Terps To MCI Center For Sixth BB&T Classic

Transcription

1 Contact: Kevin Messenger (phone) (fax) Men s Basketball Notes December 1, 2000 Terps To MCI Center For Sixth BB&T Classic COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Hoping to recapture the form that earned Maryland a No. 5 preseason ranking, Gary Game Facts and Coverage BB&T Classic for Children s Charities Foundation Schedule: Saturday, Dec. 2, 2000 Maryland vs. Michigan, 1, p.m.; George Washington vs. St. John s, 30 minutes following conclusion of first game Sunday, Dec. 3, 2000 Consolation game, 3 p.m.; Championship game, 30 minutes following conclusion of first game Site: MCI Center (Washington, D.C. / 20,674) TV: Raycom local telecast on WDCA-TV, UPN- 20 in Washington, D.C. (Dec. 2 Steve Buckhantz, play-by-play; Kevin Grevey, analyst. Dec. 3 Joe Beninati, play-by-play; John Feinstein, analyst) Radio: All Maryland games are carried live on the Maryland/Learfield Radio Network. Flagship stations are WBAL (1090-AM) in Baltimore and WMAL (630-AM) in Washington, D.C. Pregame show 30 minutes prior to tipoff. (Johnny Holliday, play-by-play; Chris Knoche, color) Saturday s game at the BB&T Classic will not be carried on WMAL in Washington, but will instead be aired on WGAY (1260- AM) due to coverage of the Army-Navy football game. umterps.com: Maryland sports news on the World Wide Web, updated daily. Williams and his basketball Terrapins venture to the MCI Center in downtown Washington this weekend as cohosts of the sixth annual BB&T Classic for the Children s Charities Foundations. The Terps, 1-3 following consecutive losses to currently-no. 9 Illinois, No. 24 Dayton and No. 23 Wisconsin, open play in the BB&T Classic against Michigan, their third Big Ten foe in nine days. Maryland has never before played three Big Ten teams in a season. The Terps and Wolverines battle at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2 followed by co-host George Washington and No. 19 St. John s at approximately 3:30 p.m. The consolation and championship games are slated for Sunday, Dec. 3 beginning at 3 p.m. Maryland continues a brutal beginning to its season this weekend with presumably its fifth and sixth straight games against teams which played in 2000 postseason tournaments. Michigan, which played in last year s NIT, is likely to be the only opponent in the Terps opening two weeks which did not appear in last year s NCAA Tournament. A Slow Beginning Against a rugged preseason schedule and the longest Maryland road swing to begin a season since 1941, the Terrapins have stumbled out of the gate to the season, dropping three straight outings after a season-opening win over Louisville at the Maui Invitational. Since its opener, Maryland has been outrebounded in consecutive losses to Illinois, Dayton and Wisconsin. Maryland earned a fourth-place finish at the Maui Invitational, and Wednesday night in Milwaukee, fell in overtime to the No. 23-ranked Badgers. A Terrapin Win Against Michigan Sends Maryland to the BB&T Classic championship game for the fifth consecutive season. The only time that Maryland has lost a BB&T firstround game was in 1995 against No. 5 Massachusetts (50-47). Ends Maryland s three-game losing streak, matching a three-game slide to begin the ACC last season against NC State, Duke and Georgia Tech; Ends Maryland s three-game non-conference losing streak which is its longest since falling to West Virginia, Boston College and Jacksonville in Gary Williams second year as head coach in December Maryland Terrapins Roster Head Coach: Gary Williams (Maryland 68) / 12th year at Maryland ( , ACC) / 23rd year overall ( ) Probable Starters (G-GS) Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown PPG RPG Notes F 15 Danny Miller (4-4) Jr. Mt. Holly, N.J UW game was first scorless outing since F 44 Terence Morris (4-4) Sr. Frederick, Md pts, shooting, 3 ast, 3 stl, 3 blk vs. L ville C 35 Lonny Baxter (4-4) Jr. Silver Spring, Md Maui Invite record six blocks vs. Dayton G 3 Juan Dixon (4-4) Jr. Baltimore, Md Awaiting his first 3-point basket of the season G 25 Steve Blake (4-4) So. Miami Lakes, Fla apg this season; 6.3 apg in Terp Reserves (G-GS) Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown PPG RPG Notes G/F 1 Byron Mouton (4-0) Jr. Rayne, La Scoring spark off the bench, shoots 61% G 12 Drew Nicholas (4-0) So. Hempstead, N.Y Back-up point guard shoots 7 of 10 3FGs F 45 Tahj Holden (4-0) So. Little Silver, N.J One of eight players with 13 minutes or more C 33 Mike Mardesich (4-0) Sr. Boston, Mass Co-captain, 105 consecutive games played F 54 Chris Wilcox (3-0) Fr. Raleigh, N.C pts, 3 rebs, 14 mins in college debut vs. L ville F 21 LaRon Cephas (2-0) Sr. Wilmington, Del Increased minutes in each of three years G 11 Calvin McCall (0-0) So. Miami, Fla Football QB who joined the team in Maui C 40 Matt Slaninka (0-0) Fr. Hyattsville, Md Played at DeMatha HS * indicates blocks per game MARYLAND (1-3, 0-0 ACC) N20 1 [6/6] vs. Louisville-ESPN... W N21 1 [6/6] vs. [8/8] Illinois-ESPN... L N22 1 [6/6] vs. Dayton... L N29 2 [13/14] vs. [23/23] Wisconsin-ESPN... L ot D2 3 [13/14] vs. Michigan-WDCA... 1 p.m. D3 3 [13/14] vs. GW/St. John s-wdca... 3 /5 p.m. D6 Stony Brook... 8 p.m. D9 at Penn-HTS-Comcast... 7:30 p.m. D13 Md.-Baltimore County... 8 p.m. D23 Norfolk State-HTS... 1:30 p.m. D27 Chicago State... 8 p.m. D30 Md.-Eastern Shore-HTS... 1:30 p.m. J2 * at Clemson-RJ... 8 p.m. J6 * Georgia Tech-RJ... 1:30 p.m. J10 * North Carolina-ESPN... 7 p.m. J14 * at Florida State-RJ... 1:30 p.m. J17 * Wake Forest-ESPN... 9 p.m. J21 * at NC State-ABC... 3:30 p.m. J27 * Duke-ESPN... 8 p.m. J31 * at Virginia-ESPN... 9 p.m. F4 * Clemson-RJ... 1 p.m. F6 * at Georgia Tech-HTS... 7 p.m. F10 * at North Carolina-CBS... 1 p.m. F14 * Florida State-RJ... 9 p.m. F17 * at Wake Forest-RJ/ESPN2... 1:30 p.m. F20 * NC State-RJ... 8 p.m. F24 Oklahoma-ABC... 3:30 p.m. F27 * at Duke-RJ... 8 p.m. M3 * Virginia-CBS... 2 p.m. M at ACC Tournament-RJ/ESPN.. TBA [ ] indicate gametime AP and USA Today/ESPN rankings * Atlantic Coast Conference game 1 Maui Invitational at Lahaina, Hawaii 2 ACC/Big Ten Challenge at Milwaukee, Wisc. (Bradley Center) 3 BB&T Classic at Washington, D.C. (MCI Center) 4 ACC Tournament at Atlanta, Ga. (Georgia Dome) ACC Standings ACC Overall Teams W L Pct. W L Pct. Duke Wake Forest Virginia Clemson Ga. Tech No. Carolina NC State MARYLAND Florida State Saturday, December 2 Western Carolina at Clemson (FSNS/SUN), 1:00 Maryland vs. Michigan, BB&T Classic (WDCA), 1:00 Kentucky at North Carolina (CBS), 3:30 Georgia Tech vs. UCLA at Anaheim, Calif., 5:00 Duke at Temple at First Union Center (ESPN), 7:00 South Carolina State at Wake Forest, 7:30 NC State at Old Dominion, 7:35 Sunday, December 3 Maryland at BB&T Classic (WDCA), 3:00 Monday, December 4 Miami (Fla.) at North Carolina (ESPN2), 7:00 Virginia at VMI (FSNS-HTS), 7:30 Furman at Florida State (SUN), 8:00

