No. 14 Maryland Visits Seminoles In Tallahassee

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1 Contact: Kevin Messenger (phone) (fax) Men s Basketball Notes January 14, 2001 No. 14 Maryland Visits Seminoles In Tallahassee COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland seeks to get back on a winning track this weekend as the Terrapins resume their Atlantic Coast Conference schedule on Sunday afternoon at Florida State. The Terps and Seminoles tipoff at Game Facts and Coverage Gm. 16 Maryland at Florida State Date: Saturday, Jan. 14, 2001 Time: 1:30 p.m. Site: Leon County Civic Center (12,200) TV: Live regional telecast by Raycom- Jefferson Pilot, which airs locally on WDCA-TV (UPN-20 in Washington), WNUV-TV (WB-54 in Baltimore) and WHAG-TV (NBC-25 in Hagerstown). (Bob Rathbun, play-by-play; Bucky Waters, color) 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) umterps.com: Maryland sports news on the World Wide Web, updated daily. 1:30 p.m. from the Leon County Civic Center in a game televised regionally by Raycom-Jefferson Pilot. Maryland, ranked No. 14 by the Associated Press and 11-4 following Wednesday s loss to North Carolina, hopes to win for the 12th time in its last 14 ACC regular season games on Sunday when the Terps battle the Seminoles. It also would be the 10th straight win for Maryland over Florida State. On Wednesday, the Terrapins fell to No. 9 North Carolina, ending what was the nation s fourth-longest win streak at 10 games. It also brought to close a 13-game home court streak which was the country s 14th-longest. As in every game this season, Maryland led the Tar Heels at the intermission, 36-32, but 20-point scoring from each of Juan Dixon, Terence Morris and Lonny Baxter wasn t enough to stave off the hotshooting Heels. Dixon finished with 22 points, Morris recorded his second straight double-double with 21 points and a game-high 12 boards, and Baxter poured in 20 points with eight rebounds. Morris, beginning to put up his best numbers of the season, also posted five assists and four blocked shots, and shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe. A Terrapin Win On Sunday Would be Maryland s 12th in its last 14 ACC regular season games, and its 14th in the last 17. Would mark the seventh Maryland victory in its last eight ACC road contests. Marks the 10th consecutive Terrapin win over Florida State and fourth straight against the Seminoles on the road, dating to the first win in the string on Feb. 13, 1997, in College Park. The last Seminoles victory in the series came one month earlier, Jan. 29, in Tallahassee. Is the 86th victory for Maryland s senior class of Mike Mardesich, Terence Morris and LaRon Cephas. Mardesich has played in every victory, Morris in 84. Records Maryland is 11-4 overall and 2-1 in the ACC. The Terps have won 10 of their last 11 games after an setback to north Carolina. Florida State is 5-10 overall and 0-2 in the ACC following its loss at Wake Forest 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 G/F 1 Byron Mouton (15-11) Jr. Rayne, La Team is 10-1 since Mouton entered starting lineup F 44 Terence Morris (15-15) Sr. Frederick, Md Averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds in ACC gms C 35 Lonny Baxter (15-15) Jr. Silver Spring, Md th player in Maryland history to score 1,000 pts G 3 Juan Dixon (15-15) Jr. Baltimore, Md At least 19 points in 10 of last 11 games G 25 Steve Blake (15-15) So. Miami Lakes, Fla assists per game is among national leaders Terp Reserves (G-GS) Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown PPG RPG Notes G 12 Drew Nicholas (15-0) So. Hempstead, N.Y Backup point guard and three-point specialist C 33 Mike Mardesich (15-0) Sr. Boston, Mass points, 26 rebounds in last three games F 15 Danny Miller (15-4) Jr. Mt. Holly, N.J Averaging 5.6 rebounds in last seven games F 54 Chris Wilcox (14-0) Fr. Raleigh, N.C Physically-gifted freshman averages 9.6 mpg G 11 Calvin McCall (6-0) So. Miami, Fla Has seen game action in six games F 21 LaRon Cephas (9-0) Sr. Wilmington, Del At least one rebound in five of last six GP F 45 Tahj Holden (7-0) So. Red Bank, N.J Out w/fractured bone in left foot G 4 Earl Badu (0-0) Jr. Baltimore, Md Has regained eligibility for second semester C 40 Matt Slaninka (0-0) Fr. Hyattsville, Md Played at DeMatha HS MARYLAND (11-4, 2-1 ACC) N20 1 [6/6] v. Louisville-ESPN... W N21 1 [6/6] v. [8/8] Illinois-ESPN... L N22 1 [6/6] v. Dayton... L N29 2 [13/14] v. [23/23] Wisconsin-ESPN... L ot D2 3 [13/14] v. Michigan-WDCA... W D3 3 [13/14] v. Geo. Washington-WDCA... W D6 [19/17] Stony Brook... W D9 [19/17] at Penn-HTS... W D13 [20/19] Md.-Baltimore County... W D23 [20/19] Norfolk State-HTS... W D27 [18/19] Chicago State... W D30 [18/19] Md.-Eastern Shore-HTS... W J2 * [17/17] at Clemson-RJ... W J6 * [17/17] Georgia Tech-RJ... W J10 * [14/16] [9/11] North Carolina-ESPN.. L J14 * [14/16] 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 No. Carolina MARYLAND Wake Forest Virginia Ga. Tech NC State Clemson Florida State Saturday, January 13 Marquette at North Carolina (ABC), 1:00 Virginia at Duke (ABC), 3:30 NC State at Clemson (RJ), 4:00 Wake Forest at Georgia Tech (RJ), 8:00 Sunday, January 14 Maryland at Florida State (RJ), 1:30 Tuesday, January 16 Boston College at Duke (ESPN2), 7:30 Georgia Tech at NC State (RJ Split), 8:00 Florida State at Virginia (RJ Split), 8:00 Wednesday, January 17 Clemson at North Carolina (ESPN), 7:00 Wake Forest at Maryland (ESPN), 9:00

