ACC Tournament Preview

ACC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

A CHANCE TO REPEAT HISTORY

Ten years ago, guard John Gilchrist led an underdog Terps team on a historic run for the program’s first ACC tournament championship since 1984. This week, in their final conference tournament, the Terps have a similar chance to leave a lasting mark on the league.

By Aaron Kasinitz @AaronKazreports Senior staff writer

A

trophy in the shape of a glass pentagon with a wooden strip down the middle sat on a table on the concourse of Comcast Center on Sunday with a piece of a basketball net draped around it.

Several fans taking in the atmosphere before the Terrapins men’s basketball team’s final ACC regular-season game — an eventual 75-69 overtime win over then-No. 5 Virginia — strolled to the rope blocking off the table and

snapped pictures of the trophy. Others pointed and remarked on the scene to those around them.

The trophy and net likely evoked memories in those who marveled at the memento, memories of what took place in Greensboro, N.C., 10 years ago.

That’s when then-coach Gary Williams steered the No. 6-seed Terps to an improbable ACC Championship, when STORY CONTINUES ON P. 2

COURT STORM

SCOUTING AHEAD

THE B1G MOVE

‘IT’S HARD TO BREATHE IN THERE’

THE INSIDE TRACK ON FITTING IN

NOT TOO EARLY TO START LOOKING AHEAD

Players talk about the joyful yet uncomfortable scene on the Comcast Center court after the Terps upset then-No. 5 Virginia in overtime Sunday P. 5

Sports editors from newspapers at Big Ten schools weigh in on how the Terps should fit into their new conference after the impending move in July P. 5

The Terps tip off in the ACC tournament tomorrow, but the move to the Big Ten looms this summer. In the face of worries about the switch, columnist Daniel Gallen writes that things look good P. 7

2

THE DIAMONDBACK | ACC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014

“WE ALL HAVE GOOD GAMES AND BAD GAMES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. BUT IF YOU CAN COME UP BIG IN POSTSEASON PLAY — THE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS — THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF GAMES THAT PEOPLE REMEMBER YOU BY.” JOHN GILCHRIST

Former Terrapins men’s basketball guard GUARD JOHN GILCHRIST scored 26 points in the 2004 ACC tournament championship win over Duke. file photos/the diamondback; front, top: file photos/the diamondback; front, bottom: christian jenkins/the diamondback

ACC From PAGE 1 former Terps guard John Gilchrist dazzled fans with three stellar performances and when the Terps downed Duke in overtime to earn the trophy and the right to snip the net.

“I have had quite a few fans, mostly the older fans, come up to me and say in their minds, it was just

as important as the national championship,” Williams said Monday.

“That’s the feeling that was there about the ACC tournament.”

For once, the Terps didn’t leave the league tournament frustrated while watching Duke or North Carolina celebrate at the end of the weekend. Two years after the Terps captured the program’s only national title, they fi nally snatched their fi rst conference tournament

Thank You for Voting Hanami

Best Japanese & Best Sushi!

title since 1984. It was their season to sit atop the ACC. Much has changed since then, though. As the No. 8-seed Terps return to the Greensboro Coliseum to play No. 9-seed Florida State tomorrow in their fi nal ACC tournament before moving to the Big Ten, the program is in entirely different shape than it was 10 years ago.

Coach Mark Turgeon’s Terps probably need to win four games in

four days to capture the conference title and avoid missing out on the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight season. The team hasn’t been nationally ranked since 2010, and Comcast Center attendance has faded in recent seasons.

But the 10-year anniversary of the 2004 conference championship presents promise. As the Terps travel to Greensboro for one last shot at an ACC crown, they will aim to

emulate the string of upsets Williams and Gilchrist pulled off. And they’ll hope to spark a resurgence of a program that was a national powerhouse a decade ago.

“You go back and those were the years people were talking about Maryland,” said Dana O’Neil, an ESPN national college basketball reporter. “It wasn’t just another See ACC, Page 3

2 FREE CLASSES STUDENT RATES APPLY

$5 ALLOFF

$60.00 PER MONTH, UNLIMITED TRAINING

OPEN 4 EVENINGS & SAT MORNING

ACCESSORIES

Cannot be combined with any other offers

$89.99 iPHONE 5 GLASS

Now Serving Beer, Wine & Sake

REPLACEMENTS Smartphones and Computers

SINCE 1964 KIM STUDIO HAS BEEN TEACHING TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS IN THE WASHINGTON DC AREA. SELF DEFENSE, SPARRING, KATA & TRADITIONAL BUNKAI ARE TAUGHT IN A FUN AND FORMAL SETTING. ALL CLASSES ARE TAUGHT BY 4TH DEGREE BLACK BELTS OR HIGHER.

