MARYLAND (15-10, 5-6) AT #22/22 VIRGINIA (19-6, 6-5)
Saturday, February 18, 2012 • 1 p.m. EST
Game #26 • Road Game #7 • Charlottesville, Va. • John Paul Jones Arena
Radio: Terrapin Sports Radio Network – Johnny Holliday (Play-by-Play), Chris Knoche (Analyst)
TV: ACC Network – Tim Brant (Play-by-Play), Cory Alexander (Analyst)-Locally on WNUV-TV.

• Maryland travels to Charlottesville for its first matchup of the season but the 176th all-time with Virginia, which is currently ranked 22nd in both polls. The Terps are tied with Clemson for seventh in the ACC with a 5-6 mark, just one game behind the fifth-place tie between the Cavaliers and Miami. Maryland and Virginia close the regular season on Sunday, March 4 at Comcast Center in a 2 p.m. matchup.
• Maryland scored its most lopsided victory of the season on Thursday in an 81-65 victory over Boston College. The Terrapins took control with a 14-0 run over a 2:45 stretch of the first half that gave Maryland an 18-10 lead. All 14 of those points were by sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin. The streak extended to a 29-4 run over 7:51 that put Maryland ahead 33-14 with 7:53 left before halftime. Stoglin had 19 of his game-high 24 in the first half.
• Stoglin set the sophomore record for 3-pointers in a season against BC, with his five giving him 68 for the year. Greivis Vasquez had 64 during the 2008 season for the record. Stoglin became the 16th Terrapin with 100 3-pointers in his career in that game and has tied Terence Morris (1995-99) for 15th on the all-time list with 101. Stoglin has accomplished that milestone in only 58 career games.
• Junior forward James Padgett came off the bench against BC for the first time in 14 games and played well. His 15 points (one off his career-high) came on near-perfect shooting, as he went 5-for-5 from the floor and 5-for-6 at the line. Padgett also had eight rebounds for the Terrapins.
• Maryland is in a tight stretch of quick turnarounds, with less than 48 hours between the BC and Virginia games. The Terps play three games in six days, including Tuesday’s home game with Miami.

Scouting the Cavaliers
• No. 22 Virginia enters Saturday’s game with a record of 19-6, including 6-5 in the ACC… However, the Cavaliers have dropped three of their last four and sit in a tie for fifth in the standings… Virginia is 12-1 at home with the lone blemish a 47-45 loss to Virginia Tech on Jan. 22.
• Senior forward Mike Scott, an ACC Player of the Year candidate, leads the team in scoring at 16.9 ppg, third in the league… He is also first in the conference in field-goal percentage (.596) and sixth in rebounding (8.2 rpg)… Sophomore guard Joe Harris is second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg)…. Junior guard Jontel Evans is fifth in the conference in both assists (3.7 apg) and steals (1.6 spg).
• Virginia is the top defensive team in the ACC… The Cavaliers are allowing a league-low 52.2 ppg… Opponents are shooting just 39.2 percent from the fl oor which ranks third in the ACC… The Cavaliers
also shoot the ball well, connecting on 46.1 percent of their field-goal attempts, fourth in the ACC
• Tony Bennett is in his third season as head coach… Prior to his stint there, he spent three seasons as head coach at Washington State, where he led the Cougars to two NCAA Tournament appearances.

Upcoming
Maryland has a little better than a 36-hour turnaround before its 1p.m. tipoff at Virginia on Saturday…The Terps then return home on Tuesday for their rematch against Miami (2/21)… Maryland has five
regular-season games on the schedule, two at home and three on the road… Of the five remaining, three are against nationally ranked teams, including the home-and-home with the Cavaliers.

Boston College (8-17, 3-8) at Maryland (14-10, 4-6)
Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012 | 9 p.m. | Comcast Center
ACC Network-WNUV 54 in Baltimore | Terrapin Sports Radio Network

Johnny Rhodes Named An ACC Tournament Legend

Former Maryland guard one of 12 players selected to 2012 class

    GREENSBORO, N.C.— Johnny Rhodes, one of the most versatile players in Atlantic Coast Conference history, who helped lead Maryland back to national prominence in the mid-1990’s, has been selected to the 2012 class of ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament Legends.

    The 12-man class was announced Tuesday by Commissioner John Swofford and includes a member of the ACC’s 50^th Anniversary basketball team, a National Player of the Year, three former All-Americas, six former All-ACC selections, ten former NBA Draft selections – including six first-round selections – and eight players who combined for 38 years of NBA experience.

    Rhodes, a native of Washington, D.C., is the ACC’s career steals leader and helped Maryland make three NCAA Tournament appearances in his four-year career. He is the only player in ACC history to score over 1,700 points (1,743) with over 700 rebounds (704), 400 assists (437) and 300 steals (344).

