North Carolina (16-14, 6-10) vs. Maryland (19-8, 11-5)
Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum
7:00 p.m., RJ/ESPN2
Matt Doherty's Pregame Quotes
"We've got a heck of a challenge - we've probably struggled with [Maryland] more than any team in the league. Their size and experience has really give us trouble at home and on the road."
"I've really been impressived with Drew [Nicholas'] improvements as a player at Maryland. He really developed into a great player at Maryland. He's got the intangibles to go with talent - he's a tough kid who is a very competitive kid. And he has the speed, quickness, ability to shoot the basketball and play both guard spots. He's had a heck of a career and Maryland and being from Long Island I'm proud of him."
Gary Williams' Pregame Quotes
"We're very proud this year to finish as the No. 2 seed in the conference. We worked very hard to put together a team this year and it is gratifying - you always want to win the championship of the regular season but Wake Forest was the best team during the regular season and they deserve a lot of credit. ... On any given night any team can beat anybody, so it should be a great tournament for the fans and I'm looking forward to it."
10 Keys to Beating Maryland
by Brett Ayers
UNC has managed to get handily defeated in its two meetings with the
Maryland Terrapins this season. One of the oldest lexicons in the world of
sports is that it is very difficult to beat a team three times in one
season. In order for UNC to make that more reality then lexicon, there is a
definitive list of things they will need to accomplish and employ. One
of the biggest downfalls of UNC all season long, regardless of who was in
the line-up, has been their team defensive breakdown usually leading to
easy buckets and or offensive rebound opportunities. Here are ten things I
think UNC has to do in order to win this game against Maryland.
1. Block out, block out and oh, yeah, and block-out some more. UNC has
failed in key games to make body contact with opposing players and either
move them back and or move them under the basket. You don't have to be the
worlds strongest or biggest man, just a very determined one willing to get
in there and mix it up. Once that ball goes up Holden and Randle must
not be allowed to sit in those magical spots on either side of the basket with
hands up waiting for the ball to come off to them.
2. Stop Steve Blake. This is the key to everything that Maryland does.
Get up into him in the backcourt, even after a miss. Use Jackie to put
pressure on him and then when he crosses half court switch Raymond onto
him. Let Jackie get those long arms of his in Blake's line of sight and
keep him from kicking that ball up the court. This will also have the
effect of tiring Blake out as well. Use Holmes some if you have to here as
well. Blake comes off of a pick and roll; double-team him. Get the ball
out his hands and make him have to really exert himself to do it.
3. Defend the flex. Maryland will come and go with their usual flex in
situations like this. It is pretty customary for Williams to fall back on
Old Faithful. Get off that wing and on top of that first pick. When you
are defending the guy coming to pick down make sure you are also off and
giving your man defending the low block guy the room to slip that down pick
and perhaps get out and deny that guard to guard pass.
4. Communicate. I don't care where and what you are doing, call out picks
so that folks in the nose bleed seats can hear you. This has been woefully
absent from this UNC team pretty much the entire year.
5. Mix up your defenses. Use all kinds of different things. Straight man-to-man will not work against Maryland because of the match-up problems.
Make Maryland work on offense and in getting the ball up. Extend Maryland,
as a team, by pressing and making their big men have to come back up to the
ball. Throw 3/4 court and 1/2 court traps at them and maybe some run and
jump. They are not expecting that so play with them mentally. Put them on
the defensive when they have the ball. Don't let them get into things
easily.
6. Use your offense to tire out their big men and get them into some foul
trouble. Motion, motion and then a little more motion if they have not had
enough of it the first two times. A lot of high and wide five-out ball
reversing motion. Get guys cutting and keep everyone moving, especially
off the ball. Wait for picks, no more of this run-by picking that is
bordering on being illegal picks. Be smart and get in more than four passes
each possession unless a lay-up makes itself readily available. When
Sanders is in the game use him at the high post to set picks
for the guards to come off of and then have them roll after setting the
picks with their hands up.
7. Stay away from on the ball picks until after the ten-minute mark in the
second half. Get Maryland so wired to guard motion that suddenly they will
not be ready to react to any on the ball stuff.
8. On Maryland's quick hitters and entry plays stay up above the wing
players as they run along the baseline off of picks from the big men. Don't
get caught trailing so they can curl off of those picks.
9. Defensively know who is in the game and where they can hurt you. During
walk through of Maryland's stuff really engrain it in your memory. Don't
run out at someone who is not going to hurt you from where they are and get
yourself out of position defensively.
10. Shoot less than 20 threes for the game.
This Season vs. Maryland
Jan. 22 - L, 81-66
Feb. 22 - L, 96-56
Probable Starting Lineup:
Steve Blake (6-3, G, Sr.) – 11.3 ppg, 6.9 apg, 41% 3pt
Drew Nicholas (6-3, G, Sr.) – 17.2 ppg, 2.6 apg, 40% 3pt
Nik Caner-Medley (6-8, F, Fr.) – 5.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg
Tahj Holden (6-10, F, Sr.) – 8.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg
Ryan Randle (6-9, C, Sr.) – 12.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg
Key Reserves:
Calvin McCall (6-3, G, Sr.) – 4.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg
Jamar Smith (6-9, F, Jr.) – 5.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Travis Garrison (6-8, F, Fr.) – 4.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg
John Gilchrist (6-1, G, Fr.) – 4.2 ppg, 1.6 apg
Chris McCray (6-4, G, Fr.) – 3.4 ppg
Maryland Info
Schedule
Stats
Roster
Photo Gallery
Steve Blake ... Drew Nicholas
Ryan Randle ... Gary Williams
(Photos courtesy the AP.)