2 MARYLAND at Florida State 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 435 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 nine 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 Gary Williams, Maryland Carl Tacy, Wake Forest 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 Rankings Maryland is No. 14 and 16, respectively, in the most recent AP and USA Today/ESPN polls. Florida State is unranked. Injury Report Sophomore forward Tahj Holden fractured the fifth metatarsal bone on his left foot during practice on Dec. 7 and has missed the last three games. Holden underwent a successful surgery on Saturday, Dec. 9 to place a screw in the foot. He is expected to miss approximately four to six weeks of action, with a hopeful return in mid- to late-january. Next Games Maryland hosts Wake Forest on Wednesday, Jan. 17 (9 p.m., ESPN), before traveling again next Sunday to NC State (3:30 p.m., ABC). The Terrapins welcome Duke to Cole Field House on Saturday, Jan. 27 (8 p.m., ESPN) and end the first half of the ACC schedule when visiting Virginia on Wednesday, Jan. 31 (9 p.m., ESPN). RJ (Raycom/Jefferson Pilot) games are televised locally on WDCA (UPN-20 in Washington), WNUV (WB-54 in Baltimore) and WHAG (NBC-25 in Hagerstown). Williams Weekly Media Among his many other obligations with his team, the community and the media, Maryland coach Gary Williams takes time weekly for various interview shows on radio, TV and the Internet. WBAL s Steve Melewski hosts the Gary Williams Radio Show, which airs Thursday nights on stations throughout the Maryland/Learfield Network from 7:05 to 8 p.m. The Gary Williams TV Show, hosted by Johnny Holliday, airs weekly throughout the ACC season at 11:30 a.m. every Saturday on HTS, with replays on Tuesday afternoons at 3 p.m. Every Monday, Williams appears for 30 minutes beginning at noon in a live chat session on ESPN.com. Throughout the ACC season, Williams takes part in the ACC s weekly media teleconference on Tuesdays at 11:40 a.m. Co-Captains Maryland has named co-captains for the current season seniors LaRon Cephas, Mike Mardesich and Terence Morris. Pronunciation Guide 21 LaRon Cephas (F)... luh-ron SEE-fuss 45 Tahj Holden (F)... Tahj (rhymes with mirage) 33 Mike Mardesich (C)... MAHR-duh-sitch 1 Byron Mouton (G/F)... MOO-tahn 40 Matt Slaninka (C)...SLAN-uh-kuh Series Profile Florida State Sunday, Jan. 14, :30 p.m. RJ Location: Tallahassee, Fla. Home Court: Leon County Civic Center (12,200) Head Coach: Steve Robinson (Radford 81) At school: (4th season) Overall: (6th season) Series Profile (Maryland leads, 16-5) Last Maryland Win at Maryland:... March 1, 2000 (85-70) Last Maryland Win at FSU:... Jan. 29, 2000 (82-63) Last Maryland Win in ACC Tournament:March 10, 2000 (82-61) Last FSU Win at Maryland:... Feb. 13, 1993 (87-84) Last FSU Win at FSU:... Jan. 29, 1997 (74-70) Last FSU Win in ACC Tournament:... None Williams (at Md.) vs. FSU: Terps at Home: Terps on the Road: Terps at Neutral Sites: Terps Since : Last 10 Games:... Maryland leads, 9-1 Current Streak:... Maryland won 9 Longest Maryland Win Streak:... 9 Longest FSU Win Streak... 2 Largest Margin of Victory: (93-69 on March 5, 1999) Largest Margin in Loss: ( on Feb. 10, 1996) Most Maryland Points Scored: (Jan. 27, 1999) Most FSU Points Scored: (Jan. 13, 1993) Notes: Maryland s nine-game win streak against FSU is the longest of any current series with ACC opponents... The Terrapins and Seminoles have met six times in the past two seasons, with a pair of bouts in the first round of ACC Tournament play... Maryland has won each by 24 and 21 points, respectively... In those last six meetings, Maryland has won by an average of 19.7 points... FSU s last victory in the series was in 1997 in Tallahassee... in last season s ACC Tournament quarterfinal, the Terps blasted the Noles to earn a sixth consecutive trip into the ACC semis... nine days earlier, freshman Steve Blake scored a career-high 17 points in Maryland s final home game of the season, and Maryland ran its school-record ACC winning streak to nine games.