$10ALLOFF

5000 BERWYN RD. COLLEGE PARK, MD 240.391.8022

REPAIRS

HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/KIMSTUDIOCOLLEGEPARK

Earn Your Degree Faster!

2014 SUMMER SESSIONS May 27 - June 27

May 27 - August 1

June 9 - August 1

June 30 - August 1

1st 5-week session 8-week session

ter at Regis d.edu r harfo

10-week session

2nd 5-week session

14-0358

THE POWER TO MAKE YOUR SUMMER COUNT

Cannot be combined with any other offers

KNOX BOX FINAL YEAR 20142015

2, 3 & 4 BR UNITS AVAILABLE! CLOSE TO CAMPUS, BENTLEYS, CORNERSTONE, THE CATHOLIC STUDENT CENTER, HILLEL & THE COLLEGE PARK METRO PRIVATE ENTRANCE LAWN ACCESS

10%

DISCOUNTED PARKING

with UMD ID

IT’S A HARD KNOX LIFE ... ALL OVER AGAIN!

Discount

CALL 3017760162 OR GO ONLINE

KNOXBOXAPTS.COM

KNOX BOX

APARTMENTS

711 GORMAN AVENUE, SUITE A, LAUREL, MD 20707

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014 | ACC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW | THE DIAMONDBACK

3

COMCAST CENTER had the reputation of being one of the nation’s toughest places to play at in the early 2000s. file photo/the diamondback

ACC From PAGE 2 team in the ACC that was hoping to sort of assert itself and get into the mix. They were the mix.”

THREE-FOR-THREE When the Terps opened play in the ACC tournament against No. 3-seed Wake Forest 10 years ago today, they weren’t sure about their postseason prospects. With a loss to freshman point guard Chris Paul and the Demon Deacons, the No. 15 team in the country, the Terps would be in danger of missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in more than a decade.

“I remember us having to at least advance to the championship game to solidify an NCAA tournament berth,” Gilchrist said Saturday. “That was the most important thing.”

Gi lch r i st took ch a rge, scoring 16 points as the Terps topped Wake Forest, 87-86, despite a 30-point performance from Paul, who later

become the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft.

The next night, the Terps faced another daunting task a ga i n st No. 2-seed N.C. State. With his team trailing by 19 points at halftime, Gilchrist again took control of the game and scored 23 of his career-high 30 points in the second half to lead a comeback and another Terps win, 85-82.

That put the Terps in the championship game against top-seeded Duke, and they pulled off a third straight upset behind Gilchrist’s 26 points.

The fiery sophomore point guard shot 10-of-20 from the field in a 95-87 overtime win over the Blue Devils to cap a shocking run to the conference championship and a three-game string Williams said was as impressive as any run the ACC had ever seen.

“He was a n a mazi ng, streaky player,” Williams said.

“You never knew what you were going to get with John.

Obviously he had the ability, but to do it back-to-back-toback was something he wasn’t able to do during the season.”

Added Gilchrist: “We all

have good games and bad games and things of that nature. But if you can come up big in postseason play — the championship rounds — those are the type of games that people remember you by.”

While the victory served as the defining moment of Gilchrist’s career, he most vividly remembers returning to College Park, where fans stopped him everywhere — from Stamp Student Union to Route 1 — to congratulate him and sometimes even thank him for bringing the championship home.

Terps fans hadn’t experienced an ACC tournament championship since program great Len Bias starred on the team 20 years earlier. And to accomplish the feat, the team beat three North Carolina schools in a row.

“What I remember is how excited everybody in the town was,” Gilchrist said. “Everybody was excited. The D.C. metropolitan area is a huge sports town, and just to see everyone get so excited about the winning team and the See ACC, Page 4

GUARD JOHN GILCHRIST had a historic ACC tournament performance during the Terps’ most recent title run in 2004. file photo/the diamondback

Good luck to the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams in the ACC Tournament !

Beltway Plaza Mall is the discount shopping location for fashion, fun, food, community events & more!

Over 100 stores & restaurants including:

Marshalls ● Target ● Shopper’s World ● Foot Locker ● Burlington Coat Factory Academy 8 Theatres ● Joe’s Crab Shack ● Giant Food ● Silver Diner ● Mattress Warehouse 3 Brothers Restaurant ● Jersey Mike’s ● Planet Fitness ● Big Lots ● Jo Ann Fabrics Mattress Discounters● Staples ● Radio Shack ● Chipotle…and opening this spring TJ Maxx!

