homestand and complete what would be the first season-sweep of the Blue Devils since the 1994-95 season when the two teams collide at 9 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN after a weekend of hoopla that includes live broadcasts of ESPN2's Cold Pizza and ESPN's College Basketball GameDay from College Park. Brad Nessler and Dick Vitale call the action while Erin Andrews reports from the sidelines.
The Terrapins are locked in a four-way tie for fourth place in the ACC standings after an 86-71 victory over Virginia Tech on Tuesday at home. Junior forward Nik Caner-Medley (21 pts, 7-of-11 FGs, seven rebounds) led an overall strong performance by the entire Terrapin team, scoring more than 20 points for the fifth time in nine games. Point guard John Gilchrist (19 pts, career-high 10 assists, 5 boards) recorded his third double-double of the season, becoming the first Terp to reach double-figures in points and assists in three seasons (Steve Blake, 12 pts., 10 asst. vs. North Carolina, 2/14/03). Chris McCray, the hottest Terp as of late with a 17.3 ppg average over the last four games, netted 16 with six assists and two steals, while red-hot shooting guard Mike Jones scored 13 on a perfect 6-of-6 performance from the floor, marking his second-straight game in double-figures. Rookie forward James Gist, making his first career-start for the Terrapins, registered eight points, seven rebounds and two rejections. The Terrapins shot 53 percent from the field, 33 percent from long range, 90 percent from the free throw line (19-for-21) and outrebounded the Hokies, 32-30, in the win. The Terps are now 11-1 at home, and 4-1 at Comcast against ACC foes.
The Terrapins are currently the No. 30 team in the RPI rankings on ESPN.com, with the 15th-strongest schedule in the nation. The Terps have scored three victories over Top 50 RPI teams, including Maryland's Jan. 19 road win over Virginia (No. 46), its Jan. 26 win at Duke (No. 4) and its Jan. 30 victory over Georgia Tech (No. 27). Only one of the Terps' losses is to a team outside the RPI Top 100 (NC State, Jan. 23).
The Blue Devils are 18-2 overall, 8-2 in the ACC and currently tied for first place in the conference standings after a home win over North Carolina, 71-70, on Wednesday evening. The ACC's leading scorer at 22.6 ppg, junior J.J. Redick, led the Blue Devils with 18 points in the victory. DeMarcus Nelson scored 16, Daniel Ewing netted 15 and senior Shelden Williams -- one of the best inside players in the country -- had 11 points and nine rebounds.
The Terrapins trail in the all-time series by a 99-57 margin, but have scored at least one victory over Duke in each of the last six seasons, including a 75-66 Terp victory over the then-No. 2 Blue Devils on Jan. 26. The teams split the regular-season series in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003, and the Terps posted a 95-87 overtime victory over the Blue Devils in the 2004 ACC title game. Wednesday marks the 16th meeting between the two teams in the last six seasons.
Terp Streaks & Storylines
The Terps-Devils matchup features the ACC's current longest-tenured head coaches, the conference's two active winningest head men, and the only two mentors currently in the league that have captured the NCAA title. Terrapin head coach Gary Williams -- named Dick Vitale's Coach of the Week after the Terps' victories over No. 2 Duke and No. 22/21 Georgia Tech two weeks ago -- is in fifth place outright on the ACC's all-time wins list with a record of 329-172 as Maryland's head coach. Williams is ranked fourth all-time in victories over ACC league teams (137). Williams and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski share 1,248 wins between them, and 968 victories as the head coaches of their current schools.
Under Williams, Maryland has defeated 60 Top 25 teams, including No. 25/24 Memphis (Nov. 26, 84-61), No. 2/2 Duke (Jan. 26, 75-66) and No. 22/21 Georgia Tech (Jan. 30, 79-71) this season. The Terps have downed 23 Top 10 opponents, 15 Top 5 foes and the No. 1 team in the nation five times under Maryland's mentor. Williams has led the Terps to victory over the No. 3, No. 2 or No. 1 team in the nation in each of the last six seasons.
Terrapin junior guard Chris McCray has been one of the most consistent Terrapins over the course of the season, always charged with guarding the opponent's best offensive player and remaining among the ACC's Top 25 scorers all season long. In the last four games, McCray is averaging 17.3 points , 3.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals. He has fired at a 44 percent clip from the field across that stretch and has made 37 percent of his shots from long range, all while sinking 95 percent of his free throws. McCray is currently second in the ACC and fourth in the nation in free throw shooting, hitting at a 92 percent rate (59-of-64).
Terrapin junior forward Nik Caner-Medley, named ESPN.com's National Player of the Week by Andy Katz after the wins over Duke and Georgia Tech two weeks ago, leads the Terps in scoring at 16.8 ppg. He is averaging 19.9 ppg across the last nine games, shooting .496 from the field while grabbing 6.9 rebounds per game, dishing 2.2 assists and making 1.6 steals. Caner-Medley has led the Terps in scoring 10 times this season, and has registered more than 20 points in eight games this season and in five of the past eight contests. Caner-Medley posted a double-double of 15 points and 10 boards vs. NC State on Jan. 23.
Junior point guard John Gilchrist is averaging 15.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists over the last four games, including a 19-point, 10-assist double-double effort against Vrginia Tech. Gilchrist's career-high 10 assists helped him become the first Terps to post a double-double in scoring and assists since Steve Blake in 2003. Gilchrist currently ranks second in the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1) and third in assists (5.6 apg). The preseason Naismith and Wooden All-American, is 20th in the league in scoring at 14.3 ppg, tied for 11th in steals (1.7 spg) and tied for 20th in rebounding (5.0 rpg).
Sophomore D.J. Strawberry, who was among the ACC's steals leaders with 24 on the year, will miss the remainder of the basketball season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Smooth-shooting sophomore guard Mike Jones and junior combo-guard Sterling Ledbetter have stepped up in his place. Jones burned Temple for 21 points (Jan. 15), connecting on a career-high four 3-pointers, scored 14 at Miami (Feb. 5), and poured in 13 points (6-of-6 FGs) in 11 minutes against Virginia Tech. He is averaging 11.3 ppg across the last three games, shooting an incredible 72 percent from the field and 44 percent from 3-point range. Ledbetter has proven to be solid at the point or two-guard positions, scored a career-high 10 points against Clemson (Feb. 1), and has averaged nearly 19 minutes in the last three contests.
At 82.2 points per game, the Terps own one of the most potent scoring offenses in the nation. Maryland is ranked ninth in the NCAA (Feb. 7), trailing only North Carolina, Washington, Wake Forest, Niagara, Louisville, Texas Tech and Duke in terms of scoring output. The Terps are ranked third in the ACC in scoring offense, behind only UNC and Wake.
Maryland has made a significant improvement at the free throw line, ranking third in the 11-team ACC with a .721 mark from the line after finishing ninth (.631) in 2003-04. McCray is second in the nation and ranks second in the league (behind Duke's J.J. Redick ) with a .919 (57-for-62) mark from the line.
On Deck
The Terrapins head to NC State looking to avenge a Jan. 23 loss on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. The game will air on the Raycom/Jefferson Pilot Network.