2 MARYLAND at BB&T Classic HEAD COACH GARY WILLIAMS A three-time National Coach of the Year finalist and the 10th-winningest coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history, Gary Williams (Maryland 68) is in his 12th season as head coach of his alma mater. He has transformed the Maryland program into one of the nation s most formidable, and has built a following that has consistently resulted in sellout crowds at Cole Field House. A former Terrapins point guard, Williams was a starter under coach Bud Millikan during the 1965, 1966 and 1967 seasons. He was the team captain as a senior. As the Maryland coach, Williams has produced more than 20 wins in five of his last six seasons. Williams is the 29th-winningest active coach in America with 425 wins. Williams, at Maryland, boasts a overall record which includes four years at American ( ), four at Boston College ( ) and three at Ohio State ( ). In his 23rd season as a Division I head coach, Williams has coached in 10 NCAA Tournaments and guided six different teams to the NCAA Sweet 16. He has guided teams to the NCAA Tournament at each of his four coaching stops, and is the only coach in America to direct programs in each of the ACC, Big Ten and Big East conferences. Williams is one of six 400-win coaches who now engineer the programs at their respective alma maters (Jerry Tarkanian, Fresno State; Lou Henson, New Mexico State; Gale Catlett, West Virginia; Larry Hunter, Ohio). He notched his 400th win with a season-opening win over San Francisco on Nov. 17, He recorded his 200th victory at Maryland during a win over No. 23 Kentucky one month later. Williams, in the ACC, needs 11 ACC victories to become the ninth coach overall and the second from Maryland (Lefty Driesell) ever to reach 100 wins in the league. ACC Coaching Victories All Games 1. Dean Smith, North Carolina Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Bobby Cremins, Georgia Tech Charles Lefty Driesell, Maryland Terry Holland, Virginia Norman Sloan, NC State Frank McGuire, UNC & USC Dave Odom, Wake Forest Carl Tacy, Wake Forest Gary Williams, Maryland ACC Coaching Victories ACC Games 1. Dean Smith, North Carolina Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Frank McGuire, UNC & USC Bobby Cremins, Georgia Tech Charles Lefty Driesell, Maryland Terry Holland, Virginia Vic Bubas, Duke Norman Sloan, NC State Bud Millikan, Maryland Dave Odom, Wake Forest Gary Williams, Maryland Everett Case, NC State Rankings Maryland is No. 13 and 14, respectively, in the AP and USA Today/ESPN polls of Nov. 26. St. John s is currently No. 19 by the AP and No. 21 by USA Today/ESPN. Michigan and George Washington are unranked. Records Maryland is 1-3 following a loss to Wisconsin as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Terps were 1-2 and fourth-place finishers at the Maui Invitational last week. Michigan is 2-2 after a loss to Wake Forest as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Wolverines began the season with an upset loss to Oakland (97-90), and a pair of wins over Western Michigan (92-78) and Wagner (98-83). St. John s is 3-1 following a runner-up finish in the Preseason NIT. The Red Storm beat Kentucky (62-61), lost to Kansas (82-74) and defeated Stony Brook (92-62) and Niagara (92-59). George Washington is 4-1 following its loss at South Florida last Wednesday. The Colonials won their own Red Auerbach Classic last weekend, defeating Howard (119-80) and Boston University (92-76). The Colonials defeated Texas A&M (94-74) to open the season. Series Histories Maryland and Michigan have met four times including a win in the NCAA Midwest Regional at Dallas in The schools played three times between 1927 and 1938, but never since. The Wolverines hold a 3-1 series advantage. The last time the teams met, Michigan s Juwan Howard registered 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead five double-figure scorers as Michigan advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight. Maryland s Keith Booth had 17 points while freshman Joe Smith had 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. The Terrapins lead an 8-6 series over St. John s which includes a NCAA Sweet 16 defeat at Knoxville in The 99 tourney meeting was the schools first encounter since a Maryland win at the Maryland Invitational in behind Len Elmore and Tom McMillen, and only the second meeting since Against George Washington, the D.C.