$5.00

Movie Tuesdays Customer Appreciation Movie Nights Allfeatures-Allday

Three Brothers Italian Restaurant

The "Big One"- Only $19.99 Includes X-Large Pizza, 8 Wings & 6 Mozzarella Sticks Additional toppings extra, Good only at Greenbelt Location, Cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts

UM SHUTTLE BUS

Beltway Plaza Mall

Take Bus #129

FRANKLIN PARK AT GREENBELT STATION

4

THE DIAMONDBACK | ACC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014

coach mark turgeon (left) and guard Dez Wells (right) will begin the Terps’ final ACC tournament tomorrow afternoon against No. 9-seed Florida State. The Terps last won the tournament 10 years ago behind coach Gary Williams and guard John Gilchrist. file photos/the diamondback

acc From PAGE 3 w i n n i ng product we put out on the floor, that meant everything.”

THE DROP-OFF The 2004 ACC Championship guaranteed that the Terps would make their 11th consecutive NCAA tournament. But Gilchrist struggled the next year and had a falling-out with the coaches.

Highly touted recruits such as McDonald’s All-American Mike Jones failed to meet expectations. And in 2005, the Terps didn’t hear their name called on Selection Sunday.

Such struggles have continued, and without four consecutive wins this weekend in their return to Greensboro, the Terps will likely miss the NCAA tournament for the seventh time since 2004.

“Those years with the national championship and the success right after it, it looked like it was rolling for a while,” O’Neil said Monday. “It’s just hard to keep it rolling.”

O’Neil points to missed

recruiting opportunities as a potential cause of the Terps’ stumble. Local stars such as Michael Beasley, Kevin Durant and Josh Selby are among the former top prospects and eventual NBA players who grew up in the area but played for other college teams in the past decade.

The Terps flashed glimpses of a return to prominence before Williams retired in 2011 — the 2009-10 team finished 13-3 in the ACC behind former guard Greivis Vasquez and shared the ACC regular-season title with Duke — but they haven’t been to the Sweet 16 since 2003, and four second-round NCAA tournament appearances since then represent their deepest advances in March.

That lack of success could make it more difficult for Turgeon to recruit top talent.

“It’s hard,” O’Neil said.

“K ids have a shor t-term memory, especially recruits.

If you haven’t been relevant to them in the last five years, like this, you kind of have to really resell things in terms of what Maryland will be instead of what Maryland was.”

Without marquee victories and a nationally competitive

“I WOULDN’T SAY THEY’VE FALLEN OFF THE MAP, BUT THEY’VE CERTAINLY GOTTEN A LITTLE MORE OFF THE RADAR IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. THE NAME HAS SOME RESONANCE AND SOME MEANING FOR THE PROGRAM TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT I THINK THE RESULTS NEED TO KIND OF CATCH UP A LITTLE BIT FOR IT TO GET BACK TO PROMINENCE.” DANA O’NEIL

ESPN college basketball reporter team, the Terps have also struggled to fill the seats at Comcast Center. Six seasons ago, the arena was packed to its capacity of 17,950 every conference game, but Sunday’s victory over Virginia was the Terps’ second sellout of this season and third home game with more than 17,000 in attendance.

“We expect a lot out of Maryland basketball, and it would really help us out moving forward if we could have crowds like that every night,” Turgeon said. “But we got to do our job as coaches and players to make sure our building’s full.”

T hat hasn’t been easy, though. T urgeon’s teams

have struggled to find consistency in his three seasons at the helm of the program as the Terps’ dominance in the early 2000s continues to fade into memory.

“I wouldn’t say they’ve fallen off the map, but they’ve certainly gotten a little more off the radar in the past few years,” O’Neil said. “The name has some resonance and some meaning for the program to a lot of people, but I think the results need to kind of catch up a little bit for it to get back to prominence.”

Project Managers

• Mud Wraps

Send resume to employment@magview.com

• Couple’s Room

MagView

• Relaxation Rooms • Slimming Body Wraps

20% OFF WITH UMD ID HAIR • NAILS • MAKE UP 6205 BALTIMORE AVENUE • HYATTSVILLE, MD 20737 • 301.509.0849

Prince George’s County Police Department

NOW HIRING

Healthcare Information Management Solutions

301-494-7600 • callionespa.com

For information call 301-794-1030 or 1-888-310-9736

7307 Baltimore Avenue • Suite 213 (across from Applebee’s)

Summer in Maine EAT. Males and females.

Meet new friends! Travel!

