Maryland Plays Host to Florida State
2/20/2007 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 20, 2007
Maryland opens a two-game homestand in the Atlantic Coast Conference as the Terrapins welcome the Florida State Seminoles to Comcast Center Wednesday (Feb. 21). Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. The game can be heard on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network and will be televised on the Raycom/Lincoln Financial Network.
• The Terps carry a mark of 20-7 (6-6 ACC) into the contest, while Florida State is 17-10 (5-8 ACC). Maryland owns a three-game winning streak after capturing a 72-60 win over Duke on February 11. The Terps then downed NC State, 85-70, in Raleigh last Wednesday before posting an 82-66 victory over the Clemson Tigers on Sunday (Feb. 18). The Seminoles have dropped their last four games, including a 73-70 setback at Virginia Saturday (Feb. 17).
• Maryland senior D.J. Strawberry leads the Terps with 14.9 points per game. He is 14th in the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring. Senior Forward Al Thornton leads the Seminoles with 19.1 points per game. He is the second leading scorer in the ACC.
• The Terps have recorded their 10th 20-win season under head coach Gary Williams. He has posted 16 20-win seasons for his career. The Terrapins have tallied at least 19 wins in each of the past 11 years. Maryland has averaged 22.8 wins the last 12 years.
Maryland senior D.J. Strawberry has continued his strong all-around play as a senior. Strawberry is 14th in the ACC with a team-high 14.9 points per game.
• The senior swingman is second on the conference with 2.26 steals per game and ranks ninth in assist to turnover ratio (1.67).
• Strawberry's 18-point performance last week at NC State made him the 45th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Strawberry now has 1,023 points for his career. His 402 points this year is his highest single-season total.
• After helping the Terps post wins at NC State and Clemson, Strawberry was named the ACC Player of the Week on February 19. He averaged 20.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last week and shot 56 percent (16 of 27) from the field. It was the second time this season he earned the weekly award.
Maryland captured its 20th win of the season with an 82-66 victory at Clemson Sunday (Feb. 18) afternoon. The Terps shot 63 percent from the field in the first half and finished the game shooting 56 percent from the field en route to the victory. Maryland enjoyed a 46-24 advantage in points scored in the paint. The Terrapins for Clemson into 17 turnovers and converted them into 21 points. Four Terps scored in double figures, led by senior D.J. Strawberry who tallied a game-high 22 points.
• Strawberry shot 9-of-15 from the field and added two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 39 minutes. He moved past current assistant coach Keith Booth into fifth place on the all-time steals list with 194.
• Freshman Greivis Vasquez recorded his first career double-double. Vasquez scored 15 points and recorded a season-high 11 assists. He grabbed three rebounds and tallied a personal-best five steals in 35
minutes.
• Junior James Gist scored in double figures for the 12th time in his last 13 games. Gist scored 15 points and grabbed four rebounds despite
playing with foul trouble.
Maryland is among the teams receiving votes in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, released February 19. The Terps are also among the teams receiving votes in the Associated Press Poll, released February 19. The Terps made their season debut in both polls on November 20.
• Maryland has appeared in the AP Top 25 a total of 348 times. The Terrapins have placed in the AP Top 25 at least once in each of the last 14 seasons.
• The Terps have been ranked in the coaches poll 323 times. Maryland has placed in the coaches poll at least once in each of the last 14 seasons.
• The Terrapins were ranked 15th in the February 20 Sagarin Ratings. Maryland has seven wins over teams ranked in the Sagarin Top 50. The Terps are 4-4 against teams ranked in the Sagarin Top 25.
• Maryland is ranked 19th in the latest RPI Report. The Terps have eight wins against teams ranked in the Top 100 of the RPI. Maryland has played the 15th toughest schedule in the country, according to the RPI.
• The Terps were named Team of the Week on November 20 by both Dick Vitale and Andy Katz.
Maryland has displayed a balanced offensive attack this season. The Terps boast the second-highest scoring average in the league (79.9 ppg), and have five players averaging double figures.