3 TERPNOTES Starting In The ACC Should the Terps defeat Florida State on Sunday, it would match 3-1 beginnings in 1994, 1995, 1997 and It would be the fifth time under Gary Williams that Maryland boasted a 3-1 mark in the league. The last time Maryland was better in its first four ACC games, 4-0, was when the Terrapins won their first five league games in en route to a 10-2 finish and their last outright claim to the ACC regular season championship. High Octane Terps Maryland has scored at least 80 points in nine straight games, and averaged points during that span. The Terps have won 10 of their last 11 games while scoring over 100 points in five of them. Maryland s recent string of four straight century mark outings established a new record. Included in the scoring binge have been 104, 93 and 83-point totals in ACC games with Clemson, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. Century Mark In Succession Maryland s school-record streak of four consecutive 100-point games came to an end at four last Saturday against Georgia Tech. Maryland scored 123, 117, 105 and 104 points in succession against Norfolk State, Chicago State, Md.-Eastern Shore and Clemson. Frogs, Devils And Terps Speaking of scoring averages, the Terps are the third-highest scoring team in the nation, according to NCAA statistics through games of January 8. Maryland s 93.1-point average trails TCU (98.3) and Duke (93.8). Maryland s 123 points against Norfolk State remains the fourth-highest point total by any team in the country this season, tied with Georgetown s 123 points vs. Howard. Here is a look at where the Terps fall in various national statistical categories: NCAA Scoring Offense G Pts. Avg. 1. TCU 15 1, Duke 14 1, Maryland 14 1, Virginia 12 1, NCAA Scoring Margin Off. Def. Margin 1. Florida Duke Wake Forest Virginia Maryland Maryland also is 10th in the country in field goal percentage (50.4) and 15th in 3-point field goal percentage (41.5). Juan Dixon is ranked fifth in the country with 3.3 steals per game. His career-high eight steals vs. Georgia Tech are the fifth-best figure in the country this season. Steve Blake is sixth in the nation with 7.7 assists. Lonny Baxter is 19th in the country with a 60.7 field goal percentage. MEN S BASKETBALL January 14, 2001 / at Florida State Hot Time In The ACC Led by second-ranked Duke, the ACC has four teams listed among the Top 10 and five teams in the Top 15 in this week s Associated Press men s basketball ranking. Duke (13-1) is ranked second, followed by Wake Forest (12-1) at sixth, North Carolina (11-2) at ninth, Virginia (11-1) at 10th and Maryland (11-3) at 14th. The last time the ACC had four teams ranked in the AP Top 10 was on Feb. 10, 1997, when Wake Forest was second, Duke was sixth, Clemson seventh and Maryland 10th. The most recent time that the ACC had five teams in the AP Top 15 was one week later on Feb. 17, 1997, when Wake Forest was fourth, Duke sixth, Clemson eighth, North Carolina 12th and Maryland 14th. Terps At Cole This Season In six home games, Maryland averages points with an average margin of At The Intermission Maryland has never trailed at halftime this season. Maryland has also scored at least 50 points by halftime in seven of its last eight games vs. Stony Brook; at Penn; vs. UMBC; vs. Norfolk State; vs. Chicago State; vs. UMES; at Clemson; vs. Georgia Tech. Teamwork And Balance... From top to bottom, Maryland has utilized nine regular players who have made steady contributions. Against Georgia Tech, all nine players scored at least four points. All nine had gotten into the scoring column just 11 minutes into the game. Eight different players average at least 5.0 points per game, including reserve center Mike Mardesich who averages 5.3, well above his previous career average of 3.8 and his junior average of 2.7. The Terps matched a school record with 37 assists in a win over Chicago State. Maryland s 21.9 assists per game lead the ACC. Six different players average 1.5 assists or better, with three players at 3.1 or higher. Sophomore point guard Steve Blake leads the ACC with 7.5 per contest.... And Depth 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. Added to the mix are Byron Mouton, runner-up as the 1998 Conference USA Rookie of the Year, who plays both the 2 and 3 positions; and 6-10 freshman Chris Wilcox who logs 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. 