DRINK. SPORTS. Teach your favorite activity.

MARCH MADNESS ACTION ON 23 HDTVs & A 140 INCH HD SCREEN.

Tennis Canoe Water Ski Gymnastics Silver Jewelry English Riding Copper Enameling Basketball Field Hockey Softball Newsletter Lacrosse Theater Costumer

Swim Sail Kayak Archery Rocks Ropes Art Pottery Office Photo Soccer Dance

1400 Irving Street Northwest Washington, DC 20010 (202) 518-5687 • louscitybar.com

Learn to Read the Bible Effectively 12 week Course Thursdays, 7:30-9pm First Class 2/27

Tripp LakeFORCamp GIRLS 800.997.4347 www.tripplakecamp.com

Apply online at www.pgpolice.org

Introducing an exciting 12 week Bible Seminar that’s absolutely free with no obligation

June to August. Residential.

Enjoy our website. Apply online.

At the Columbia Heights Metro on the Green/Yellow Line

akasinitzdbk@gmail.com

Gilchrist knows all about expectations. He arrived in

• Hard Waxing

• Party Discounts

conference losses and finished .500 in league play, recording one win over a top-25 team.

The victory over the Cavaliers on Sunday sent fans onto the court in celebration, but the Terps fans who congratulated Gilchrist in 2004 and stared at the ACC trophy Sunday afternoon probably won’t get to watch the Terps in the NCAA tournament without a shocking run this weekend.

Ten years after Gilchrist and the Terps stunned the conference, the team will have one last chance to jolt hope into a frustrated fan base, and one last chance to leave an impression on the ACC. “I think it would mean a great deal to Maryland fans to win a few games down there, just like Sunday was big to beat Virginia in the last ACC game,” Williams said. “It’s that type of tournament this year.”

LAST CHANCE

NOW HIRING

• Newly Renovated

College Park in 2002 after the national championship and needed to help fill the void left by the departure of AllAmerican Juan Dixon. The next season, he took over for another Terps icon, Steve Blake, as the starting point guard.

And Gilchrist, who went undrafted after leaving this university before his senior season, knows the Terps have lofty standards. Though it’s been a decade since the Terps have won an ACC title, the achievements of Bias, Dixon, Blake and Gilchrist still loom over the program.

“With the bar being set by the basketball program over the years, sometimes expectations can be a heavy burden,” Gilchrist said.

This season’s Terps have felt that pressure competing in the program’s final season in the ACC after 61 years. And they’ve struggled during an uneven season.

The Terps suffered five non-

26018

Christadelphian Chapel 9240 Riggs Road Adelphi, MD 20783 301-439-0063

Register at www.HopeOfTheKingdom.com or email LearnToReadTheBible@juno.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014 | ACC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW | The Diamondback

5

In the eye of the storm After Sunday’s court storm following the Terps’ upset of then-No. 5 Virginia, the Terps detailed their experiences on the crowded Comcast Center floor “IT’S HOT. BUT IT’S THE BEST. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE TWO LAST YEAR, AND WE GOT ONE THIS YEAR. IT SHOWS THE SUPPORT YOU HAVE FROM THE FANS, AND EVERYBODY HAS YOUR BACK HERE IN COLLEGE PARK.”

By Aaron Kasinitz @AaronKazreports Senior staff writer Each Terrapins men’s basketball player had a slightly different experience in the middle of the celebration after the team’s 75-69 overtime victory over then-No. 5 Virginia in the ACC regular-season finale Sunday afternoon, but several Terps shared the same thought while stuck in the mob of students who stormed the Comcast Center court.

“It was good,” said forward Evan Smotrycz, who scored 13 first-half points in the victory. “And then it just got too hot and sweaty.”

Guard Seth Allen, who tried to fight through the crowd to talk with CBS announcers Marv Albert and Steve Kerr, agreed. Still, Allen relished the moment, gave several high-fives and enjoyed seeing the fans so excited.

Someone even tried to lift the sophomore floor general after he scored a game-high 20 points, including five in overtime, to help the Terps halt the Cavaliers’ 13-game winning streak.

“It’s hot,” said Allen. “But it’s the best. I was fortunate enough to have two last year, and we got one this year.

It shows the support you have from the fans, and everybody has your back here in College Park.”

Terps fans poured onto the floor after home victories over Duke and N.C. State last season, so many of the Terps have been in the situation before. Forward Jake Layman had been through enough on-court celebrations to know another one

SETH ALLEN

Terrapins men’s basketball guard

SUNDAY’S COURT STORM after the Terps upset then-No. 5 Virginia was the first at Comcast since the Terps’ win over Duke on Feb. 16, 2013 (above). file photo/the diamondback was coming when the Terps held off the Cavaliers behind his four free throws in overtime.

