Feb. 28, 2009
RALEIGH, N.C. -
Maryland (17-10 overall, 6-7 ACC) ends its stretch of games against nationally ranked opponents with a Sunday Night Hoops road trip to face NC State (15-11, 5-8). The Terrapins were in 8th place in the ACC standings heading into the weekend games, two spots ahead of the Wolfpack. Each team has three games left in the regular season and are jockeying for positions in the bracket for the upcoming ACC Tournament in Atlanta (March 12-15).
* The Terrapins got through a three-game stretch of games against opponents in the top 13 with a 1-2 mark... Maryland earned an 88-85 victory over then-3rd-ranked North Carolina on Feb. 21... The back-to-back-to-back nationally ranked teams have moved Maryland's strength of schedule ranking to 23rd nationally as of Feb. 27 by CollegeRPI.com... Five Terrapin opponents appear currently among the top 13 in the nation in the Associated Press poll, including two teams (North Carolina and Michigan State), which Maryland has beaten.
* Junior forward Landon Milbourne scored 19 points to lead the Terrapins last Wednesday night against 7th-ranked Duke... Milbourne has led the Terps in scoring in three of the last four games.
* The Terrapins are 3-2 in their last five games, with the lone losses in that stretch coming to ranked teams (#13 Clemson, #7 Duke).
Milestones, Streaks, etc.
Maryland has hit at least one 3-pointer in 347 consecutive games.
The Terps are 62-6 in non-conference games since moving into Comcast Center.
A win over Wake Forest next Tuesday evening would be the 100th since the opening of Comcast Center in Fall 2002.
Maryland has won at least 19 games in 12 straight seasons.
The Terps have made 15 consecutive postseason appearances.
Maryland's last losing season came in 1992-93, the last season of devastating NCAA sanctions levied against previous staffs at Maryland... Each school in the ACC has had a losing season since the Terps fell below .500 some 15 seasons ago... In fact, 9 of the 11 ACC opponents have suffered through a losing season since the Terps won the NCAA title in 2002... Duke and UNC are the exceptions.
Between 2004-05 and 2007-08, Maryland won 82 games, an average of 20.5 per season... That matches the number of wins that Gary Williams directed during the first four seasons (1994-97) of Maryland's run of 11 straight NCAA Tournaments.
Tough Schedule
Between playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference (currently ranked 1st as a league in the Sagarin Computer Ratings) and facing three ranked teams in the 2008 Old Spice Classic, the Maryland men's basketball schedule is formidable:
In this week's rankings, 5 Terrapin opponents for 2008-09 are currently ranked in the Top 13 in the Associated Press poll (#4 North Carolina, #7 Duke, #9 Michigan State, #12 Clemson and #13 Wake Forest)...
7 Terrapin opponents for 2008-09 are currently ranked among the Top 25 teams in the Associated Press poll (previous schools along with #17 Gonzaga and #23 Florida State).
8 Terrapin opponents for 2008-09 are either ranked or are receiving votes in the Associated Press poll, including American.
Maryland is the lone ACC team that will face conference home-and-home series with North Carolina and Duke... The Terps also play twice in the regular season against Miami.
Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams Quotes - Saturday, 2/28
On taking on the NC State Wolfpack:
"We're going on the road against a team that's played pretty well lately. It's NC State and they have great basketball tradition. They need to play well just like we do. I don't see us having any problem with the motivational thing because this time of year you try to get as many wins as you can."
On playing well in consecutive games against North Carolina and Duke:
"It's a good sign, and hopefully we've gotten to that point where we can do that. We've played three top-13 teams right in a row. Not many teams have done that this year across the country. I think we came out of it okay. You worry about being tired this time of year. You shorten practices and you do some things to make sure the players stay as fresh as possible. I think we've been able to point towards NC State after those two games."
On NC State's recent lineup changes:
"They have gotten bigger, but their big guys shoot threes just like a lot of teams' guards shoot threes. It doesn't change their dynamics. I think they're averaging around 21 3-pointers a game, and they do that whether they're big or small. They take the same number of threes. (Forward Brandon) Costner is definitely a 3-point shooter. (Forward Dennis) Horner is a good 3-point shooter...They're still a good 3-point shooting team."
On forward Landon Milbourne:
"Landon has been one of our most consistent players all year. It's something where you've been able to count on how he's going to play most of the time. Other guys are up and down, but I think that's part of being team is to have your eight or nine player who can go in there. Some days some guys are going to play better. You hope everyone plays well, but that doesn't usually happen, so you have to be ready to play the people who are playing well. I think the players understand that, as well as coaches."
On senior Dave Neal maximizing his potential:
"I would have liked to have seen Dave play full time the first three years. I think he's a very good basketball player...He's the type of player that could've really used playing on a consistent basis and being able to lift weights all the time. We'll never know how good he could've been, but I know he's maximizing his senior year right now."
On encountering foul trouble against Duke:
"We got into some foul problems, but I thought we handled it pretty well for the most part. We played well without Greivis (Vasquez) for an extended period in the second half of the Duke game. We were able to use different combinations and get away with it for a while. Any experience like that should be a positive and make you better for the rest of the year. Hopefully that'll help us down the stretch."