    Joining Rhodes in the class are former Wake Forest All-America Randolph Childress (Washington, D.C.), who led the Deacons to the 1995 ACC Championship, and former North Carolina All-America Kenny Smith (Queens, N.Y.), who led the Tar Heels to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and was named the National Player of the Year by Basketball Times in 1987.

    Also in the class are Boston College’s John Bagley (Stratford, Conn.), who was named a third-team (NABC) All-America in 1982; Clemson’s Sharone Wright (Macon, Ga.), a powerful post player for the Tigers who earned All-ACC honors in 1993 and 1994; Duke’s Kenny Dennard (King, N.C.), one of the key cogs of the Blue Devils 1978 Final Four team who helped lead Duke to ACC titles in 1978 and 1980; Florida State’s James Collins (Jacksonville, Fla), a high-scoring wingman who was a three-time All-ACC selection in 1995, 1996 and 1997; Georgia Tech’s Malcolm Mackey (Chattanooga, Tenn.), a powerful post player who helped lead Georgia Tech to ACC Championships in 1990 and 1993.

    Completing this year’s ACC Legends Class are Miami’s Ron Godfrey (Coral Springs, Fla.), an Honorable Mention All-America forward for the Hurricanes in the 1960’s who also served as head coach for four seasons; NC State’s Todd Fuller (Charlotte, N.C.), a prodigious presence in the paint for the Wolfpack who earned All-ACC honors in 1994, 1995, and 1996; Virginia’s Lee Raker (Louisville, Ky.), a versatile forward who helped lead the Cavaliers to the 1981 NCAA Final Four; and Virginia Tech’s Dale Solomon (Annapolis, Md.), a high-scoring forward who helped lead the Hokies to two NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT berth.

   The Legends will be honored at this year’s ACC’s Men’s Basketball Tournament at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga., March 8-11. They will be feted at the annual ACC Legends Brunch, which will be held Saturday, March 10, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel, and, later that day, will be introduced to the Philips Arena crowd at halftime of the first semifinal game. Ticket information for the ACC Legends Brunch is available on the ACC website at theACC.com.

   Rhodes (1992-96), the ACC’s career leader in steals, started four seasons for coach Gary Williams at Maryland, leading the Terrapins back to national prominence. An extremely versatile guard who played point or wing guard, Rhodes is the only player in ACC history to score over 1,700 points (1,743) with over 700 rebounds (704), 400 assists (437) and 300 steals (344). He helped the Terrapins post a 73-49 overall record during his four seasons in College Park, including three straight (1994, 95, 96) appearances in the NCAA Tournament. He was named to the 1993 ACC All-Freshman team, then earned 3^rd-team All-ACC honors as a junior and 2^nd-team All-ACC accolades as a senior in 1996. He still holds the ACC career record for steals per game (2.82), and his 110 steals and 3.7 steals per game in 1996 are still league standards. He totaled 704 rebounds in his career, the third-best mark by an ACC backcourtman, trailing only Georgia Tech’s Bruce Dalrymple (744) and Florida State’s Bob Sura (714). A native of Washington, D.C., Rhodes owns his own construction firm, Rhodes Construction, in the D.C. area, and is working towards starting the Johnny Rhodes Foundation.

   Bagley (1979-82), one of the top playmaking guards in Boston College history, played three seasons for the Eagles for Coach Dr. Tom Davis and led BC to a 64-27 record and one NIT and two NCAA tournament appearances. The first Eagle to earn Big East Player of the Year honors (1980-81), Bagley was an explosive scorer who averaged nearly 18 points per game and led BC in scoring in each of his three seasons at the Heights. A two-time All-Big East selection, he averaged 20.4 points per game in leading the Eagles to the 1980-81 Big East regular-season championship and the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. The following year, Bagley upped his production to 21.1 points per game and led BC to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight. He was named to the NCAA all-tournament teams for both the 1981 Mideast Regional and the 1982 Midwest Regional. Bagley left BC after his junior season and was the 12^th overall pick in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1982 NBA Draft. He enjoyed an 11-year career in the NBA for the Cavaliers, the New Jersey Nets, the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks. Inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995, he currently resides in Stratford, Conn., and is working to reintroduce athletics into the middle school system of his hometown, Bridgeport, Conn.