-area schools have met on 58 occasions including last season s BB&T Championship in which the Colonials upset the Terps The last four times the clubs have met have all been at the BB&T Classic, including a GW win in the 1997 title game, as well. The Terps and Colonials met annually between 1939 and 1979, missing only in the 1944, 1945 and 1975 seasons. Maryland leads the series, 33-25, but has lost two straight and four of the last seven. The Terps won 16 straight meetings between the and seasons. Next Games Maryland follows the BB&T Classic with its regular season home opener on Dec. 6 (8 p.m.) against second-year Div. I affiliate Stony Brook. The Terps are at the Palestra in Philadelphia to face defending Ivy League champion Penn on Dec. 9 (7:30 p.m.). Maryland returns to Cole to face UMBC on Wednesday, Dec. 13 (8 p.m.), then breaks for semester exams until hosting Norfolk State on Saturday, Dec. 23 (1:30 p.m.). Maryland hosts Chicago State during the holiday break on Wednesday, Dec. 27 (8 p.m.), followed by its final pre-acc tuneup, against UMES on Saturday, Dec. 30 (1:30 p.m.) Co-Captains Maryland has named co-captains for the current season seniors Mike Mardesich and Terence Morris. Combined, they have 209 games experience during their four-year careers (Mardesich 105, Morris 104). Comcast Center Maryland basketball teams will play in the Comcast Center beginning in the season, thanks to a $20 million naming rights gift to the university announced on Jan. 5, Last summer, Comcast increased its gift by $5 million in order to include naming rights on the floor. The gift is part of a business partnership that also includes the provision of cable television services to university residence halls. The Comcast gift is the largest single donation ever to the flagship campus, and it matches the largest known corporate naming gift in the United States for a college athletic facility. The $25 million represents a significant portion of the university's share of the cost of construction on the planned $124 million arena, which is being constructed on the north side of the campus under the auspices of the Maryland Stadium Authority. Pronunciation Guide 21 LaRon Cephas (F)...luh-RON SEE-fuss 33 Mike Mardesich (C)... MAHR-duh-sich 1 Byron Mouton (G/F)... MOO-tahn 40 Matt Slaninka (C)...SLAN-uh-kuh 45 Tahj Holden (F)... Tahj (rhymes with mirage)

3 TERPNOTES A Rugged Beginning Six games away from Cole Field House and likely six straight games against ranked opponents or at least teams which participated in 2000 postseason tournaments that marks the opening to the Terrapins season. At Maui, Maryland played three straight dates against teams returning from NCAA Tournament appearances last season. Last Wednesday, it wasn t enough that Wisconsin is the Terps fourth straight opponent that earned a berth in last year s NCAA Tournament the Badgers finished two wins from a national championship. At the BB&T, three of four teams advanced to play in the 2000 postseason, with Michigan in the NIT and Maryland and St. John s both active in the NCAA Tourney. A CBS Sportsline preseason poll this past summer ranked all four teams in the preseason Top 40. Strength Of Schedule Taking a look ahead at the schedule, based on preseason AP rankings, Maryland will experience just one stretch this season in which it will encounter more than two games at a time without facing a ranked opponent. Maryland s six-game string after the BB&T Classic will be the Terps only span of more than two games without a ranked opponent. Road Warriors Maryland plays its first six games all away from Cole Field House, and likely all against teams who advanced to 2000 postseason play. Maui Invitational at Lahaina, Hawaii Nov. 20 vs. Louisville Nov. 21 vs. #8 Illinois Nov. 22 vs. Dayton at Milwaukee, Wisc. Nov. 29 vs. #23 Wisconsin BB&T Classic at Washington, D.C. Dec. 2 vs. Michigan Dec. 3 vs. #19 St. John s / George Washington It is Maryland s longest streak away from home to begin a season since the Terps began playing in Cole Field House in It is the longest streak away from home to begin a season since 1941, overall. The most similar season-opening stretch was the season when Maryland played five out of its first six games at road venues: Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic at Springfield, Mass. Nov. 24 vs. #1 Kentucky... L at Baltimore Arena Nov. 27 vs. Towson State... W Franklin National Bank Classic at Landover, Md. Dec. 2 vs. #5 Massachusetts... L Dec. 3 vs. George Washington... W at Cole Field House Dec. 6 Howard... W John Wooden Classic at Anaheim, Calif. Dec. 9 vs. UCLA... L MEN S BASKETBALL December 2, 2000 / BB&T Classic Sixth BB&T Classic Though the name was changed after its first three seasons, the BB&T Classic enters its sixth season this weekend its fourth at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. Local participants Maryland and George Washington are annual cohosts. Annual BB&T results: Dec. 2-3, 1995 (US Airways Arena) Florida 75, George Washington 66 No. 5 Massachusetts 50, No. 19 Maryland 47 3rd: No. 19 Maryland 98, George Washington 81 1st: No. 5 Massachusetts 80, Florida 58 Dec. 8-9, 1996 (US Airways Arena) George Washington 57, Mississippi State 36 Maryland 80, California 64 3rd: California 78, Mississippi State 45 1st: Maryland 74, George Washington 68 Dec. 7-8, 1997 (MCI Center) No. 23 Maryland 86, No. 2 Kansas 83 George Washington 66, Pennsylvania 62 3rd: No. 2 Kansas 89, Pennsylvania 71 1st: George Washington 70, No. 23 Maryland 66 Dec. 6-7, 1998 (MCI Center) DePaul 87, George Washington 79 No. 2 Maryland 62, No. 5 Stanford 60 3rd: No. 5 Stanford 70, George Washington 56 1st: No. 2 Maryland 92, DePaul 75 Dec. 4-5, 1999 (MCI Center) George Washington 72, Seton Hall 63 No. 24 Maryland 69, No. 16 Illinois 67 3rd: No. 16 Illinois 72, Seton Hall 61 1st: George Washington 74, No. 24 Maryland 69 BB&T Bullet Notes For the first time in BB&T history, four former BB&T all-tournament members will return among current rosters. GW sophomore SirValiant Brown won last season s MVP trophy, while Maryland juniors Lonny Baxter and Juan Dixon each were on the all-tournament team. Terrapin senior Terence Morris was on the 1998 all-tournament squad. Terrapin coach Gary Williams is the only coach to appear in each of the five previous BB&T Classics. Maryland has appeared in four BB&T championship games, and has faced fellow co-host GW in three of the four. Only once has neither Maryland or GW appeared in the tournament final. That was in the inaugural event in 1995 when both were defeated in the first round. Maryland and GW each have won two tournament titles, the most by any team. No. 13 Maryland and No. 19 St. John s make this the fourth straight season with at least two ranked teams among the four-school field. Maryland and GW each have been represented on the all-tournament team in each of the five previous tournaments. Terps vs. Big Ten The Terrapins have rarely faced Big Ten competition and, in fact, have met Big Ten opposition TERPS BY THE NUMBERS 3 Maryland-native all-stars Lonny Baxter (Silver Spring), Juan Dixon (Baltimore) and Terence Morris (Frederick) all are recent first team All-ACC selections and national player of the year candidates. 