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 Juan Dixon leads the ACC in steals per game. 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). 7.0 Maryland s average blocked shots per game. 7.5 Steve Blake leads the ACC in assists per game. 14 Consecutive games that Maryland has led its opponent at halftime. 17 Consecutive games that Terence Morris has recorded at least one blocked shot. 21, 41 of 42 Juan Dixon has converted 21 consecutive free throws, and 41 of of his last 42. His first FT attempt at Clemson ended a previous string of 20 straight Juan Dixon s scoring average over the last 11 games. Dixon has scored at least 19 points in 10 of his last 11 games, including nine straight: 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 Juan Dixon s scoring average over the last nine games. 27 Consecutive weeks in the AP Top 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 Terps free throw percentage in their last three games (77-for-90).

4 MARYLAND BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK QUOTING GARY WILLIAMS Following are quotes from Gary Williams following the North Carolina and Georgia Tech games, and excerpts from his weekly Monday chat session at noon on ESPN.com. On the North Carolina game: "The start of the second half was the game basically. We did a good job controlling things the first half. I thought we played relatively well Mondays at Noon missed some shots that maybe we've been making, but that's going to happen some nights. You can't get upset about that. We came out the first ten minutes [of the second half] and lacked some of the defensive intensity that we had in the first half and they had more open looks. They made some shots obviously but they did have more open looks, too. Overall, it's very disappointing for me. I thought we were in a great position to win this game and we just didn't have the energy the first eight minutes of the second half. I thought we could win the game, even down 17, 18." On what the loss means to his team: "I told the players after the game that one game isn't going to determine our success or lack of success in the ACC. It's just the way it is this year. You don't want to lose at home, but we did, and now we have to go make up for that somewhere." On the Georgia Tech game: In the first half we really played with great intensity and were really quick in a lot of situations. We did a great job of getting the ball in transition to the right people. In the second half I thought Georgia Tech did a great job of going into the locker room and then coming out and playing hard. I don t think they changed a lot, I think they just continued to play hard. They ve got that into their program where they do that. We didn t respond really well with a 19-point lead coming out at halftime. I thought we had a few guys who might have thought the game was over. Any time you get into that situation with a team that can shoot the 3 s, and has a player like Jones on the inside, you re going to run into problems. And they made a great run at us. We had a couple of easy shots that we didn t make and we turned the ball over when I thought we were going to score, and they kept scoring. It just snowballed all of a sudden it was a tough game again. On continued improvement: I think it is really important when you are in our league this year to keep improving, and that s where we are. We want to get better. We will look at this game, see some things and work on them, and get ready for North Carolina. If you ever think you ve arrived this year, you are in for a rude awakening, so we have to play with the same intensity no matter how we shoot the ball or how we are playing. On the recent play of Terence Morris: Terence has really picked up his play. I saw in practice about two weeks ago, and beginning in the Clemson game, he has become the dominant player that I knew he was. Players sometimes get into slumps, and Terence really struggled at the beginning of the year. But he s worked hard to regain his form. Last season, five players averaged over 27 minutes per game. This season, just one, Juan Dixon, averages over as many (29.0, compared to his team-leading average of 34.0 last year). This season s bench has contributed 