   Wright (1991-94), a dominating 6-11 presence in the low post for the teams of Coach Cliff Ellis in the early 1990’s, still ranks 5^th on the ACC’s career list for blocked shots per game (3.13). An Honorable Mention All-America (AP) in 1994, he was one of 20 nominees for the Naismith Award that year. He led the ACC in blocked shots in 1992 and 1993 and finished 3^rd in 1994. He ranked 6^th on the Clemson career list for rebounds and 4^th in rebounds per game. He still holds the Clemson single-season record for blocked shots (124) and was the only player in the ACC to average in double figures in points and rebounds in both 1994 and 1995. Named a Freshman All-America by Basketball Weekly in 1992, he was named a 3^rd-team All-ACC selection in 1993 and 2^nd-team honors in 1994. As a member of the U.S. team which participated in the 1993 World Games, he shot 73 percent from the field and averaged 10 points a game in leading the U.S. to the gold medal. He was the first Clemson player to declare early for the NBA Draft and was the 6th overall selection on the first round of the 1994 draft by the Philadelphia 76’ers. He played five seasons in the NBA with Philadelphia and Toronto and was named to the 1994-95 NBA All-Rookie team. His NBA career was cut short by a severe auto accident early in his fifth professional season. Wright currently resides in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., where he is involved in various basketball coaching projects.

   Dennard (1978-81), a versatile 6-8 forward who was effective inside or outside for the Duke teams of Bill Foster and Mike Krzyzewski of the late 1970’s and early ‘80s, helped lead Duke to the 1978 NCAA Final Four and two ACC Championships in 1978 and 1980. Dennard helped the Blue Devils compile a 90-37 record in his four seasons in Durham, including three NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT berth. He was named to the 1978 ACC All-Tournament second team in his freshman season. Dennard played three seasons for Bill Foster (1978-80) and one for Mike Krzyzewski and was named team captain in his senior season. Drafted in the 4^th round of the 1981 NBA Draft by Kansas City, he played three seasons in the NBA for Kansas City (1982-83) and Denver (1984). He finished his career shooting 51.3 percent from the field and is one of seven Duke players who have totaled over 1,000 points (1,057), 650 rebounds (671) and 200 assists (232) in his career. A native of King, N.C., Dennard is the managing partner at Dennard, Rupp, Gray and Lascar, an investor relations firm based in Houston, Texas. He will be a 30-year cancer survivor this coming September and has served on the Coaches vs. Cancer National Council since 1996. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Nadine, for 27 years and they have a son, Mason (17).

    Collins (1993-97), a high-scoring wing guard for the Florida State teams of Pat Kennedy, was a three-time All-ACC honoree. Collins was named 3^rd-team All-ACC in 1995 and 1996 and garnered 2^nd-team honors as a senior in 1997. That year he led Florida State to a 20-12 record and to the finals of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) where they lost to Michigan. He completed his career as the third leading scorer in school history with 1,793 points. He also still ranks in the FSU all-time Top 10 for field goals (645), field goal attempts, three-point field goals made (255) and three-point field goals attempted (686) and made 37.1 percent of his shots from three-point range. Collins was drafted as the 36^th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2^nd round of the 1997 NBA Draft. He played one season in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers (1998) and spent one year (1999) in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) before playing professionally nine seasons in Europe. A native of Jacksonville, Fla., he currently is the head basketball coach at his high school alma mater, Andrew Jackson High School in Jacksonville.

   Mackey (1990-93), Georgia Tech’s all-time leading rebounder who was a low post force for the Jackets both offensively and defensively, helped lead the Tech to a four-year record of 87-43 which included four NCAA Tournament appearances. Mackey completed his career with 1,205 rebounds, a total which ranks 11^th-best in ACC history. He also had 199 career blocked shots, which ranks 26^th on the ACC career list.  Mackey was named 2^nd-team All-ACC in 1993 and 3rd-team All-ACC  in 1992. An Honorable Mention All-America in 1993 by United Press International, he was also a 2nd-team All-District in 1993 by the NABC. Mackey remains Tech’s career leader in rebounds (1,205), games played (130) and games started (127). He was named to the ACC All-Tournament teams in 1990 (3rd team) and 1992 (2nd team). He is the only Tech player to start for two ACC championship teams (1990,1993). The 27^th overall pick in the first-round of the 1993 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, he played one season in the NBA and 11 seasons professionally in the CBA, Europe, China and Puerto Rico. A native of Chattanooga, Tenn., he currently is the Internet Sales Manager at Hennessey GMC Buick and is also serving as a landlord for several properties in McDonough, Ga.