3 Only Lefty Driesell-coached teams of 74, 75 and 76 finished second or better in the ACC standings in three straight years. Williams and the Terps can match that mark in Maryland s consecutive trips to the BB&T Finals. 5 Consecutive years without change on the Terps coaching staff. The staff Williams (12th season), Hahn (12th), Dickerson (5th), Patsos (10th). Also reflecting its continuity are trainer J.J. Bush (29th season), equipment mgr. John Bowie (12th) and dir. of basketball operations Troy Wainwright (5th). 6, 13 Maui Invitational records for single-game blocked shots 6 by Lonny Baxter and 13 by the Terps in a loss to Dayton. 11 Consecutive games with double-digit points for Lonny Baxter, dating to the final seven games of his sophomore season. 20 Blocked shots by Terence Morris (10) and Lonny Baxter (10) in three games at Maui. 21 Consecutive weeks in the AP Top Average wins in seven straight NCAA Tournament seasons under Gary Williams. Maryland boasts 20- win seasons in five of the last seven years, and a.500 or better ACC record in seven straight. 71 Nation s-longest non-conference home court win streak which lasts more than a decade. Terps last non-league home defeat was Dec. 12, 1989 vs. Coppin State. The streak began on Dec. 30, 1989 against Alcorn State. 105 Consecutive and overall games played by Mike Mardesich. Within reach are school records for overall games (131, Len Bias) and most consecutive played (126, Keith Booth). 168 Maryland has hit at least one 3-point shot in each of the last 168 games dating to March 18, 1995 a span of over five complete seasons.

4 MARYLAND BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK QUOTING GARY WILLIAMS Following are transcripts from Gary Williams Nov. 27 chat with basketball fans on ESPN.com. On what has been pleasing thus far: We had a good win against Louisville, but then we found out that we weren't a very good rebounding team against Illinois and Dayton. This time of year, the key thing is to get better. We saw some things that we need to work on, especially our rebounding. And if we're a good team, we'll become a better rebounding team. On the ACC/Big Ten Challenge determining which league is better: Last year in the tournament between the ACC and Big Ten, the ACC managed to win five games, but managed to Mondays at Noon only get three teams in the NCAA Tournament. What the matchup shows is where you are right now, and what you need to work on for the future. It should always be competitive between two good basketball conferences like the Big Ten and the ACC. On struggling early in a season rather than later: When you play good teams early in the year, you find out things that you need to work on, whether you win or lose. The key is to improve in the areas that you are weak in, and then those games mean something as the season goes on. But just to recognize a weakness and not do anything about it means that those games were not worth playing. On Maryland s new Comcast Center: Cole Field House has been a great arena and probably has been as historic an arena as there is on any college campus. However, the Comcast Center brings us a new, modern arena that can be used for many different things and it will still provide a great facility to play basketball, and with the proper seating arrangement, we will not lose our homecourt edge. Plus, in the recruiting battles, a new arena certainly gives you a new advantage. On early-season criticism: Expectations were very high at the start of the season. When you lose, people are going to complain, however, the key thing at this time of year is to get better. If we improve as a basketball team, the two losses in Maui won't mean anything at the end of the year. Other teams that lost in Maui have gone on to very successful seasons. We plan on doing the very same thing. On pressure of preseason rankings: There is added pressure on being ranked high in the preseason. However, it shouldn't affect the way you play. You should take pride in having a high preseason ranking, and use it to go out on the court and play against Illinois and Dayton. Not liking pressure means that you shouldn't be playing on a team that is ranked high. On effort and intensity: All good teams play with effort and intensity. That has to be a given when you play at the level that we do. When you don't have those two things, you lose to good teams, no matter how much talent you may have. On Drew Nicholas: Drew has worked hard in the offseason on his ballhandling and it seems like that has helped the rest of his game. He was one of our better players in Maui and expect him to continue to improve as the year goes on. just 25 times including bouts this season with Illinois and Wisconsin. Further, while Maryland has never played more than two Big Ten teams in a season, Saturday s Michigan game is Maryland s third against the Big Ten within a span of nine days. The Terrapins are all-time against Big Ten competition. Purdue is the only Big Ten team that the Terps have never faced. Though the Terps have battled Penn State to an 8-8 draw in a series which dates to , the Terps and Lions have not met since an NIT game in 1990, prior to PSU s admission to the Big Ten. Last season s victories in consecutive games over Iowa and Illinois marked the first time in Maryland history that the Terps had beaten Big Ten teams in successive contests. It was, in fact, just the third time that Maryland had met Big Ten foes in consecutive games at all. This week s Wisconsin and Michigan matchups present the fourth such occasion. Until last season, Maryland had not faced a Big Ten team in the regular season since meeting Ohio State in home-and-away games in 1985 and Coincidentally, the Buckeyes would be coached by Gary Williams beginning in the season. ACC/Big Ten Challenge