26.8 points per game, as compared to 12 points last season. Minutes* Points Starters Bench Starters 25.9 (1,942) 65.6 (984) Bench 26.8 (402) * Minutes average is per player Measuring Sticks When Maryland lost three straight games in November, criticism was pointed toward its lessthan-dominating inside presence. Only in last Wednesday s North Carolina game have the Terps statistically outrebounded its opponent (45-44) and shot more free throws (23-22) and not won the game. Now 15 games into the season, here are a few tendencies which tell the story. Maryland s Record When: Outrebounding the opponent Rebounds are tied Outrebounded by the opponent Shooting more free throws Shooting fewer free throws ,000-Point Trio Maryland s trio of Lonny Baxter, Terence Morris and Juan Dixon have reached rare distinction as they have become just the fourth Terp trio ever to boast 1,000 points on the same team. The Terps join Central Connecticut and Hofstra as the only current teams in the country with three active 1,000-point scorers. Baxter s seven points against Georgia Tech were enough for him to reach the plateau in his 81st career game, matching the same number of games in which Morris reached 1,000 last season. All three current players have reached the plateau during their junior seasons. Baxter is the 37th player overall, and the 16th sophomore or junior ever to reach the milestone. Maryland s 1,000-point trios: : Lonny Baxter, Juan Dixon, Terence Morris : Keith Booth, Exree Hipp, Johnny Rhodes, Duane Simpkins : Exree Hipp, Johnny Rhodes, Joe Smith : Ernest Graham, Albert King, Greg Manning, Buck Williams. A 1,000-Point Quartet? Maryland is on the verge of becoming the 38th Division I team to boast four 1,000-point scorers active in the same year. A fourth player, junior transfer Byron Mouton, is currently within 89 points of reaching 1,000, himself. He scored 728 points through his freshman and sophomore seasons at Tulane. No other team in the country currently boasts four active players with 1,000 career points, though two teams (Samford and Akron) ended the 2000 campaign with four 1,000 pointers. The 2001 Terps would become the sixth ACC team ever to boast four 1,000-point scorers active on the same team. Maryland would boast three of those six ACC teams (1996 Maryland, 1993 Florida State, 1986 Duke, 1982 Wake Forest, 1981 Maryland). If Joe Smith had stayed for his junior season, the 1996 Maryland team likely would have joined the 1993 FSU squad as the only ACC schools ever to field five active 1,000-point scorers on the same team. Games to Reach 1,000 Career Total Terence Morris 81 1,504 Juan Dixon 78 1,161 Lonny Baxter 81 1,024 Byron Mouton [69+] 911 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.), Juan Dixon (Baltimore, Md.) and Terence Morris (Frederick, Md.). Points And Steals Specialist Junior shooting guard Juan Dixon has scored at 19 or more points in nine straight games and 10 of 11 including a season-high 28 points last Saturday against Georgia Tech. (The top three scoring games of Dixon s career have all come against the Yellow Jackets: 31, 33, 28). A slasher and creative scorer, Dixon leads the Terps in scoring, with 18.7 points. He leads the team with 46 steals, including a total of 29 in his last six games. He posted a career-high eight steals against Georgia Tech. In his last six games, Dixon averages 23.5 points and 4.8 steals. Dixon needs just eight more steals to become the 20th player in ACC history to reach 200 for his career. He has made 41 of his last 42 free throws, with a current string of 21 in-a-row. He shot four of five at the line vs. Clemson to end a string of 20 consecutive free throws. Maryland s leading free throw shooter, he made a career-high 11 FTs against Georgia Tech and was perfect on 11 attempts. He was an all-tournament selection at the BB&T Classic, averaging 16 points in two games. 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. Dixon 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. Mr. All-Around Terence Morris currently leads the team in rebounds (6.8) and blocks (2.4), and is third in scoring (14.0). Morris has recorded back-to-back doubles-doubles in the past week: 19 points and 13 boards against Georgia Tech, 21 points and 12 rebounds against North Carolina. He has 21 career double-doubles.