   Godfrey (1958-61), one of the finest forwards to play at Miami, was an honorable mention All-America as a senior in 1961. He finished his career ranked in the Top Ten in seven career categories in the Miami record book including 7^th in points (1,384), 7^th in field goals made (518), 6^th in free throws made (384) and 7^th in rebounds (767). Godfrey’s totals of 159 free throws made and 207 free throws attempted in 1960 still rank 5^th and 6^th in the Hurricane career lists. His total of 22 made free throws against Oklahoma City in 1960 is still tied with Rick Barry for the most made in a game by a Miami player. For his career, he averaged 17.5 points a game. Playing alongside former Miami All-America Dick Hickox, Godfrey helped lead the Hurricanes to their first-ever NCAA tournament bid in 1960 as the Canes finished with a sparkling 23-4 record. In his senior year, Godfrey led Miami to a 20-7 mark and a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. In his three varsity seasons, Godfrey helped the Hurricanes to a 61-18 record. As a coach, he guided Miami for four seasons, leading the Hurricanes to championships in the 1967 Hurricane Classic and the 1968 Marshall Tournament and was inducted into the Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. A native of Martins Ferry, Ohio, he now resides in Coral Springs, Fla.

   Smith (1983-87), one of the top point guards in North Carolina basketball history, Smith ended his career second in ACC history only to Wake Forest’s Muggsy Bogues in career assists with 768, averaging 6.1 per for each of his 127 career games. His assist total still ranks ninth on the ACC’s career list.  Coached by the legendary Dean Smith, he helped lead North Carolina to a 115-19 record during his four varsity seasons. Smith also helped North Carolina to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Elite Eight in both 1985 and 1987. He was named the National Player of the Year by Basketball Times in 1987 and also earned consensus first-team All-America honors that year. He was a 2^nd-team All-ACC honoree in 1985 and 1986 and earned first-team honors as a senior in 1987. The 6^th pick in the first round of the 1987 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, he played 11 seasons in the NBA for Sacramento, Atlanta, Houston, Detroit, Orlando and Denver. A member of the 1988 NBA All-Rookie team while with Sacramento, he was a part of two NBA Championship squads (1994, 1995) while with the Houston Rockets. He scored 9,397 points (12.9 avg.), grabbed 1,424 rebounds (2.0 avg.) and passed out 4,073 assists (5.5 avg.) during his NBA career. In 1998, he joined Turner Sports and has since served as a basketball TV analyst for Turner Sports, NBA TV and CBS-TV for the NBA and for the NCAA Basketball Tournament. A native of Queens, N.Y. who attended Archbishop Molloy High School, he now resides in Atlanta, Ga.

   Fuller (1992-96), a strong low-post presence for the NC State teams of coach Les Robinson in the mid-1990s, led the ACC in scoring as a senior in 1996, averaging 20.9 points per game. The 6-11 center finished 4^th in the ACC in rebounding in 1995 and 5^th in 1996. He earned first-team All-ACC honors in as a senior in 1996 and was a third team choice as a sophomore (1994) and a second-team selection as a junior (1995). Also an excellent student, he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from NC State in 1996 in Applied Mathematics. He was named to the All-ACC Academic team in each of his four seasons and he was a two-time first-team Academic All-America, earning that honor in 1995 and 1996. He declined to accept the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship in order to play professional basketball. He was the 11^th overall pick in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors and went on to play five seasons in the NBA with Golden State, Utah, Charlotte and Miami. He also played professionally six seasons in Spain, Poland, Greece and Australia. He sponsors an annual mathematics competition for Raleigh, N.C., area high school students through NC State, called the “Todd Fuller Math Competition.” He also has a scholarship fund arranged through the NC State Physical and Mathematical Sciences college. In 2007, the Wolfpack honored him by hanging his jersey, number 52, from the roof of the RBC Center.

   Raker (1977-81) combined with high school teammate Jeff Lamp and Virginia All-America Ralph Sampson to lead Virginia to two of the most successful seasons in school history in 1980 and 1981 for coach Terry Holland. An excellent shooter, defender and passer, Raker helped lead the Cavaliers to a 24-10 record which included the championship of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 1980. UVa followed that up with a 29-4 record in 1981, including a 13-1 mark in the ACC and first place during the regular season. UVa advanced to the NCAA Final Four, garnering 3^rd-place national honors with a win over LSU in the consolation game. At one point, Raker helped the Cavaliers win eight consecutive post-season games, still a school record. Virginia finished the 1981 campaign ranked 5^th in the final AP poll and 3^rd in UPI. During his four collegiate seasons,  Raker helped lead Virginia to a 92-32 overall record, averaging in double figures in scoring each year, and shooting 50.3 percent from the field for his collegiate career. He completed his career with 1,423 points, which still ranks 20th on Virginia’s career scoring list. He also led the 1979 squad in field goal percentage and was named a 2^nd-team All-ACC selection that year. An excellent student, Raker was twice named to the All-ACC Academic Basketball squad (1980, 1981) and earned first-team Academic All-America honors in 1981. He was selected in the 4^th round of the 1981 NBA Draft by San Diego. A native of Louisville, Ky., he is now the Head of Investor Relations with Camber Capital Management LLC and lives in the Boston, Mass. area.