Recap For the second straight season, the Atlantic Coast Conference defeated the Big Ten in a challenge of nine games between teams from each league. This season s results: Tuesday, December 28 Wake Forest 71, Michigan 60 Clemson 57, Northwestern 44 Duke 78, Illinois 77 Iowa 85, Georgia Tech 67 Wednesday, December 29 Virginia 98, Purdue 79 Michigan State 77, North Carolina 64 Minnesota 76, Florida State 71 Wisconsin 78, Maryland 75 (ot) NC State 84, Penn State 76 Terps In Overtime Maryland s overtime loss to Wisconsin was the Terps first overtime session of the season. Last year, Maryland played extra sessions twice winning at home over Winthrop and losing on the road at Virginia. Terps In The Polls Maryland enters the week carrying a string of 21 consecutive weeks in the AP Poll. The current streak began on Nov. 22, 1999 last season with the Terps peaking in the No. 12 position last season on Jan. 3, 2000, and at No. 5 in the AP s 2000 preseason poll. Maryland finished last season ranked No. 17. Maryland was No. 5 in the AP preseason poll, reflecting the highest preseason ranking by a Gary Williams-coached team, and the sixth time in Terrapin history that Maryland has begun in the Top 5. A total of 26 teams nationally have been ranked No. 2 at least once, but never have been ranked No. 1. Maryland leads the way among those teams with 18 No. 2 rankings, while Louisville is second with 15. Maryland has appeared in 41 of the last 43 polls, 45 of 48, 51 of 57 and 64 of the last 72 polls since Dec. 9, Of those 72 polls since December 9, 1996, Maryland has been in the Top 10, 24 times. The Rebounding Game The Rebounding Game One over-riding factor in the Terps last three losses has been a rebounding disadvantage. The Terrapins, who pride themselves in a deep and talented cast of players six-foot-eight and taller, have been outmuscled on the boards in those three games. Illinois outrebounded Maryland 55-37; Dayton boasted a edge; Wisconsin led the Terps In its two losses at Maui, the Terps surrendered a total of 45 offensive rebounds to its opponents. That is in contrast to 40 rebounds overall for Louisville in the Terps first-round win. Illinois had more total offensive rebounds, 27, than Maryland had defensive rebounds, 23. In the second half alone, Illinois outscored the Terrapins 21-7 on second-chance points following offensive rebounds. Long Rebounds One reason for Wisconsin advantage on the boards last Wednesday, and the combined six rebounds between Lonny Baxter and Terence Morris, may have been 30 3-point shots by the Badgers. Nearly half of all missed shots between the two clubs were 3-point attempts resulting in rebounds gathered by perimeter players. The leading rebounder for Maryland against the Badgers was guard Juan Dixon with seven. Wisconsin point guard Mike Kelley shared team honors with six. Rebounding A Year Ago Much has been made of the Terps earlyseason rebounding woes. Checking numbers from a year ago, though, the Terps were outrebounded last season in opening games against both San Francisco and Tulane both home victories. Turnover Progression One of the most positive signs off the stat sheet from Wednesday s loss to Wisconsin was.a season-low 12 turnovers against the Badgers. Maryland began the year with 20 turnovers in its opener, 15 against Illinois and 17 against Dayton. Swat That! Maryland blocked a Maui Invitational record 13 blocked shots in their loss to Dayton. The Terps were led by Lonny Baxter s tournament record of six by an individual. Defensive Pressure Just as in when Maryland led the ACC in defensive field goal percentage (402), the Terps have limited opponents less than 41 percent shooting in all four games. Illinois and Dayton shot 40.5 and 40.7 percent, respectively, while Louisiville managed a 36.6 percent clip and Wisconsin shot The Story Of The Arc Where the Terrapins have fallen behind last season s pace on the stat sheet, is in 3-point field goals. To date, Maryland has connected on 21 of 57 attempts, while opponents have made 31 of 77. Against Wisconsin, the Badgers made point tries, the most since Notre Dame shot 12 of 31 behind the arc during last year s Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden. Wisconsin, behind 10 treys, helped stay even with Maryland

5 MARYLAND BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK last Wednesday despite almost-even rebounding and a 44 to 37 percent disparity in shooting percentage. All-America Marylanders Among the Terrapins five returning starters is a trio of All-America candidates who each has earned first team All-ACC honors within the past two years. Each of the three also has been tabbed as a preseason candidate for the Naismith and Wooden national player of the year awards. The key stat for Maryland fans: all three are Maryland natives. LONNY BAXTER (Silver Spring, Md.) led the ACC with 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in a sophomore campaign which also saw him produce 15.6 points. He graduated from Anacostia High School and attended Hargrave Military Academy before attending Maryland. Baxter leads Maryland in points (17.0), and is second with 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks after four games. Baxter scored a season-high 20 points in the loss to Dayton. Baxter was ranked as high as the No. 2 (Lindy s & The Sporting News) center in the country in preseason publications. JUAN DIXON (Baltimore, Md.) led the Terps with 18.0 points and was second in the ACC in scoring last season. He led the ACC with 2.7 steals per contest, and was third in the circuit while shooting better than 44 percent from 3- point range through 16 league games. He graduated from basketball powerhouse Calvert Hall High School. A slasher and creative scorer, Dixon is currently third on the team in scoring despite shooting 36 percent from the floor and still seeking his first 3-pointer after nine attempts. Dixon averages 10.8 points and leads the club with 31.0 minutes per contest. Dixon was ranked the top shooting guard in the country by Lindy s, and the No. 2 shooting guard by Dick Vitale s Preview and The Sporting News. TERENCE MORRIS (Frederick, Md.) may be as complete a player as the Terrapins have ever seen. Morris completed his junior season with career averages: 15.