5 MARYLAND BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK Against North Carolina, Morris was one point from becoming the first player since Keith Booth against Wake Forest in 1997 to lead Maryland in scoring (21), rebounds (12) and assists (5). He matched his career scoring high at Clemson, netting 26 points on 8 of 16 shooting against the Tigers. He was also perfect on a season-high seven free throw attempts, and led the team with eight rebounds. Morris averages 22.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks through three ACC games. He has combined for 95 points and 48 rebounds in his last five games, averaging 19.0 points and 9.6 boards during that span. He has had multiple blocks in 11 out of 15 games this season including a season-best four vs. North Carolina. He has had at least one block in every game, and in 17 straight dating to last season. He has had multiple blocked shots in 52 of 83 games in the last three seasons, and three or more blocks in 36 of those games. Morris is the third Maryland player and the 16th in ACC history to record more than 200 career blocks. He now has 213 and is 13th on the ACC career chart. He is the 12th player in Maryland history to score at least 1,500 points in his career. 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. 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. Inside Muscle Lonny Baxter is second on the team in points (17.3), rebounds (6.5). He leads the team in shooting percentage (59.1). Baxter s careerhigh 32 points came on 12 of 14 shooting against Norfolk State. Baxter hit his first seven shots, and scored 17 points in the first six minutes of the second half. He has scored in double figures in 20 of the last 22 games, dating to last season. After leading the ACC with 12 doubledoubles in , he recorded his first doubledouble of with 17 points and 12 boards against UMBC. Baxter was ranked as high as the No. 2 (Lindy s & The Sporting News) center in the country in preseason publications. Baxter led the ACC with 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in a sophomore campaign which also saw him produce 15.6 points. Touted among the top centers in the nation, his inside muscle has continued to pay dividends. Swat That! Maryland led the ACC and set a school record with 6.7 blocked shots per game in This season, the Terps are at it again with an ACCleading average of 7.0 through 15 games. Including 11 blocks against UMBC, the Terps have double-figure blocked shots three times this season. Maryland has at least six blocked shots in 10 of 15 games. Four different players (Lonny Baxter, Tahj Holden, Mike Mardesich, Terence Morris) have had at least three blocks in a game this season. Morris has had multiple blocks in 11 of 15 games, and at least one block in every game. Lonny Baxter has recorded at least one block in 14 of 15 games. Maryland blocked a Maui Invitational record 13 blocked shots in its loss to Dayton. The Terps were led by Baxter s tournament record of six by an individual. Transfer Starter Wednesday s loss to North Carolina was the first this season with junior transfer Byron Mouton in the starting lineup. The Terps are 10-1 with Mouton among the starting five. The explosive and crowd-pleasing Mouton had his best day as a Terp against UMES, sparking Maryland with a seasonhigh 28 points on 9 of 11 shooting while adding four steals, three rebounds and two assists. He also was perfect on eight free throw attempts. He posted 17 points and three assists at Clemson. He has scored in double figures in nine of 15 games this season. For the season, Mouton boasts an impressive 58.9 percent shooting clip. Not bad for a guy who s offensive repertoire consists mostly of slashing, off-balance and turnaround jumpers in traffic. In a three-game span from Dec. 3-9, Mouton scored 17, 19 and 20 points, averaging 18.7 points and 71.4 percent shooting in those three games. He has led the Terps in scoring four times, including a 17-point effort against GW in the championship game of the BB&T Classic. He was named to the all-tournament team at the BB&T Classic, alongside junior teammate Juan Dixon. Engineering The Point Sophomore Steve Blake is becoming one of the best veteran point guards in the country. Currently leading the ACC with 7.5 assists per game, Blake has averaged 9.3 assists through seven home dates in Blake posted a near triple-double against Norfolk State, pulling down a career-high eight rebounds with nine assists and 10 points. 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 15. This is the first week since Feb. 17, 1997 that five ACC teams have been 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 January 8, 2001 (Record)... Pts. LW 1. Stanford (70) (13-0)... 1, Duke (13-1)... 1, Michigan St. (12-1)... 1, Tennessee (14-1)... 1, Kansas (12-1)... 