• D.J. Strawberry leads the team with 14.9 points per game. James Gist is averaging 12.9 points per game, while Mike Jones is averaging 12.5 points per contest. Ekene Ibekwe is averaging 10.4 points. Freshman Greivis Vasquez is averaging 10.1 points per game.
• Strawberry has led the team in scoring ten times this season while Jones has been the high man on nine occasions. Ibekwe and Gist have led the Terps in the scoring column in four games this season.
• Maryland has outscored its opponents by an average of 12.5 points per game this season. That is the second best scoring margin in the ACC behind North Carolina (20.5).
Seniors Ekene Ibekwe, Mike Jones and D.J. Strawberry are among elite company at the University of Maryland:
• With nine points at Florida State, Mike Jones became the 43rd Terrapin to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Jones has 1,049 points for his career.
• Ibekwe scored six points against Clemson and now has 1,034 points as a Terrapin. With his 723 career rebounds, Ibekwe is became just the 21st Terrapin to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career. With 210 blocks to his credit he is just the fourth Terp to tally 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 blocked shots, joining Lonny Baxter (1999-02), Terence Morris (1998-01) and Derrick Lewis (1985-88).
• Ibekwe's 210 career blocked shots makes him just the 21st player in ACC history to reach the 200-blocks plateau.
• Strawberry became the 45th player in school history to reach 1,000 points with an 18-point performance at NC State. He has 1,023 points for his career.
Four Terrapins are rapidly climbing 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 is fifth in school history with 194 career steals.
• Ibekwe sits in fifth place on the school's all-time blocked shots list. The Carson, Calif., native has 210 career rejections at Maryland and has averaged 1.8 blocked shots per game.
• With six rebounds against Clemson, Ibekwe moved into 12th place on the school's all-time rebounding list. The senior forward has 723 career rebounds.
• Ibekwe has attempted 453 career free throws and ranks 13th all-time at Maryland.
• 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 totaled 182 three-point field goals, which is tied for third on the school's all-time list. Jones has hoisted 454 shots from beyond the arc, which is the fourth highest total in school history.
• Gist has totaled 141 blocked shots during his three seasons in College Park. He is eighth on the school's all-time list and has averaged 1.7 blocks per game.
Freshman Greivis Vasquez has tallied 115 assists this season and is well on his way to recording one of the top assist totals among freshman point guards at Maryland. Vasquez is sixth on the all-time freshman assists list, while Eric Hayes is eighth with 104.
• Steve Blake (2000-03) owns the school record with 217 assists as a freshman in 2000.
Maryland has been a dominant home team over the years.
• The Terps are 775-276 (.738) all-time at home dating back to 1923-24.
• Maryland went 14-3 (82.3%) at home last season and are 69-14 (.831) all-time at Comcast Center. The Terps have won 31 of their last 36 at home dating back to 2003-04.
• The Terps are 224-49 (.823) at home under Gary Williams (155-35 at Cole Field House).
• Maryland is 135-21 (.865) at home the last ten seasons (since 1997-98). The Terps are the only ACC team to have a better home winning percentage than Duke's road winning percentage (.810) over the past 10 seasons.
• Maryland has won 38 of its last 39 non-conference games at Comcast Center under Williams.
• The Terps are 125-2 (.984) 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.
Maryland is in its 54th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Terps were a charter member of the conference in 1953-54 after 30 years as a member of the Southern Conference.
• The Terps are 385-376 (.507) all-time in ACC games.
• Maryland is 241-141 (.631) in ACC home games.
• Maryland is 145-235 (.381) in ACC away games.
• Under Gary Williams, Maryland is 153-128 (.546) in ACC play.
• Maryland is 93-46 (.672) at home in ACC games under Williams, including a 24-11 (.686) mark at the Comcast Center.
• The Terps have captured three ACC Tournament Championships: 1958,1984 and 2004.
