Feb. 9, 2007

Game Notes

Maryland concludes a two-game homestand in the Atlantic Coast Conference, as the Terrapins play host to the Duke Blue Devils on Sunday (Feb. 11). Tip-off is set for 5:00 p.m. at Comcast Center. The game can be heard on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network and will be televised nationally on Fox SportsNet. The game can be seen locally on Comcast SportsNet.
• The Terps carry a mark of 17-7 (3-6 ACC) into the contest, while Duke is 18-6 (5-5 ACC).
• Maryland senior D.J. Strawberry leads the Terps with 14.7 points per game. He is 15th in the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring. Junior DeMarcus Nelson leads the Blue Devils with 14.3 points per game. He is the 17th leading scorer in the conference. Forward Josh McRoberts is 22nd in the ACC in scoring (12.9 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (7.9 rpg). • Sundays's game marks the 160th meeting between the two schools. Duke leads the all-time series 101-58. The Terrapins and Blue Devils have split the last ten meetings between the two schools.
• Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (27 seasons) and Maryland's Gary Williams (18 seasons) are the ACC's two longest tenured coaches. They have combined for 1,078 career victories - the most of any two league head coaches - and have coached a combined 1,930 collegiate games.
• Krzyzewski (269) and Williams (150) rank first and second, respectively, among active ACC coaches in career league victories.

Maryland senior D.J. Strawberry has continued his strong all-around play as a senior. Strawberry is 15th in the ACC with a team-high 14.7 points per game. He also ranks tenth in the league with 3.9 assists per game.
• The senior swingman is second on the conference with 3.42 steals per game and ranks eighth in assist to turnover ratio (1.69).
• Strawberry has 973 career points and needs just 27 more to become the 45th Terrapin to reach the 1,000-point plateau. His 352 points this year is his highest single-season total.

Maryland is among the teams receiving votes in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, released February 5. The Terps are also among the teams receiving votes in the Associated Press Poll, released February 5. 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 30th in the February 9 Sagarin Ratings. Maryland has five wins over teams ranked in the Sagarin Top 50.
• Maryland is ranked 35th in the latest RPI Report. The Terps have six wins against teams ranked in the Top 100 of the RPI. Maryland has played the 23rd 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.

The ACC is the top ranked conference in both the RPI and the Sagarin Computer Poll.
• The ACC is the only conference to have eight teams ranked in the Top 40 of the RPI.
•The ACC has played the nation's second toughest non-conference schedule according to the RPI.
• The RPI lists 10 of the 12 ACC teams in the Top 60 of schedule strength. • The ACC is a combined 22-10 (.688) in games against the other conferences ranked in the Top 5 of the RPI.
• The ACC has compiled a non-conference record of 129-33 (.794) - this is tops among all conferences - the ACC is the only league to have a non-conference winning percentage over 79 percent.
• Eight ACC teams have been ranked in the AP Poll throughout the 2006-07 season, tops among all conferences.

Head coach Gary Williams and the Terps' coaching staff will be wearing sneakers on the sidelines of Sunday's matchup with Duke. The special footwear will be worn in recognition of National Coaches vs. Cancer Awareness Weekend. Williams and his staff will be joining coaches across the country in using the "sneaker" symbol to convey to the college basketball community that the Coaches vs. Cancer program is alive and thriving after ten years. The Coaches vs. Cancer program has raised millions of dollars since its inception and Williams has been one of the key national figures in the cause.

Maryland has displayed a balanced offensive attack this season. The Terps boast the third-highest scoring average in the league (79.9 ppg), and have four players averaging double figures.
• Strawberry leads the team with 14.7 points per game. Mike Jones is averaging 12.8 points per game, while James Gist is averaging 12.7 points per contest. Ekene Ibekwe is averaging 10.9 points.
• Jones has led the team in scoring nine times this season, while Strawberry has paced the team in points eight times. 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 12.3 points per game this season. That is the second best scoring margin in the ACC behind North Carolina (21.4).

The Terps have made a renewed commitment to defense in 2006-07. Maryland has forced its opponents into an average of 17.9 turnovers per game this season.
• The Terps lead the ACC and are fourth in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.382).
• Maryland's opponents are shooting just 29 percent (132-of-457) from three-point range which ranks second in the league.
• The Terps are averaging 7.8 steals per game and have recorded 167 blocked shots through 23 games.
• Maryland is tops in the ACC and second in the nation with 7.3 blocked shots per game.

The 2006-07 Terrapins have made their mark on the school's record book in a variety of categories:
• The Terps set school records for most three pointers (17) and three point attempts (37) against UMKC on December 13.
• Maryland's 54 free throw attempts against Hampton was the fourth highest mark in school history. The Terps connected on 39 free throws in that game, which was the fourth best mark in school annals.
• The Terrapins 101-50 victory over UMKC was the 17th largest margin of victory for Maryland.

Seniors Ekene Ibekwe and Mike Jones 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 1,020 points for his career.
• Ibekwe scored five points against Virginia and now has 1,012 points as a Terrapin. With his 705 career rebounds, Ibekwe is became just the 21st Terrapin to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career. With 206 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 206 career blocked shots makes him just the 21st player in ACC history to reach the 200-blocks plateau.

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 ranks sixth in school history with 191 career steals. He was named Honorable Mention All-ACC Defensive Team in 2005-06.
• Ibekwe sits in fifth place on the school's all-time blocked shots list. The Carson, Calif., native has 206 career rejections at Maryland and has averaged 1.8 blocked shots per game.
• With five rebounds against Virginia, Ibekwe moved into 14th place on the school's all-time rebounding list. The senior forward has 705 career rebounds.
• Ibekwe has attempted 449 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 180 three-point field goals, which is fourth on the school's all-time list. Jones has hoisted 448 shots from beyond the arc, which is the fourth highest total in school history.
• Gist has totaled 139 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 95 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 seventh on the all-time freshman assists list, while Eric Hayes is tied for eighth with 91.
• 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 774-276 (.738) all-time at home dating back to 1923-24.
• Maryland went 14-3 (82.3%) at home last season and is 68-14 (.842) all-time at Comcast Center. The Terps have won 30 of their last 35 at home dating back to 2003-04.
• The Terps are 223-49 (.823) at home under Gary Williams (155-35 at Cole Field House).
• Maryland is 134-21 (.870) 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 (.812) 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.

Since Gary Williams took over in 1989-90, Maryland has 63 wins over Top 25 teams, including four last year. The Terps knocked off No. 14 Clemson earlier this season at Comcast Center.
• Williams is the nation's winningest active coach vs. top-ranked teams with six career victories over a No. 1 opponent (5 at Maryland; 1 at Ohio State).
• Under Williams, Maryland has defeated 16 top-5 opponents, 28 top-10 opponents and the No. 1 team five times.
• Maryland has 13 wins over top-10 teams the last five years, including a 73-71 victory over then No. 6 Boston College during 2005-06.
• The Terps have defeated at least one top-10 opponent in 13-of-17 seasons under Williams, including 10 straight.
• Williams has led Terps to victories over No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 ranked-teams in six of the last eight seasons.

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 382-376 (.507) all-time in ACC games.
• Maryland is 240-141 (.631) in ACC home games.
• Maryland is 143-235 (.381) in ACC away games.
• Under Gary Williams, Maryland is 150-128 (.546) in ACC play.
• Maryland is 92-46 (.672) at home in ACC games under Williams, including a 23-11 (.676) mark at the Comcast Center.
• The Terps have captured three ACC Tournament Championships: 1958,1984 and 2004.