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.6 steals. His versatility has helped the Terps lead the ACC in blocks and steals in back-to-back seasons, and he has earned honorable mention All-America honors in three consecutive seasons. He prepped at Governor Thomas Johnson High School. Morris opening game vs. Louisville was dominating: 24 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks. Morris 15.8 scoring average is second to Lonny Baxter. He leads the team lead in rebounds (6.5) and blocks (3.0). Morris had three blocks in each of the Terps first two games vs. Louisville and Illinois, and contributed four against Dayton. He has had multiple blocks in all four games this season. Morris, selected to play on the USA Select team of college all-stars that faced the U.S. Olympic Team on Sept. 2 in Hawaii, was rated in the preseason as the nation s top swing forward by Dick Vitale s Preview and The Sporting News. Morris: Shoot, Pass, Defend In his final college season, Terence Morris is prominent among Maryland s all-time leaders in blocks (4th), steals (10th), 3FGs (10th), rebounds (14th) and points (16th). Morris became the 15th player in Maryland history to surpass 1,000 career points in just his junior season, eclipsing the plateau on Jan. 9, 2000 against Duke. His career scoring high was a 26-point game as a sophomore at No. 11 Kentucky. He matched it last season with a 26-point effort vs. Clemson. In three games against Kentucky the past two seasons, Morris has scored 26, 25 and 22 points (24.3). He has had multiple blocked shots in 45 of 72 games in the last three seasons, and three or more blocks in 32 of those games. During a junior campaign in which he was ballyhooed much of the preseason as the nation s top player, his unselfish play helped the development of then-sophomore stars Baxter and Dixon. How? Morris passing abilities proved as accurate as any 6-9 forward in the country four or more assists eight times, and three or more assists in 16 games. Terps On The Career Charts Terp veterans Terence Morris, Lonny Baxter, Juan Dixon and Danny Miller all figure on Maryland career statistical charts: MARYLAND CAREER BLOCKS Blocks 1. Derrick Lewis, Cedric Lewis, Joe Smith, Terence Morris, 1998-present Larry Gibson, Obinna Ekezie, Lonny Baxter, 1999-present Tony Massenburg, 1986/ MARYLAND CAREER STEALS Steals 1. Johnny Rhodes, Laron Profit, Keith Booth, Terrell Stokes, Walt Williams, Dutch Morley, Juan Dixon, 1999-present Derrick Lewis, Kevin McLinton, Terence Morris, 1998-present MARYLAND CAREER 3FGs 3FGs 1. Johnny Rhodes, Walt Williams, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Teyon McCoy, / Duane Simpkins, Laron Profit, Terrell Stokes, Juan Dixon, 1999-present Exree Hipp, Terence Morris, 1998-present Mario Lucas, Steve Hood, John Johnson, Keith Gatlin, / TERPS SIGN A PAIR TO LETTERS OF INTENT Maryland head basketball coach Gary Williams has announced the signing of a pair of Eastern basketball stars to national letters-of-intent. MICHAEL GRINNON, a senior at St. Dominic High School in Oyster Bay, N.Y., will attend Maryland beginning in fall As will junior college transfer RYAN RANDLE of Allegany College in Cumberland, Md. Randle, who will attend Maryland as a junior next season, hails from Texas where he attended Duncanville High School. Grinnon, a 6-6, 195-pound shooting guard who is considered to be fundamentally sound, averaged 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and four steals last season at St. Dominic, a traditional Long Island powerhouse. He s a great outside shooter, said Williams. He really knows how to play the game. He has had a great summer and fall going into his senior year of high school. Grinnon played for the Lightning at the annual Charlie Weber Tournament, held Sept at Maryland s Cole Field House, and also competed at fall tournaments at Rutgers and Connecticut. Described by one recruiting publication as a very cerebral type of player, Grinnon is an outstanding student and a member of the National Honor Society. Ryan will be a good player for us, said Williams. We have followed him at Allegany and since we ll lose Terence [Morris], Mike [Mardesich] and LaRon [Cephas] after this season, we needed a good big man who is also athletic. Randle, 6-9 and 250 pounds, is in his sophomore season at Allegany, the same school from which the Terrapins successfully recruited All-American Steve Francis. He will attend Maryland for his final two seasons. At Allegany, he helped lead his team to a 28-2 record as a freshman. He averaged 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and led the team with 31 blocked shots. Coming off the bench, he also added 43 assists and 27 steals to display the ball-handling skills that set him apart from an ordinary big man. Said Randle s coach at Allegany, Bob Kirk, Even though he didn t start for us last year, he was the best player on the team. We ve never had anyone who is as capable a player except for Steve Francis.

6 MARYLAND BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK IN THE POLLS Maryland is one of five ACC teams in the AP Top 25 and one of four in the Top 15. Maryland s preseason No. 5 ranking by the Associated Press is the highest by a Gary Williams-coached team. AP Rankings November 26, 2000 (Record)... Pts. LW 1. Duke (60) (5-0)... 1, Kansas (1) (5-0)... 1, Michigan St. (8) (3-0)... 1, Stanford (4-0)... 1, Arizona (1) (3-1)... 1, North Carolina (3-0)... 1, Tennessee (3-0)... 1, Seton Hall (2-0)... 1, Illinois (4-1)... 1, Florida (1-0)... 1, Notre Dame (3-0)... 