|
|
|
 | |
 |
 null 
|
Maryland Terrapins
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
Now that's an interesting question. How did the Terps get here? They took a detour through basketball Hades, following their best 39 minutes of the season with their worst 60 seconds against Duke in a 98-96 overtime loss to the Blue Devils, who rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final minute Jan. 27. The Terps were ranked eighth in the country that day, but that loss triggered a collapse that saw them lose four of their next five games, capped by a loss at home to (yuck) Florida State. Afterward, the home crowd booed the Terps, and coach Gary Williams booed back, sarcastically thanking them for their support on his post-game radio show broadcast throughout Cole Field House. So how did the Terps get here? While the non-conference schedule wasn't the best -- those wins over Louisville and Michigan might have counted a few years ago, but not now -- the Terps came up big in the conference. They swept Wake Forest, notched a big win against Georgia Tech but locked up a spot with back-to-back wins over then-No. 2 Duke and then No. 9 Virginia -- their first consecutive wins obver top 10 teams since 1976 and just the second time in history -- to close out the regular season. Maryland took Duke to the wire in the ACC Tournament, translating onto a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Terps escaped with a three-point win over George Mason in Round 1. Player to Watch Senior forward Terence Morris, a 6-9 forward with three-point range, is the Terps' top NBA prospect, but he has been that for years, and for years Maryland fans have been frustrated by his disinterest in taking over games. In ACC play he has picked up his scoring and rebounding to 16 points, 10 rebounds and almost three blocks per game, and still he draws criticism for playing too soft. In recent weeks he has shown more emotion and enthusiasm than normal, perhaps a reaction to the Terps' poorest stretch of play in his four years with the team. With the Ball Maryland runs a complicated series of set plays, with point guard Steve Blake getting almost as many of his assists in transition as the halfcourt game. Shooting guard Juan Dixon can stroke the three-pointer, has a wicked in-between game and can also score inside exceptionally well for such a small, skinny guard. Morris will slip behind the three-point arc a few times a game, while center Lonny Baxter (power moves) and small forward Byron Mouton (jumpers) are one-trick ponies. They're good tricks, though. Freshman Chris Wilcox, a 6-10 leaper, has been getting more minutes in the last month; watch the lob. Defending the Ball The Terps don't press as much as they have in the past when ball hawks like Steve Francis and Laron Profit were roaming the court, but Blake puts considerable pressure on the ball, and has the quickness and reach to cause most point guards trouble (see: Jason Williams, Duke). Morris is a sneaky shot-blocker, lurking around the lane to help on penetrating guards or move-making centers. Dixon has been the ACC's top thief the past two season, averaging almost three steals per game. Baxter is a danger to get into foul trouble against active big men. Seed Analysis Exceeding the Seed Playing to Expectations Falling Short BRACKETOLOGY SCORE: .958 (1.000 is playing exactly to a team's historical seeding) Bracketology Report 1985-2000: There is some validity to the notion that Maryland "underachieves" in the NCAA tournament. The Terps have not exceeded their seed since 1994, and they have fallen short of their pre-tournament placement in four of their last five trips. Ironically, head coach Gary Williams had his best NCAA showing with Maryland in the first berth of his era (1994), when the No. 10 Terps upset No. 2 UMass on the way to the Sweet 16.Roster
 NCAA Basketball Championship Week It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |  |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Despite the loss, coach Gary Williams is proud of Maryland's success this year (Courtesy: NCAA Productions).
ESPN's college hoops crew takes a look at the Duke-Maryland matchup.