   Solomon (1978-82), one of the best basketball players in Virginia Tech history, was a 6-9 center-forward who combined power with a soft shooting touch. He helped the Tech teams of Charlie Moir to a four-year record of 78-41 which included two NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT berth. Solomon led Tech in scoring in each of his four  seasons and ended his career with 2,136 points which still ranks 4^th on the Hokies’ career scoring list. Solomon’s career scoring average (18.4) is Tech’s 9th best. His career field goal percentage of .567 is the second best in Tech history and his 856 career rebounds rank 7th. He was named to the first-team All-Metro Conference in each of his four seasons. Solomon was named the Metro Conference Tournament MVP and Freshman of the Year in 1979, leading the Hokies to the Metro Conference championship. Solomon was selected in the 3^rd round of the 1982 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers but did not play in the NBA. He did play professionally in Italy for 12 seasons. A native of Annapolis, Md., Solomon is currently living in his hometown.

   Childress (1991-95) turned in one of the spectacular performances in the history of the ACC Tournament in his senior season, as the sharpshooting guard led Wake Forest to the 1995 ACC Championship by averaging 35.7 points and 7 assists per game in the Tournament’s three contests. That year, Childress, playing for coach Dave Odom, saved his best for last, scoring 37 points and passing out 7 assists. In that title game, he connected on the game-winning jump shot with only four seconds remaining in overtime as Wake defeated North Carolina, 82-80. For his efforts, he was named the winner of the Everett Case Award as the 1995 Tournament’s MVP. He also was named the winner of the McKevlin Award as the ACC’s Overall Athlete of the Year for the 1994-95 school year. A second-team All-America selection in 1995, he was named first-team All-ACC in 1994 and 1995 and 2^nd-team All-ACC in 1993. He scored 2,208 points during his career, which still ranks 18^th on the ACC ‘s career scoring list, and he made 329 three-point field goals, the 5^th-highest total in ACC history. He helped lead the Demon Deacons to a four-year record of 85-39 which included four appearances in the NCAA Tournament and two trips to the NCAA Sweet 16. He was twice named to the ACC All-Tournament team in 1994 and 1995. Childress ranked 3^rd in scoring in the ACC in 1993 and 1994 and finished 2^nd in 1994. Selected as the 19^th overall choice of the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 1995 NBA Draft, he played two seasons in the NBA with Detroit and Portland. He then played 14 professional seasons in Turkey, France, Italy and Australia. In 2002, he was named to the ACC’s 50^th Anniversary Basketball Team as one of its Top 50 basketball players. A native of Washington, D.C., he recently returned to Winston-Salem to serve as an Assistant to the Athletic Director of Wake Forest.

LEGENDS BRUNCH

   The Legends will be honored at this year’s ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament in Atlanta at the annual ACC Basketball Legends Brunch, which will be held on Saturday, March 10 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. Hosted by television personalities Tim Brant and Mike Hogewood, tickets for the ACC Men’s Basketball Legends Brunch are priced at $35 each and tables of ten are available for $350 each. Information on purchasing tickets may be obtained at the official ACC website—www.theACC.com/ACCtournament.

   2012 ACC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT LEGENDS ROSTER

   Name School Years Position Hometown (Current Hometown)

   John Bagley   Boston College 1979-82 Guard Bridgeport, Conn. (Stratford, Conn.)

   Sharone Wright Clemson 1991-94 Center Macon, Ga.  (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)

   Kenny Dennard Duke 1977-81 Forward King, N.C. (Houston, Texas)

   James Collins Florida State 1993-97 Guard Jacksonville, Fla.. (same) 

   Malcolm Mackey Georgia Tech 1989-93 Forward/Ctr. Chattanooga, Tenn. (McDonough, Ga.)

   Johnny Rhodes Maryland 1992-96 Guard Washington, D.C. (same )

   Ron Godfrey Miami 1958-61 Guard Martins Ferry, Ohio (Coral Springs, Fla.)

   Kenny Smith North Carolina 1983-87 Guard Queens, N.Y. (Atlanta, Ga.)

   Todd Fuller NC State 1992-96 Center Charlotte, N.C.. (same)

   Lee Raker Virginia 1977-81 Forward Louisville, Ky. (Boston, Mass.)

   Dale Solomon Virginia Tech 1978-82 Forward Annapolis, Md. (same)

   Randolph Childress Wake Forest 1991-95 Guard Washington, D.C. (Winston-Salem, N.C.)

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — While I don’t think University of Maryland guard Terrell Stoglin has ever uttered the exact words before, they sounded particularly familiar.

