Nov. 5, 2007

Maryland-Concordia Game Notes

The University of Maryland opens the 2007-08 season when the Terrapins host Concordia University in an exhibition contest Wednesday, November 7. Tip-off between the Terps and Stingers is set for 8:00 p.m. at Comcast Center.
• Wednesday's game is Maryland's only exhibition contest prior to the regular season opener on November 11 against North Florida.

• Maryland returns four players (Gist, Hayes, Osby and Vasquez) who each played in all 34 games last season. Those four returnees have combined for 90 starts and 239 games played.

• Maryland enters 2007-08 as one of the most consistent winning programs in the country. The Terps have averaged 23.0 wins since the 1994-95 season, including eight consecutive 20-win seasons from 1996-2004. Maryland has made 14 consecutive postseason appearances.

• Maryland opens the regular season against Hampton in the 2007 O'Reilly Auto Parts College Basketball Experience. The Terps are 100-38 (.723) all-time in regular season tournaments and have won 28 championships. Maryland captured the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic Championship last season with a 62-60 victory over Michigan State at Madison Square Garden.

• Maryland head coach Gary Williams is the seventh-winningest active head coach in NCAA Division I men's basketball with an overall record of 585-328 (.641). He ranks second among active ACC coaches with 378 wins at Maryland (3rd overall) and also ranks second among active league coaches with 157 ACC victories. Williams is the Terps' all-time winningest coach.

• While Maryland's exhibition game is not being televised, the Terps will be regulars on television throught the season. Maryland's 2007-08 broadcast schedule includes 15 games which will be broadcast nationally on the ESPN family of networks, Fox SportsNet or ABC. All of the Terps' games in the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic will be carried live on either ESPN2 or ESPNU, while Maryland will appear at least ten other times on the ESPN networks and at least once on ABC. The ACC Tournament will once again be broadcast live by ESPN, ESPN2 and Lincoln Financial Network. The Terps will make four appearances on the ACC Game of the Week on Fox SportsNet.

• Maryland is wearing a new uniform in 2007-08, marking the first uniform change for the Terps in 11 seasons. Members of Nike's ELITE program, the Terrapins uniforms are part of the manufacturer's System of Dress program in college basketball.
• The new uniforms consist of a lighter form-fitting top along with longer loose-fitting shorts.
• Maryland's last uniform change came prior to the 1996-97 season.

• In addition to the experienced core group returning for the Terrapins, coach Williams has brought six newcomers into the fold for the 2007-08 season. Guard Adrian Bowie joins former Montrose Christian teammate Greivis Vasquez in the backcourt this season. Freshman wing Cliff Tucker, a two-sport star from Texas, should compete for playng time. Local products Braxton Dupree, Dino Gregory and Shane Walker will give the Terps depth up front.

• Maryland will once again play one of the toughest schedules in the country. The Terps will play at least 11 teams which made the postseason a year ago. Maryland will also play in the 2007 O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, which features former national champions UCLA and Michigan State. The Terps open the tourney against North Florida on Sunday, November 11. Maryland's 16-game ACC slate opens with Boston College on December 9.

• Senior James Gist is poised to join elite company in the storied history of Maryland Basketball:
• Gist needs 111 points to become the 46th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points.
• With his 523 career rebounds, Gist is poised to become just the 22nd player in school history to tally 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
• Gist is eighth on Maryland's all-time blocked shots list with 154 rejections.
• The Silver Spring native was named a preseason Wooden Award candidate.