1, Wake Forest (12-1)... 1, Illinois (12-3)... 1, Florida (10-2)... 1, North Carolina (11-2)... 1, Virginia (11-1)... 1, Syracuse (13-1)... 1, Georgetown (13-0) Connecticut (12-2) Maryland (11-3) Seton Hall (10-3) Alabama (12-1) Wisconsin (10-2) Iowa St. (13-1) USC (12-2) Mississippi (13-1) Arizona (8-5) Oklahoma (11-2) Texas (11-2) Boston College (11-0) NR 25. Notre Dame (9-3) Others Receiving Votes: Iowa 147, Cincinnati 134, Missouri 31, Mississippi St. 26, Xavier 25, Baylor 21, Minnesota 20, Oregon 15, Fresno St. 12, Arkansas 10, Texas-El Paso 10, Indiana 2, South Carolina 2, Utah St. 2, Villanova 2, Coll. of Charleston 1, Marshall 1, SMU 1, South Florida 1, Vanderbilt 1. USA Today/ESPN Rankings January 7, 2001 (Record)... Pts. LW 1. Stanford (27) (13-0) Duke (1) (13-1) Michigan St. (3) (12-1) Tennessee (14-1) Kansas (12-1) Wake Forest (12-1) Florida (10-2) Illinois (12-3) Virginia (11-1) Syracuse (13-1) North Carolina (11-2) Connecticut (12-2) Georgetown (13-0) Alabama (12-1) Seton Hall (10-3) Maryland (11-3) Wisconsin (10-2) USC (12-2) Oklahoma (11-2) Arizona (8-5) Mississippi (13-1) Texas (11-2) Iowa St. (13-1) NR 24. Iowa (12-2) Notre Dame (9-3) Others Receiving Votes: Cincinnati 70, Xavier 39, Boston College 21, Utah St. 14, Fresno St. 9, Purdue 8, Arkansas 7, South Florida 6, BYU 5, Charlotte 5, Mississippi St. 5, Toledo 4, Dayton 3, Richmond 3, St. Bonaventure 3, Marshall 2, Wyoming 2, Minnesota 1, NC State 1, Pepperdine 1, St. Joseph s (Pa.) 1. In just 23 minutes against Stony Brook, Blake dished a career-high 13 assists, recording the most by a Terrapin since Steve Francis recorded 13 against Virginia in Three nights later at Penn, he drilled a timely 3-pointer and a pair of driving jumpers to help the Terps stave off a furious Quaker rally in the final minutes. All 10 of his points came in the game s final 3:55. He boasts at least five assists in 15 of 16 games dating to last season, and at least eight assists in six of his last nine outings. 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 point guards overall. 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. Mardesich Closing In On Marks Senior co-captain Mike Mardesich is closing in on Maryland records for career games played (116) and consecutive games played (116). The 7-foot reserve center needs 16 more games this year to surpass the existing record of 131 games, by Len Bias ( ). He needs to play 11 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 115 games overall. He missed last season s game at Clemson to end his consecutive games streak at Rankings Watch Terps and Opponents In The Polls Maryland AP High/Low 5/20 Maryland USA High/Low 6/19 Maryland Sagarin High/Low 9/42 Associated Press N N N D D D D J J SCHOOL ps Duke Wake Forest Illinois North Carolina Virginia Maryland Wisconsin Oklahoma Georgia Tech rv rv - Dayton rv rv rv 24 rv rv rv rv - - George Washington rv rv rv NC State rv rv rv - - rv Michigan rv USA Today/ESPN N N D D D D D J SCHOOL ps Duke Wake Forest Illinois Virginia 25 rv North Carolina Maryland Wisconsin Oklahoma NC State rv - rv rv rv - rv rv rv Dayton rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv rv Georgia Tech rv - rv rv - Louisville rv rv rv rv rv rv UMBC rv George Washington rv Michigan rv Sagarin Ratings N N D D D D D J J SCHOOL ps Duke Wake Forest Virginia Illinois North Carolina Wisconsin Maryland Oklahoma Georgia Tech Dayton NC State George Washington Louisville The New Mike Mardesich Mike Mardesich has shown vast improvement through his senior campaign, capitalizing on his size and increased mobility. At Clemson, Mardesich played 18 minutes including 12 in the second half down the stretch with Lonny Baxter in foul trouble. He scored five points against the Tigers, with six rebounds. In a similar role against Georgia Tech, he scored six points with seven rebounds in 19 minutes. He has totaled 16 rebounds in the last three games, both ACC contests. He averaged 3.5 career rebounds going into this season, and just 2.9 as a junior. Mardesich scored 11 points against Norfolk State and added a career-high 15 points against Chicago State to mark the first time in his career that the seven-footer has scored in double figures in consecutive games. Mardesich has scored in every game, and had scored five points or more in six straight games leading into last week s UNC contest. It was the longest such string of his career. His current stretch of five points or more in six of the last seven games is just the fourth time in his career, and the first since his freshman season, that he has scored five points or more in as many as three straight games. Mardesich has scored 44 points (7.3) with 26 rebounds (4.3) in his last six games. His career average before this season was just 3.8 points per game; his season average in was 2.7.

