Nov. 6, 2006

Maryland opens the 2006-07 season against Hampton in the opening round of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. The Terps and Pirates square off in the second regional semifinal, following the New Orleans-Vermont match-up. The winners of each semifinal will meet for the regional championship on Wednesday (November 8) at 7:05 p.m. The consolation game is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Other regional host schools include St. John's, Michigan State, and Texas.
• The Regional Rounds of the tournament will be played Nov. 7-11, 2006. The winner of each Regional Round will compete for the championship at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Nov. 16 and 17.
• Other teams participating in the tournament are Alcorn State, Brown, Central Michigan, Chicago State, Loyola (Md.), Navy, North Florida, St. Bonaventure, and Youngstown State.
• The Coaches vs. Cancer program, created by the NABC, exists to leverage the strength, community leadership and celebrity of the country's basketball coaches to raise awareness and reduce cancer risk through education programs while raising funds. Since 1996, the event has raised approximately $3.3 million for the benefit of Coaches vs. Cancer. • Three of the last five national champions have participated in the College Hoops Classic, including Maryland (2002), Syracuse (2003), and Florida (2006).

• The game can be heard on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network. 105.7 FREE FM (WHFS) and ESPN Radio 1300 AM (WJFK-AM) in Baltimore serve as the network's flagshp stations, with many more affiliates accross the state picking up the game. Both regional semifinals will be televised on ESPNU, while Wednesday's regional championship will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Maryland closed its exhibition schedule with an 86-77 victory over Carleton University Saturday (November 4) night. The Terps built a six-point lead at halftime and led by as many as 16 in the second stanza. Maryland enjoyed a 30-12 advantage in points scored in the paint.
• Senior D.J. Strawberry led Maryland with 20 points. Strawberry added a team-high eight rebounds, three assists, and one blocked shot in 25 minutes. Ekene Ibekwe tallied 16 points in 27 minutes against Carleton, while James Gist added 11 points for the Terps.
• Maryland shot 55 percent (27-of-49) from the floor against Carleton. The Terps shot a combined 51 percent (54-of-105) in the two exhibition games.
• The Terrapins shot 7-of-12 (.583) from three-point range against the Ravens, and finished 13-of-27 from beyond the arc in exhibition play.
• Maryland's starting lineup in both exhibition games included freshman Eric Hayes at point guard, seniors Mike Jones at shooting guard, Strawberry at small forward, and Ibekwe at forward. Junior James Gist also started at forward for the Terps.

• The Terps return one of the most experienced teams in the land. Maryland boasts six seniors who have combined for 469 career games and 148 starts. The Terrapins have four returnees (James Gist, Ekene Ibekwe, Mike Jones, and D.J. Strawberry) who started at least 15 games. The Terrapins return 59 percent of their scoring and 53 percent of their rebounding from last season.

• Head coach Gary Williams is the ninth-winningest active coach in NCAA Division I men's basketball with an overall record of 560-318 (.638). He ranks second among active ACC coaches with 353 wins at Maryland (4th overall) and also ranks second among active league coaches (3rd overall) with 147 ACC victories. Williams is one win shy of tying Bobby Cremins for thid place on the league's all-time coaching wins list. He is the Terps' all-time winningest coach.

• While Maryland's two exhibition games were not televised, the Terps will be regulars on television throughout the season. Maryland's 2006-07 broadcast schedule includes 13 games which will broadcast nationally on ESPN, ESPN2, Fox SportsNet or ABC. The Terps open the season with an appearance on ESPNU when they face Hampton. Maryland will be televised on Comcast Sports Net eight times during the season, and will be featured on the FSN ACC Game of the Week four times. The ACC Tournament will once again be broadcast live by ESPN, ESPN2 and Raycom/Lincoln Financial Network.

• The Terps will face one of the toughest schedules in the country this season. Maryland will square off against 13 opponents who participated in postseason play last year. The schedule also puts the Terps in the national spotlight, as 13 games will be televised nationally.

• In addition to the experienced-laden returnees, coach Williams has brought five newcomers into the fold for 2006-07 season. Junior Bambale Osby joins the program after spending 2005-06 at Paris Junior College in Texas. In addition to Osby, four freshmen have been added to the mix this season. Guards Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez are expected to see plenty of action in the backcourt this season. They will be joined by forwards Jerome Burney and Landon Milbourne. The four freshmen posted a combined record of 117-5 last season as high school seniors.

Three Terrapins enter the 2006-07 season poised to climb the school's all-time record book. Seniors D.J. Strawberry, Ekene Ibekwe, and Mike Jones have all made their mark in the Terrapin annals, along with junior James Gist:
• Strawberry ranks 14th in school history with 133 career steals. He was named Honorable Mention All-ACC Defensive Team in 2005-06.
• Ibekwe sits in seventh place on the school's all-time blocked shots list. The Carson, Calif., native has 142 career rejections at Maryland and has averaged 1.6 blocked shots per game.
• Ibekwe enters his senior season needing 47 rebounds to move into the top 30 of the all-time rebounding list at Maryland. He has tallied 525 rebounds through three seasons with the Terps.
• Senior Mike Jones has distinguished himself as one of the best shooters in the ACC and has rapidly moved up the school's all-time three pointers list. Jones has totalled 122 three-point field goals and sits in seventh place on the school's all-time list. Jones has hoisted 311 shots from beyond the arc, which is the 12th highest total in school history.

Maryland opens the regular season on November 7 when the Terrapins take on Hampton in the opening round of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic. It is the earliest start date in school history. The Terps' earliest start prior to this year was November 8, 2001, the same season Maryland went on to win the National Championship.
• The Terps are 14-3 in season openers under Gary Williams.
• Maryland is 11-0 in season openers at home under Williams.

Maryland has been a dominant home team over the years.
• The Terps are 761-274 (.736) all-time at home dating back to 1923-24.
• Maryland went 14-3 (82.3%) at home last season and 55-12 (.820) all-time at Comcast Center. The Terps have won 17 of their last 20 at home dating back to 2003-04.
• The Terps are 210-47 (.820) at home under Gary Williams (155-35 at Cole Field House).
• Maryland is 121-19 (.864) at home the last ten seasons (since 1997-98).
• Maryland has won 29 consecutive non-conference games at Comcast Center under Williams.
• The Terps are 116-2 (.983) in non-conference home games under Williams.
• Maryland was 476-151 in 47 seasons at Cole Field House; 169-90 in 24 seasons at Ritchie Coliseum and 61-21 in eight seasons at The Gymnasium.