1, Wake Forest (4-0) Maryland (1-2) Oklahoma (5-0) USC (3-0) Connecticut (3-1) Temple (4-1) NR 18. Utah (3-1) St. John s (3-1) Syracuse (4-0) NR 21. Virginia (3-0) Cincinnati (2-1) Wisconsin (1-1) Dayton (2-1) NR 25. Arkansas (3-1) Others Receiving Votes: Alabama 178, DePaul 159, UCLA 149, Purdue 91, Iowa St 87, Iowa 68, Georgetown 46, Kentucky 24, Penn St. 19, Xavier 19, Georgia Tech 15, CS Northridge 13, Missouri 13, Texas 12, Indiana 10, Lafayette 10, BYU 7, SMU 7, Wyoming 7, Charlotte 6, Georgia 6, Gonzaga 6, LSU 4, Ohio St. 4, St. Bonaventure 4, Oregon St. 3, So. Mississippi 2, Austin Peay 1, Central Michigan 1, Georgia St. 1, Miami 1, Minnesota 1, Villanova 1. USA Today/ESPN Rankings November 26, 2000 (Record)... Pts. LW 1. Duke (30) (5-0) Michigan St. (3-0) Stanford (1) (4-0) Kansas (5-0) Arizona (3-1) North Carolina (3-0) Tennessee (3-0) Illinois (4-1) Seton Hall (2-0) Florida (1-0) Notre Dame (3-0) Wake Forest (4-0) Oklahoma (4-0) Maryland (1-2) Temple (4-1) Connecticut (3-1) Cincinnati (2-1) USC (3-0) Syracuse (4-0) NR 20. Utah (3-1) St. John s (3-1) Virginia (3-0) NR 23. Wisconsin (1-1) Arkansas (3-1) DePaul (3-1) Others Receiving Votes: UCLA 82, Dayton 76, Purdue 57, Texas 46, Georgetown 41, Iowa St. 40, Missouri 40, Kentucky 35, NC State 21, Xavier 21, Creighton 16, Utah St.16, Memphis 15, Iowa 13, Pepperdine 12, So. Mississippi 10, Valparaiso 9, Villanova 9, Miami 9, Georgia 9, SMU 9, Alabama 8, Louisville 8, Charlotte 8, St. Bonaventure 8, Penn St. 7, Tulsa 7, BYU 7, UNLV 7, Wyoming 5, Central Michigan 3, Gonzaga 3, Austin Peay 2, Indiana 2, Lafayette 2, Hofstra Danny Miller, 1999-present Matt Roe, Rudy Archer, MARYLAND CAREER REBOUNDS Rebounds 1. Len Elmore, , Larry Gibson, Tony Massenburg, 1986/ Albert King, Johnny Rhodes, Will Hetzel, Terence Morris, 1998-present MARYLAND CAREER POINTS Points 1. Len Bias, , Albert King, , Adrian Branch, , John Lucas, , Tom McMillen, , Laron Profit, , Greg Manning, , Derrick Lewis, , Gene Shue, , Exree Hipp, , Will Hetzel, , Terence Morris, 1998-present... 1, Tony Massenburg, 1986/ , Evers Burns, , Jay McMillen, , Joe Smith, , Juan Dixon, 1999-present Lonny Baxter, 1999-present Mardesich Closing In On Marks Senior co-captain Mike Mardesich is closing in on Maryland records for career games played (105) and consecutive games played (105) Rankings Watch Terps and Opponents In The Polls Maryland AP High/Low 5/13 Maryland USA High/Low 6/14 Maryland Sagarin High/Low 9/26 Associated Press N N N SCHOOL ps Duke North Carolina Illinois Wake Forest Maryland Oklahoma St. John s rv Wisconsin Virginia Dayton rv rv rv 24 NC State rv rv rv - Michigan rv USA Today/ESPN N N SCHOOL ps Duke North Carolina Illinois Wake Forest Oklahoma Maryland St. John s rv Wisconsin Virginia 25 rv 22 Dayton rv rv rv Louisville rv rv rv NC State rv - rv Michigan rv - - Sagarin Ratings N N SCHOOL ps Duke North Carolina Illinois Wake Forest Oklahoma Dayton Maryland St. John s Virginia Louisville Wisconsin George Washington NC State Michigan Georgia Tech 55 The 7-foot reserve center needs 27 more games this year to surpass the existing record of 131 games, by Len Bias ( ). He needs to play 25 more games in succession in order to eclipse the existing mark of 126 consecutive games played by Keith Booth ( ). Right behind Mardesich is fellow co-captain Terence Morris who has played in 104 games overall. He missed last season s game at Clemson to end his consecutive games streak at 83. Blake And Nicholas Sophomores Steve Blake and Drew Nicholas have successfully taken care of the Maryland point guard rotation. Last season, Blake was regarded as one of the country s top freshman, and in preseason 2000 he has been tabbed as one of the top 11. He spent the past summer touring with the U.S. Under-20 team and earning a silver medal at the World Championships qualifying tournament in Brazil. Through four games, Blake s 6.7 assists are slightly above last season s 6.3 average. Nicholas, meanwhile, has done a yeoman s job of backing the point so far this season. Mostly a reserve shooting guard as a freshman while Juan Dixon spelled Blake briefly at the point, Nicholas has assumed backup chores as a sophomore. Through four games, Nicholas has averaged 18 minutes per outing, while contributing 10 assists, five steals and just seven turnovers. Nicholas has also improved his marksmanship from the field, scorching the nets for 69 percent at Maui and 62.5 percent overall. He has

7 shot 10 of 16 overall and seven of 10 from 3- point range. Nicholas has been the Terps most lethal distance shooter, leading the team with seven treys in four games. In the loss to Dayton, Nicholas hit four of five 3-point shots to finish with 12 points, five assists and a pair of steals. Depth Factor Maryland is without a doubt one of America s deepest and most athletic teams in The Terrapins return all five starters from their team a year ago, plus their top three reserves who each averaged better than 12 minutes per game. Returning starters Lonny Baxter, Steve Blake, Juan Dixon, Danny Miller, Terence Morris. Top reserves Tahj Holden, Mike Mardesich, Drew Nicholas. Added to the mix are the 1998 Conference USA Rookie of the Year, Byron Mouton, who will play both the 2 and 3 positions; and a 6-10 blue-chip freshman, Chris Wilcox, who will log minutes at the power forward and center positions. The Terps are at least two, and as many as four players deep at every position on the floor. What s more, fifth-year senior LaRon Cephas has seen increased minutes and productivity in each season at Maryland, and played some of his best ball during the 2000 preseason. Cephas and Wilcox enter the year as the team s fifth and sixth players off the bench. Shooters And More Shooters Five different Terrapins (Dixon-49, Blake-37, Morris-35, Miller-34, Nicholas-31) scored 30 or more 3-point baskets in , and added this season is former Tulane scoring sensation Byron Mouton. Maryland boasts a 168-game streak with at least one 3-pointer, dating to March 18, One Of Country s Elite Maryland is one of just ten schools to have participated in each of the last seven NCAA Tournaments. Only Arizona, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Purdue, Temple and UCLA join the Terps as teams that have competed in each of the last seven NCAA men s basketball tournaments. Maryland is the only team in the ACC that has advanced to the ACC Tournament semifinals in each of the last six seasons, the best streak