Both Terps, Deacons lost to William & Mary
If Maryland coach Gary Williams and Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio were registered on eHarmony.com, they would come up an instant match. After all, they have something very rare in common: Both lost at home to William & Mary.
Recommended Stories
While this ignominious distinction undoubtedly rankles the coaches from the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference, both can at least find solace that they weren’t the only ones.
Tonight when Maryland (10-4, 1-0) and Wake Forest (11-3, 1-1) meet in Winston Salem, however, the losses to mid-major William & Mary will be long forgotten. With the ACC regular season underway, both have bigger concerns.
While Wake is anxious to atone for Saturday’s 67-66 loss at Miami, Maryland looks to build on Sunday’s impressive 77-68 win over Florida State. Going on the road on a short turnaround, the Terps have the tougher task.
“We might be tired, but we won’t let down,” said Williams. “There was no champagne in the locker room. We’ll be ready to play.”
On Sunday, Maryland fared well against one of the ACC’s most physically imposing teams. Tuesday brings a similar challenge in Wake, which has a frontline that includes 6-9 sophomore Aminu Al-Farouq (16.8 points per game, 11.6 rpg) and a tandem of 7-foot seniors in the pivot, Chaz McFarland (6.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and David Weaver (3.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg).
After losing Jeff Teague and James Johnson to the NBA (both first-round picks), Wake has had a decent start, notching quality wins over Gonzaga, Xavier, Richmond and N.C. State.
“Wake Forest is different this year but they’re still very good, very big,” said Williams. “They’re probably quicker. With (Ishmael) Smith at the point, even though (Jeff) Teague is an NBA player, there is nobody quicker than Smith, foul line to foul line.”
The last time Maryland and Wake met, the Terps notched a must-win in the opening round of the ACC Tournament, which helped assure a berth in the NCAA Tournament. In their 75-64 win, the Terps were led by Greivis Vasquez (22 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists).
Vasquez was the straw that stirred Maryland Sunday night, as he had 22 points and five assists. When Florida State rallied twice in the second half, Vasquez had all the answers, first scoring nine of the points in a 14-4 run, then hitting a big 3-pointer when FSU pulled to within six points late.