“We came short again from getting that signature win.”

If Stoglin has never uttered some a combination of words before, I know for sure that I have. I’d be willing to guess that Terrapins fans throughout the Baltimore and Washington areas and across the country have said either the exact combination of words or at least something remarkably similar.

Maryland was predictably “almost there” in their 83-74 loss to the University of North Carolina Saturday at Comcast Center. The Terps (13-9, 3-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) had a second half lead and never appeared to be out of it, but couldn’t muster up enough to knock off the #5 Tar Heels (20-3, 7-1 ACC) and give head coach Mark Turgeon his first marquee victory since replacing the legendary Gary Williams.

One of the culprits this time was offensive rebounds, as 19 second chances (on 39 missed field goals) became 18 second chance points for UNC. On the other side, Maryland had just 13 second chance opportunities (on 36 missed field goals) and converted those into just 12 second chance points.

“I know I’m going to watch the tape and probably be disappointed in our effort on the glass, (which) is something I’m on these guys about” Turgeon said after the loss. “I’ve never had more trouble getting a team to be more physical on box outs. We’ve worked on it, we talk about it, we work on it every day.”

Another culprit was Maryland’s inability to turn turnovers into points, as 14 Carolina turnovers resulted in just 11 Maryland points while 13 Maryland turnovers lead to 18 Carolina points.

As I feel like I’ve said before, they were very close to beating a quality opponent. They just weren’t quite good enough. Even Turgeon suggested in his body language (and a few uncharacteristic short answers) that this close call was a bit more frustrating than some of the other near-misses they’ve had against good teams this season.

It feels like a broken record. Much like in losses to Duke, Florida State, Tempe and Illinois earlier in the season; the Terrapins were in no ways blown off the floor by a superior opponent. They played at times exactly the way they needed to play in order to win games, but they just managed to let it slip away during a stretch where they got away from what makes them good.

“(We) had a stretch in the second half where we couldn’t get into anything” Turgeon said. “(Guard) Pe’Shon (Howard) was on the bench. (We) just didn’t look like we could get into anything, and when (North Carolina C/F Tyler) Zeller was out I thought we could’ve made a run.”

This is exactly the scenario that allowed what was once a 48-39 Maryland lead in the second to become a 50-50 tie in less than five minutes of game play.

Maryland is a good team. Well, they’re at least an improving team. They’re certainly better than the team that was blown out by both Alabama and Iona in the 5-hour Energy Puerto Rico Tip-Off in November. They’re just not going to be good enough to make any sort of imprint before the end of the season.

They’re not going to get into the NCAA Tournament, but we already knew that. They’re probably not going to make much of a charge in the ACC Tournament. They’re likely to find themselves on the outside looking in at even the NIT. They still have four games left against ranked teams (home and home against Virginia, games at Duke and North Carolina); but it is still hard to imagine this team improving enough to do more than perhaps steal one of two against the Cavaliers, and that’s honestly a best case scenario.

It will be tough for this team to show marked progress before the end of Turgeon’s first season, but it doesn’t make Maryland basketball a hopeless cause.

In fact, Turgeon probably said it best again after the loss.

“Obviously we’d like to win a couple more. We went to the wire the other night (in a 2OT loss to Miami), great comeback, great effort, really proud of our guys but we lost. Today we competed against the #5/#6 team in the country, great home crowd, lot of fun. I don’t look at 3-5. I really don’t. I’m going to look at the film and see how I can make them better.”

He then wrapped with this.

“You know what I need to do tonight to make myself feel better is pop in the Radford tape (the last game the team played before C Alex Len returned from suspension) and then pop in this tape to see how much better we’ve gotten in a little over a month. The kids are growing up, our preparation is better. We’re just not there yet.”

He’s right.

-G

Virginia Tech (12-8, 1-4) at Maryland (12-7, 2-3)
Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 | 2:30 p.m. | Comcast Center
ACC Network-WNUV 54 in Baltimore | Terrapin Sports Radio Network

ESPN announces its extensive 2012 college lacrosse coverage across ESPN, ESPNU and ESPN3 with a schedule featuring nationally-ranked programs, top-caliber games and the addition of the ACC Men’s and Women’s and BIG EAST Men’s Lacrosse Championships. The schedule includes 49 total games – featuring 39 regular-season matchups, 37 men’s and two women’s games – plus the crowing of six conference champions on ESPNU and ESPN3. Coverage begins with No. 4 Johns Hopkins hosting Towson on Friday, Feb. 17, at noon on ESPNU.