“I’m not really a fan of those,” Layman said. “It’s hard to breathe

in there.”

But Layman said he appreciated the moment with the fans and he even saw his two younger brothers celebrating at midcourt.

Coach Mark Turgeon said his biggest concern when fans rush the court is the safety of everyone involved. On Sunday, he helped protect a student who fell to the ground while

a group of fans streamed toward her.

“My whole deal is I have a really loud voice and I had a little pull out there today — if we would have lost they probably would have ran over me,” Turgeon said. “But I yelled ‘stop’ and everybody stopped, so I kind of felt pretty cool.”

Turgeon helped the student up, and no one suffered a serious injury during the court storming. And though his players might have been a bit warm in the thick of a frenzied group of fans after a thrilling win, the third-year coach wasn’t complaining. Neither was guard Dez Wells, the Terps’ leading scorer this season who scored 18 points in the win.

During a season in which the Terps suffered several demoralizing losses and, barring a run to the conference championship, will miss another NCAA tournament, the fans finally had a reason to get excited. So the Terps weren’t going to let anything dull their celebration.

“It was pretty cool,” Wells said.

“Really special thing to be a part of.” akasinitzdbk@gmail.com

THOUGHTS ON A B1G MOVE This weekend, the Terrapins men’s basketball team plays in the ACC tournament for the final time. But at this time next year, the Terps will be playing in the Big Ten tournament, and it’s not too early to look ahead. The Diamondback reached out to sports editors at student newspapers of Big Ten schools to get their thoughts on how the Terps will fit in with their new conference.

Responses below are edited for length and clarity:

Andrew Wittry, Indiana Daily Student

Greg Garno, The Michigan Daily

“I’m not sure what is the best definition of the Big Ten’s profile, but I’m confident that Maryland will have no problem fitting in with the conference. Maryland is a name with far more basketball success than Rutgers, so Rutgers is the more likely addition to not fit in the Big Ten, at least from the fans’ perspectives. Maryland has developed NBA-caliber players in the past and has had some postseason success, so as long as that continues, the university should be welcomed with open arms. Of course, Maryland will be linked with the ACC in the eyes of many fans. However, I think Maryland and the Big Ten will both benefit from the conference realignment.”

“It’s too early to say whether Maryland will be a good fit, but I think that because of its track record in basketball, its ability to help the Big Ten branch out into other sports such as lacrosse and the TV revenue it will bring in, it will do just fine. But I do think the geographic boundary is going to take time to accept.

“I was raised in the Midwest, and many of the Big Ten schools have different characteristics at their hearts. For example, you might call a sweet carbonated beverage soda, when it is properly called pop in the Midwest. My point here is that Maryland brings a different culture, which can be good.”

Eliot Sill, The Daily Illini

“The Big Ten, like any self-respecting top athletic conference, takes something of an elitist attitude toward expansion. When Nebraska joined a couple of years ago, it was all about when the Cornhuskers would earn their stripes in the Big Ten — which means competing in basketball as well as football. This year has been that year for Nebraska, and I’d say its pretty much part of the family now. I see a similar road for Maryland, but football will be the arena in which it needs to prove itself (which shouldn’t be too hard, given the Big Ten’s quality of football in recent years).”

Ava Wallace, The Daily Northwestern

“I don’t think Maryland will have any trouble fitting in here in the Big Ten. Especially in basketball, I would say Maryland doesn’t necessarily have the reputation as a physical, grind-it-out team like a lot of schools in the Big Ten do, so it might have to adapt to a slower, tougher style of play in some games. Even the faster-paced teams play hard and physically until the last whistle, usually.”

“I think it will take a year or two for fans in the Big Ten to adjust to Maryland and Rutgers joining the conference. However, I think Maryland will have no problem fitting in because of the school’s basketball tradition and fan base. Maryland will have the Big Ten’s most recent national championship, which ironically was in a title game against Indiana in 2002.

Jack Baer, The Daily Cardinal (Wisconsin)

“As a whole, I’d say we’re a bit better than the ACC basketballwise, but we also care less about basketball. There’s no real North CarolinaDuke situation (that’s reserved for football, with Ohio State-Michigan).

Michigan State is as close as we get to a perennial power nowadays, and the rest of the rivalries are much more based on recent events.

The league is currently in a bit of downward trend, going from the No. 1 to No. 2 conference in the Sagarin ratings.