7 MARYLAND BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK Nicholas Fills Dual Role Regardless of which role he has been asked to play, Long Island native Drew Nicholas has been outstanding early in his sophomore season. Nicholas has assumed backup point guard chores as a sophomore. At the same time, he has become one of the Terps most deadly longrange shooters. He is second on the team in 3-pointers (20) and assists (50/3.3). Nicholas has hit 48.8 percent of his 3- point attempts this season, at one point ranking second in the ACC and among the top 10 nationally. Nicholas scorched the nets for 69 percent shooting overall in three games at Maui and continues to shoot 50.7 percent overall. 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. He has hit at least one 3-point basket in 13 of 15 games this season. He missed on four 3FG attempts at Clemson to end a string of 17 straight games with a 3-pointer dating to last season s ACC Tournament. New Role, Same Results Junior Danny Miller has taken to his new role, and has responded in his last seven games by averaging 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds compared to averages of 3.0 and 2.0 through the Terps first eight games. Last season, Miller averaged 8.5 points and 2.9 rebounds as a junior. Miller scored a season-high 13 points against Chicago State, and hit double figures again with 10 points in the win over Georgia Tech. He has scored at least six points in each of his last six games. He scored more than six just once in his first eight games. FG-A 3FG-A Reb Pts First 8 gms (2.1) 27 (3.4) Last 7 gms (5.6) 53 (7.6) Totals (3.1) 80 (5.3) 3-Point Goals Five different Terrapins scored 30 or more 3- point baskets in , and added this season is former Tulane scoring sensation Byron Mouton (who made 46 treys at Tulane in ). Maryland boasts a 179-game streak with at least one 3-pointer, dating to March 18, Noting The Rook Just one player is new to the Terps rotation in True freshman Chris Wilcox has seen game action in 14 of 15 games to date at both the power forward and center positions. After a slow beginning while the team got itself together, collectively, Wilcox showed continued promise by averaging 5.0 points (30) and 4.3 rebounds (26) over six games leading into the ACC schedule. He also saw an average of 14.1 minutes over those six games. Wilcox was the Terps leading rebounder with eight against Stony Brook. He has scored at least seven points on four occasions. The 6-10 native of Raleigh, N.C., has recorded at least one blocked shot in four of nine games played. Terps On ACC Career Lists Terence Morris is third on the Terps career chart for blocked shots, and 13th on the ACC career chart. Juan Dixon is fourth on the Maryland career chart for steals, and needs just eight more steals to become the 20th player in ACC history with 200 or more career steals. Terrapin Career Charts Terp veterans on Maryland career statistical charts. MARYLAND CAREER POINTS Points 1. Len Bias, , Albert King, , Adrian Branch, , John Lucas, , Tom McMillen, , Laron Profit, , Greg Manning, , Terence Morris, 1998-present... 1, Derrick Lewis, , Gene Shue, , Exree Hipp, , Joe Smith, , Bob Kessler, , Lee Brawley, , Jim O Brien, , Steve Sheppard, , Larry Gibson, , Obinna Ekezie, , Maurice Howard, , Buck Williams, , Juan Dixon, 1999-present... 1, Duane Simpkins, , Gary Ward, , Keith Gatlin, , Kevin McLinton, , Brad Davis, , Lonny Baxter, 1999-present... 1, Len Elmore, ,017 MARYLAND CAREER REBOUNDS Rebounds 1. Len Elmore, , Larry Gibson, Tom McMillen, Bob Kessler, Al Bunge, Terence Morris, 1998-present Len Bias, MARYLAND CAREER ASSISTS Assists 1. Keith Gatlin, / Kevin McLinton, Dutch Morley, Johnny Rhodes, Brad Davis, Walt Williams, Jeff Adkins, Ernest Graham, Steve Blake, 2000-present Albert King, MARYLAND CAREER BLOCKS Blocks 1. Derrick Lewis, Cedric Lewis, Terence Morris, 1998-present Joe Smith, Larry Gibson, Lonny Baxter, 1999-present Obinna Ekezie, MARYLAND CAREER STEALS Steals 1. Johnny Rhodes, Laron Profit, Keith Booth, Juan Dixon, 1999-present Terrell Stokes, Walt Williams, Dutch Morley, Terence Morris, 1998-present MARYLAND CAREER 3FGs 3FGs 1. Johnny Rhodes, Walt Williams, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Teyon McCoy, / Duane Simpkins, Juan Dixon, 1999-present Laron Profit, Terrell Stokes, Terence Morris, 1998-present Exree Hipp, Mario Lucas, Steve Hood, John Johnson, Drew Nicholas, 2000-present Danny Miller, 1999-present Keith Gatlin, / Road Warriors Maryland played its first six games all away from Cole Field House. It was Maryland s longest streak away from home to begin a season since the Terps began playing in Cole Field House in It was the longest streak away from home to begin a season since 1941, overall. Terps In The Polls Maryland carries a string of 27 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 47 of the last 49 polls, 51 of 54, 57 of 63 and 70 of the last 78 polls since Dec. 9, Of those 78 polls since December 9, 1996, Maryland has been in the Top 10, 24 times. Terps No. 1 In One Poll Maryland s No. 5 preseason ranking was the Terps best by the AP during the last 12 seasons under Gary Williams, but one preseason prognosticator actually chose the Terps for No. 1. Paul Baker s College Basketball Insights picked the Terps ahead of Duke, Arizona, Michigan State and Illinois in his annual preseason Top 20. Terps analysis: Best 1 thru 10 roster in the nation... Mouton is a secret weapon... Baxter- Dixon-Morris are the backbone... Pure point Blake is the heart... great bench... Nicholas at backup point is critical... strong vibes!