Schedule highlights:

• At least one appearance from each team in the top 10 of Inside Lacrosse Division Preseason Rankings and 14 of the 16 teams that qualified for the 2011 NCAA Championship, including seven appearances from the defending champion Virginia
• ESPN will air two top-10 games – No. 7 Syracuse at No. 1 Virginia on Sunday, March 4, at 4:30 p.m. and the Cavaliers at No. 6 North Carolina on Sunday, April 7, at noon
• A rematch of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship game between No. 8 Maryland and top-ranked Virginia on Saturday, March 31, at noon on ESPNU
• ESPN3 will offer eight exclusive games including three appearances by second-ranked Duke – at No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday, Feb. 18, at No. 8 Maryland on Saturday, March 3 and at Georgetown on Saturday, March 24
• Games from four in-season tournaments – Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic (Baltimore) on Saturday, March 10, Konica Minolta Big City Classic (East Rutherford, N.J.) on Sunday, April 1, ESPNU Warrior Classic (Charlotte, N.C.) on Saturday, April 14 and Mile High Classic (Denver) on Friday, April 27
• ESPNU will carry two regular-season women’s games plus the ACC Women’s Lacrosse Championship title match as part of ACC Monday on Monday, April 23, at 3 p.m.
• Five men’s conference champions will be crowned on ESPNU or ESPN3
  • The entire ACC Championship will air live on ESPNU beginning with the semifinals on Friday, April 20 at 5 and 7:30 p.m. and the title game on Sunday, April 22, at 3 p.m.
  • ESPNU will carry the final game of the BIG EAST Championship on Saturday, May 5, at noon along with the first semifinal on Thursday, May 3, at 4:30 p.m.; in addition, the second semifinal tilt will be at 7 p.m. on ESPN3
  • ESPN3 will be the home to the Ivy League Championship semifinals on Friday, May 4, at 5 and 8 p.m., while ESPNU will offer the title game that Sunday at noon
  • The America East and ECAC champions will be crowned on ESPN3

This season, the network’s telecasts will include a deep roster of experienced and knowledgeable lacrosse analysts: Ryan Boyle (Four-time All-American at Princeton), Paul Carcaterra (All-American at Syracuse and a member of 1995 National Championship team), Mark Dixon (former Johns Hopkins midfielder), Ryan Flanagan (All-American defenseman at UNC), Quint Kessenich (Four-time All-American at Johns Hopkins), Jamie Munro (All-American at Brown and former Denver head coach) and Matt Ward (former Virginia attackman and 2006 Tewaaraton winner). Play-by-play announcers include: ESPNU’s Anish Shroff, Joe Beninati (Bowdoin College goalie), Mike Corey, Ben Holden and Eamon McAnaney (Notre Dame defenseman). Newcomer Courtney Martinez Connor (Four-time NCAA Championship at Maryland) will handle analysis of the women’s games.

ESPN Network’s 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Regular-Season Schedule (Schedule subject to change; all times are Eastern) 

* – tape delay; rankings from Inside Lacrosse Preseason Poll

For the sixth straight year, ESPN networks will provide exclusive coverage of all 15 games from the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship. Coverage will be in high definition across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU beginning Saturday, May 12 and concluding with the national title game on Monday, May 28. ESPN3 and ESPN Mobile will also feature select games. In addition, the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship semifinals and national title game will be aired on ESPN networks on Friday, May 25 and Sunday, May 27.

COLLEGE PARK, MD. – Maryland men’s lacrosse coach John Tillman has released the Terps’ 2012 schedule. The schedule features six games against teams that made the 2011 NCAA tournament and seven home games scheduled for Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium.

Tickets will not be needed for the April 28 match vs. Bellarmine as that will be the featured athletic event of Maryland Day and will be open to the public as a part of the festivities on campus.

In addition to the Maryland Day game, the home schedule also features the rematch of the 2011 NCAA championship game in College Park as Maryland hosts Virginia on March 31 at noon and the annual intra-state rivalry with Navy on April 6 at 7 p.m.

“As always, this is a challenging schedule that will test our team from beginning to end,” said Tillman, who is entering his second season at the helm of the Terrapin program.

The Terps are coming off last year’s 13-5 campaign that saw them capture the ACC championship and reach the finals of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998. Maryland returns five regular starters from last season’s squad, but also returns All-America face-off man Curtis Holmes.

Following two preseason scrimmages, the 2012 schedule kicks off with the first-ever meeting with Hartford on Feb. 18.

The following weekend finds Maryland traveling to Washington, D.C., for its annual showdown with Georgetown on Friday, Feb. 24.

The Terps then host its first ACC game of the season, a rematch of the ACC title game vs. Duke on March 3.

The team then has a quick turnaround with a road game at intra-state rival UMBC on Tuesday, March. 6.

The team plays Marist for the first time on March 10, before hosting Villanova on March 17.

