Take care of business.
It?s a phrase Maryland junior forward Dave Neal uttered repeatedly when asked what the Terrapins must to do in this weekend?s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament to secure a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The easiest way for Maryland (18-13 overall, 8-8 ACC) to take care of business is to claim the conference tournament by winning four games in as many days at Charlotte Bobcats Arena in North Carolina.
“If we just win it, that?s the easiest thing to do,” Neal said. “We?re guaranteed in [the NCAA Tournament] if we win [the ACC Tournament]. Some people are saying [we?re in] if we win two games and play well in the semifinals. But the easiest way to do it is to take care of business and win it, and we?re guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament.”
That process begins tonight at approximately 9:30, when Maryland, the tournament?s six seed, plays 11th-seeded Boston College (13-16, 4-12), with the winner advancing to face third-seeded Clemson (22-8, 10-6) on Friday night at 9:30.
Neal says it?s a “great draw” for the Terrapins, who split the season series against the Eagles, 1-1. The Terrapins lost to Boston College, 81-78, in the conference opener on Dec. 9 in College Park. In that game, sophomore guard Greivis Vasquez fouled out with 10 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the second half. On Feb. 6, Vasquez scored 25 points as the Terrapins posted a 70-65 win, which was career victory No. 600 for Maryland coach Gary Williams.
But Maryland enters the conference tournament on a lull, having lost five of its past seven games, causing it to finish sixth with a league record of 8-8.
“We haven?t won these last few weeks and we?ve put ourselves in an ugly situation,” Maryland senior forward Bambale Osby said. “Our goal is to win an ACC Championship, and if we stick to winning, and preparing for teams like we?re supposed to, I think we?ll be fine.”
Williams prefers the Terrapins stay focused on the task at hand, which is stopping Boston College guards Tyrese Rice (21.3 ppg, 5.1 apg) and Rakim Sanders (11.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg), instead of paying attention to other conference tournaments across the country.
“You start doing that, you can go crazy,” Williams said. “That happens every year. You have to earn it. It?s gotten harder. It?s gotten harder for the major conferences to get as many teams as they used to, because of the automatic qualifiers. Depending on which side of the fence you?re on, its good or bad. I remember when you were 8-8 in a good league and you were in. There was no question about it. That?s obviously changed.”