“The worry is that these additions will dilute the Big Ten brand. In recent history, the Big Ten has added only two schools: Penn State and Nebraska. These were both slam dunk additions. Maryland and Rutgers feel much weaker. People are much more worried about Rutgers and recent scandals associated with them, but Maryland will still need to ‘prove’ itself before we stop harping on them. The easiest way I can think for Maryland to gain respect basketballwise is to just beat Indiana or Michigan State next year (highly regarded programs, should be fairly average next year) and to persuade everyone to gang up on Rutgers.”

6

THE DIAMONDBACK | ACC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014

chester lam/the diamondback

alik mcintosh/the diamondback

Feb. 8, 2014: vs. Florida State TERPS 83, SEMINOLES 71

Feb. 4, 2014: at North Carolina TAR HEELS 75, TERPS 63

alik mcintosh/the diamondback

Feb. 24, 2014: vs. Syracuse ORANGE 57, TERPS 55

gallen From PAGE 8 to them. It was really relieving.”

No. 4-seed North Carolina and No. 5-seed Pittsburgh are two of the other teams on the Terps’ side of the bracket that they could face down the road. Though the Terps have an 0-3 record against the Tar Heels and Panthers, those matchups came at different points in the season.

Pitt blew out the Terps in early

January, but when the two teams met later that month, the Terps fell by only four. In February, North Carolina jumped out to an early lead that seemed insurmountable, but the Terps came within three and played an unpredictable Tar Heels team relatively even down the stretch.

So while the Terps might not have wins to show for those matchups, there are some encouraging signs entering the weekend.

If the Terps want to return to the NCAA tournament for the first

FARM-TO-TABLE OPTIONS

VEGAN GLUTEN FREE FLEXITARIAN

5

SILVERDINER.COM

$ OFFWhenin thisyouad!bring

Jan. 25, 2014: vs. Pittsburgh PANTHERS 83, TERPS 79 to make something happen one last time in Greensboro, N.C. But we’ve also seen the erratic side of the Terps, a team that dropped back-to-back conference road games by at least 20 points in early January and dropped home games while favored to Oregon State and Boston during the nonconference slate. Though that version of the Terps hasn’t appeared recently, it’s still lurking and could appear when the pressure turns on.

“We do our best,” Wells said. “We

NOW HIRING LIFEGUARDS, SUPERVISORS, AND POOL MANAGERS IN PG, DC AND VA!

"A JOB SO HOT IT’S COOL"

GREENBELT PLAZA SHOPPING CENTER 6040 GREENBELT ROAD • GREENBELT, MD

SUN-THURS 7AM–12AM FRI & SAT 7AM–3AM

(301) 779-3900

Route 1 • Across from S. Campus • Visit us for lunch or dinner

Buy One Bagel with Cream Cheese, Get One

7668 STANDISH PLACE SUITE C • ROCKVILLE, MD 20855 301-948-2400 • WWW.COMMUNITYPOOLS.COM

dgallendbk@gmail.com

BAGEL PLACE

FREE

OPEN LATE!

play our best in tournament games.

Last year, that’s been shown for us.

But we got to go out there and execute and defend when we can.”

The Terps have one last chance to etch their names in the ACC history books before leaving for the Big Ten this summer. They haven’t won the ACC tournament crown since a remarkable run 10 years ago.

Right now, though, anything seems possible.

Voted College Park’s “Best Bagels”!

$85 OFF ON LIFEGUARD TRAINING

Must spend $15 or more

301-220-0028 GREENBELT SILVER DINER

FREE WIFI

time since 2010, they’ll likely have to win four games in four days to capture the ACC’s automatic bid.

And waiting in the championship game could be No. 2-seed Syracuse or No. 3-seed Duke. It won’t be easy.

The way the Terps have played at the end of the season is encouraging for anyone hoping for a deep ACC tournament run. They’ve gone toe-to-toe with some of the best teams in the conference — and in the nation — in the season’s final month, giving them the opportunity

alik mcintosh/the diamondback

Of equal or lesser value.

Not valid with other offers.

Catering available!

Sign Up for Our VIP Rewards Card!