The Terps conclude their ACC schedule with back-to-back games with North Carolina and Virginia. Maryland visits the Tar Heels on March 24, before hosting the Cavaliers on March 31. Both games are scheduled for noon starts.

Maryland hosts Navy in a primetime Friday night game on April 6 before traveling to Johns Hopkins on April 14 for the 108th meeting of “Lacrosse’s Greatest Rivalry.”

Maryland then travels to Charlottesville, Va., for the 2012 ACC Tournament at Klöckner Stadium on April 20 and 22.

The Terps will play at Mount St. Mary’s on April 25 before wrapping up the home schedule with Senior Day vs. Bellarmine on April 28.

A road game at Colgate on May 5 will provide the final tune-up for the NCAA tournament, which is set to begin on the weekend on May 12-13 and conclude with the National Championship game on Memorial Day, May 28, in Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Virginia’s Mike Scott has been named ACC Player of the Week and Maryland’s Alex Len was selected ACC Rookie of the Week.

In earning Player of the Week honors for the third time in four weeks, Scott averaged 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in leading the 21st-ranked Cavaliers to wins at LSU and home against Miami. The Chesapeake, Va., senior was 14-for-29 (48.3 percent) from the field in the two games and made seven of his nine free throw attempts (77.8 percent). Scott had 12 points and nine rebounds in Monday’s 57-52 win at LSU, snapping the Tigers’ seven-game winning streak. In Saturday’s 52-51 win over Miami, Scott had 23 points and eight rebounds.

Len averaged 13.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in two games as Maryland split two games.  The Antratsit, Ukraine, native had a double-double in his first career ACC game, with 12 points and 11 rebounds and two blocked shots in a 79-74 loss at NC State. Earlier in the week, Len had 15 points and nine rebounds, going 5-for-5 from the floor, in a 70-62 win over Cornell on Tuesday. In his four games this season, Len is shooting 76.9 from the floor (20-for-26), while averaging 13.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game.

ACC

SETTING THE STAGE: Towson will play its first CAA road game Wednesday against CAA Preseason favorite Drexel after hosting George Mason and Northeastern in the Tigers’ first two league games. The game, set to tip from the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia at 7 p.m., can be heard live on WNST-AM (1570).

ROAD WARRIORS: Starting Wednesday, Towson will play three of its next four games on the road.The last time the Tigers were on the road, they played perhaps their best game of the season at No. 23 Virginia. Towson led by as many as eight and the Cavaliers could never extend their advantage to double digits in the game.

FAMILIAR FOE: Towson and Drexel played three times last year and the Dragons eliminated the Tigers from the CAA Tournament with a 75-69 opening round victory. Drexel has won five straight in the series and Towson has not won in Philadelphia since Jan. 12, 2002.

DEFENSE & REBOUNDING: Tiger head coach Pat Skerry has preached defense and rebounding to his players since the start of preseason and lately they have been getting the message. Towson has held three straight opponents to 65 points or fewer and consecutive foes to less than 60 points, including No. 23 Virginia. The Tigers rank sixth in the CAA in both rebounding margin (+1.6) and blocked shots (3.7 bpg). Towson has corralled 39.6 percent of its offensive misses this season, a mark that leads the CAA. Both Robert Nwankwo and Marcus Damas rank in the Top 15 in the CAA in rebounding.

LEADING FRESHMAN: Towson point guard Kris Walden leads all CAA freshmen and ranks ninth in the league in assists per game. Walden is averaging 3.1 dimes per contest.

LAST TIME OUT: Despite a career-high 14 points from sophomore Erique Gumbs, Northeastern pulled out a 57-48 Colonial Athletic Association victory over Towson Monday night. Gumbs, who made five of nine shots from the floor, added six rebounds and two blocked shots to his impressive stat line. Tiger sophomore Marcus Damas added 14 points for his seventh double figure scoring effort in the last eight games. Freshman Jervon Pressley scored a career-high 11 points and had six rebounds in the loss.

Towson outrebounded Northeastern, 36-28, but the Huskies took advantage of 19 Tiger turnovers that they turned into 28 points.

SCOUTING THE DRAGONS: Drexel (8-5, 0-2 CAA) had a six-game winning streak snapped Monday at Georgia State. The Dragons are a perfect 4-0 at home this season, winning by an average of 9.5 points per game. Preseason All-CAA First Team selection Samme Givens leads Drexel in both scoring (12.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.1 rpg). Chris Fouch led Drexel with 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting at Georgia State Monday.

The Dragons and Tigers have just one common opponent thus far in the season. Drexel lost to Virginia in the Paradise Jam, 49-35, while Towson lost at Virginia, 57-50 just last week.