in Terrapin history. Last season s ACC championship game appearance was the Terps first since Best Eras The Terps 74 wins overall are the best threeyear stretch in Terrapin basketball history in terms of total wins. Likewise, Maryland s 34 ACC wins the past three seasons reflect the best threeyear stretch of ACC victories. The Terps 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons also mark the first threeyear period with consecutive double-digit wins in ACC play. Maryland needs 23 more wins this season to assure the best four-year stretch in the program s history. The current four-year mark is a stretch of 97 wins between 1972 and A 20-win season in would match the school s best mark for consecutive 20-win seasons, five between 1972 and Wins Maryland s 53 wins over the past two seasons, in fact, are bettered by only six teams nationally: School Two Seasons Duke 66-7 (.904) Michigan State (.844) Connecticut (.831) Cincinnati (.848) Tulsa (.786) Gonzaga (.771) Stanford (.828) Maryland (.768) Auburn (.791) St. John s (.757) G-A-R-Y-L-A-N-D Cole Field House is the site of the nation s longest non-conference home win streak (71 games), and Maryland has ranked in the Top 20 among national attendance leaders for three straight seasons. The Terps ranked 20th (13,377 avg.) among national attendance leaders in 1998, 15th (school record 14,474 avg.) in 1999, and 17th (14,148 avg.) in Last season, the Terps ranked 10th nationally and played before a school-record 503,648 fans overall. That figure was up from a previous record of 473,626 and a No. 12 ranking in Maryland played to 99.8 percent capacity for its entire season at 14,500-seat Cole Field House during the season. Maryland has averaged more than 13,000 fans for every home game in each of its last six seasons. During the last seven seasons, the Terps have achieved six of the top seven single-season home attendance averages in school history. Over those seven seasons, Maryland has averaged 13,701 fans in its last 101 games. During that span, the Terps are (87.1%) at Cole. Streak s New Decade Maryland has not lost a non-conference home game in over a decade not since falling to Coppin State on Dec. 12, 1989 in Gary Williams first season as the Terps coach. On Dec. 30, 1989, Maryland defeated Alcorn State to begin what is now the nation s longest non-conference home court win streak, 71 games. Last year, the streak included a home win over Kentucky. This season s home slate includes a February non-conference bout with Oklahoma. The streak will first be tested this season on Wednesday, Dec. 6 when Stony Brook visits Cole Field House. ACC Media Day Recap The nearly 100 media representatives that participated in the league s annual media day preseason balloting selected the Terrapins to finish in second place in the ACC for the third straight season. Senior Terence Morris and junior Juan Dixon each were chosen to the ACC s preseason all-conference team. The preseason ACC media poll: 1. Duke, 826 (83 first place votes); 2. Maryland, 722 (6); 3. North Carolina, 666 (4); 4. Wake Forest, 520; 5. Virginia, 457; 6. NC State, 429; Clemson, 231; Georgia Tech, 201; Florida State, 133. TERP PRESEASON AWARDS & RATINGS Maryland and its players were prominent throughout the preseason among position rankings and preseason All-America teams releaed by publications nationwide. Team Preseason Rankings The Terps were ranked as high as No. 3 by FANSonly.com, Preview Sports and SLAM Magazine. A listing follows: ACC Basketball Handbook (4), Athlon Sports (Final Four), Basketball News (4), Blue Ribbon College Basketball (4), CBS Sportsline.com (4), Dick Vitale s Preview (6), ESPN.com (5), FANSonly.com (3), FOX Sports.com (6), HoopsTV.com (4), Lindy s (4), Preview Sports (3), SLAM Magazine (3), The Source Sports (4), The Sporting News (5), Street & Smith s (9). Terence Morris, Sr., F Naismith and Wooden Award Player of the Year candidate Best NBA Prospect, Lindy s No. 1 swing forward, Dick Vitale s No. 1 small forward in nation, The Sporting News No. 4 small forward in nation, Lindy s First Team All-American, Playboy First Team All-Rolls Royce Team, Dick Vitale s Second Team All-American, Athlon Sports Second Team All-American, Preview Sports Second Team All-American, The Sporting News Second Team All-ACC, Lindy s First Team All-ACC, ACC Basketball Handbook First Team All-ACC, Athlon Sports First Team All-ACC, Dick Vitale s First Team All-ACC, Preview Sports First Team All-ACC, The Sporting News First Team All-ACC, Street & Smith s Juan Dixon, Jr., G Naismith and Wooden Award Player of the Year candidate No. 1 shooting guard in nation, Lindy s No. 2 shooting guard in nation, Dick Vitale s No. 2 shooting guard in nation, The Sporting News First Team All-American, Athlon Sports First Team All-American, Preview Sports Second Team All-Rolls Royce Team, Dick Vitale s Second Team All-American, The Sporting News First Team All-ACC, Athlon Sports First Team All-ACC, Dick Vitale s First Team All-ACC, Lindy s First Team All-ACC, Preview Sports First Team All-ACC, Street & Smith s Second Team All-ACC, ACC Basketball Handbook Second Team All-ACC, The Sporting News Lonny Baxter, Jr., F/C Naismith and Wooden Award Player of the Year candidate No. 2 center in nation, Lindy s No. 2 center in nation, The Sporting News No. 4 center in nation, Dick Vitale s Second Team All-American, The Sporting News Honorable Mention All-American, Athlon Sports Best Rebounder in ACC, The Sporting News First Team All-ACC, Lindy s First Team All-ACC, The Sporting News Second Team All-ACC, ACC Basketball Handbook Second Team All-ACC, Athlon Sports Second Team All-ACC, Dick Vitale s Byron Mouton, Jr., F Top 10 Transfer in nation, Lindy s Top Impact Transfer in ACC, Dick Vitale s Steve Blake, So., G No. 11 point guard in nation, The Sporting News No. 13 point guard in nation, Dick Vitale s No. 13 point guard in nation, Lindy s Best Playmaker in ACC, The Sporting News Second Team All-ACC, The Sporting News Third Team All-ACC, Athlon Sports Third Team All-ACC, Lindy s Honorable Mention All-ACC, ACC Basketball Handbook