$1.00

OFF

Any Specialty Sandwich Not valid with other offers.

ate 100% Gradusing Student Hou POSIT! NO SECURITY DE Y! PL AP TO FREE CLUDED! ALL UTILITIES IN

s UMD Shuttle Route Free Parking rinkler System New Fire Safety Sp Apartment Homes Recent Upgrades to n rde Ga ty uni Comm ffee & Tea Daily Complimentary Co iFi) Internet Included (W & UMD Telephone Office ch trea Ou ty uni mm Campus Police Co mmunity Located on the Co

3426 Tulane Dr., Hyattsville, MD 20783 Visit us online at graduatehousing.net

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014 | ACC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW | The Diamondback

7

Big Ten move shouldn’t lead to big worries

THE TERPS drew a big crowd at Comcast Center for their first and only ACC meeting against then-No. 4 Syracuse on Feb. 24. The Terps lost to the Orange in the final seconds, 57-55.

marquise mckine/the diamondback

Rivalries won’t be hard to come by for Terps, as Syracuse game shows DANIEL GALLEN At some point later this spring, or perhaps early this summer, the Comcast Center court will receive a bit of a makeover. Gone will be the ACC logo in the lanes that Terrapins men’s basketball team fans trampled during Sunday’s court storm. In its place the next time the Terps take the court for a regular-season game will be the Big Ten logo.

And for most who have watched countless Terps games on television or in person, it’s going to be a big change, one that’s been talked and worried about tirelessly for almost 16 months.

How will the Terps fit into the conference? Will people still come to Comcast Center to see these teams? What’s going to happen to the big games?

environment of the season before Sunday’s ACC finale, the Terps turned in one of their best performances in the season in the 57-55 loss, pushing Syracuse to the brink in yet another close loss.

And it’s a situation the Terps are going to be in frequently over the next few years.

Syracuse brought the perfect formu la to Comcast Center i n what could have been the first game of a budding rivalry: The Orange were a highly ranked team with a pedigree and a coach who is one of the most respected minds in the game in Jim Boeheim.

In the Big Ten, there are plenty of teams that fit that profi le. There are four teams ranked in this week’s top-25 and another that was receiving votes. This season, No. 12 Wisconsin, No. 22 Michigan State and No. 24 Ohio State all spent time in the top five, while No. 8 Michigan made a late run. Iowa was ranked in

When it comes down to it, there’s not much cause for concern when the likes of Michigan, Indiana and Michigan State visit Comcast Center next winter. Change, as always, is difficult, and the absence of a Duke or North Carolina game on the schedule might tug at some heartstrings. But the Terps — and their fans — have shown already they can adapt to realignment.

Just more than two weeks ago, t hen-No. 4 Sy racu se entered Comcast Center for the first and only time as an ACC opponent. Despite winning back-to-back national titles in the early 2000s and reputations as two of the region’s best basketball programs, the Terps and Orange had little history together.

The two teams had met seven times before, and the Feb. 24 contest was the third since 1980.

O n n at ion a l te l e v i s ion a n d playing before a sell out crowd at Comcast Center in the best home

FREE GARAGE PARKING & LARGEST ROOMS IN COLLEGE PARK

NOW LEASING FOR FALL 2014

the top 10 at times this season, too.

Sure, the Terps don’t have much history with any of those teams — though most people will remember Spartans guard Korie Lucious ending Greivis Vasquez’s college career in the 2010 NCAA tournament — but they didn’t have much to draw on for the matchup with Syracuse. When one of those teams visits, it’s not unreasonable to expect a similar turnout.

And everyone knows Terps fans loved to get their shots in at Boeheim, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina coach Roy Williams, but there are coaches in the Big Ten that can make for similar targets for the Comcast Center crowd.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is held in high esteem, while Ohio State coach Thad Matta, Michigan coach John Beilein, Indiana coach Tom Crean and Iowa coach Fran McCaffery are all known as excitable personalities on the sidelines. And that can draw a crowd’s ire easily.

Y A D O T P U N G I 4 S 1 0 2 L L A F Trendy & FOR

The Big Ten isn’t much different than the ACC. Expansion bloated both conferences and created a separation among the elite teams, the middle of the pack and the bottomfeeders. Fans could complain about teams such as Nebraska, Purdue and Rutgers, but is there really that much of a difference between those teams and the bottom of the ACC? So with Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and even regional rival Penn State visiting next season, there’s no shortage of teams that can draw well and produce a classic Comcast Center atmosphere.

After a season in which Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State all didn’t come to College Park, it should be a welcome change.

Besides, the Terps already proved they can draw a crowd and play a top team tough against Syracuse.

It’ll all be OK. dgallendbk@gmail.com

T&T Healthcare LLC

Specialists in Stress Management, Attention Deficit Disorder, Other Medical and Psychiatric Issues

STUDENT RATES

Call 301-441-3722 Nearby at 4700 Berwyn House Road

DISCREET and PERSONALIZED

Affordable!

RATES STARTING AS LOW AS $845

• WIFI • INDIVIDUAL LEASES • CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE • 24/7 LOUNGE & FITNESS CENTER • COVERED & GATED GARAGE • WEEKLY RESIDENT ACTIVITIES • STATE-OF-THE-ART TANNING ROOM • FREE 7-DAY SHUTTLE SERVICE • RESIDENT LIFE PROGRAM • ROOMMATE MATCHING SERVICE

ENCLAVE

THE

Luxury Student Living • Direct Shuttle to UMD Sparkling Pool w/Cabanas • 24-hour Fitness Center Free Tanning • Fully Furnished • All-Inclusive Community-Wide Wi-Fi • Guest Parking Residence Life Program

AT 8700

U N D E R

CAMPUS

call: 888.904.3264 info: text “mazza” to 47464 standard rates apply

N E W

M A N A G E M E N T

Visit: 8700enclave.com Call: 301.220.3143 Email: info@8700enclave.com

*SPRING SPACES ONLY: $700 FOR A 4 BED / 2 BATH; $750 FOR 4 BED / 4 BATH PLUS AN $87 PROCESSING FEE

www.contactlensassociates.net

15% OFF Non-Prescription Sunglasses

and/or Fendi e Nik 30% OFF Prescription Eyeglasses Gucci or Prescription Sunglasses Coach Sorry, no other discounts, offers and/or insurance can be combined with this coupon.

8

THE DIAMONDBACK | ACC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2014

THE LUCK OF THE DRAW

GUARD DEZ WELLS (left), forward Evan Smotrycz (right) and the Terps defeated Florida State a month ago after losing by 24 points in their first meeting in early January. The Terps and Seminoles meet tomorrow in the ACC tournament. chester lam/the diamondback

Based on seeding, recent play, Terps have potential to make noise in ACC tournament DANIEL GALLEN Images of the Terrapins men’s basketball team at the end of games during the regular season always seemed to follow a consistent pattern: downtrodden players walking slowly off the court after yet another bitter defeat in the final minutes of play.

Guard Dez Wells after Oregon State, forward Charles Mitchell at Duke and guard Nick Faust after Syracuse — their reactions all embodied the Terps’ season, one brimming with almosts and maybes.

After Sunday’s overtime win over then-No. 5 Virginia at Comcast Center in the ACC finale, though, it appears things have started to change.

Coach Mark Turgeon decided to do things differently; the Terps made big shots down the stretch; and the team overcame a demoralizing play at the end of regulation to exit the regular season with a 75-69 victory.

Entering tomorrow’s ACC tournament second-round matchup with No. 9-seed Florida State on a two-game winning streak, it seems like things have turned around at the perfect time for the No. 8-seed Terps.

“It gives us confidence. We won our last two games, so we’re going

into the ACC tournament with some momentum, with some swagger,” said guard Seth Allen, who scored a game-high 20 points Sunday. “So we’re going to go in and play our basketball, and when we share the basketball like we did, we’re unbeatable.”

The Terps were in play for the No. 7 seed in the tournament until N.C. State clinched it with a victory over Boston College later Sunday. It dropped the Terps down a peg, but it put them on a favorable side of the bracket.

The Seminoles routed the Terps by 24 points in January — in what Turgeon calls the last time the Terps were “embarrassed” — but they

came back with a 12-point victory last month at Comcast Center. In the second half, the Terps led by as many as 20, as Allen scored a career-high 32 points in the win.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow at noon, and if the Terps manage to come out on top, they’ll have yet another familiar foe awaiting them in No. 1-seed Virginia. While the Cavaliers entered Sunday’s game on a 13-game winning streak and seem poised to be one of the top teams in the NCAA tournament, the Terps played them tough in Charlottesville, Va., in early February, in addition to their victory.

In that matchup at John Paul

Jones Arena, the game turned on two plays — when guard Roddy Peters was blocked from behind on a fast break and when forward Evan Smotrycz missed an open 3-pointer.

Though the Terps lost by eight, they still hung with a team that was about embark on a significant run through the rest of the ACC. Then, of course, came Sunday’s win.

“This is a big relief,” Allen said.

“It shows everybody how good we are and how good we can be going into the tournament. Our fans were great; you got to give credit See GALLEN, Page 6

SPACES FILLING FAST

FOR FALL 2014

APPLY TODAY

to s e c u r e yo u r s p ot voted best off-campus housing

BY THE DIAMONDBACK READER’S CHOICE 3 YEARS IN A ROW

varsitycollegepark.com 8 1 5 0 B A LT I M O R E AV E • 3 0 1 . 4 4 6 . 3 7 9 0