It was supposed to be a cakewalk.
With a roster of NBA-bound players anointed as the class of the Atlantic Coast Conference by the national media, North Carolina was expected to steamroll the competition with a perfect conference record.
Then Maryland came to town.
The Terrapins? 82-80 win in Chapel Hill Saturday struck like a 9.5 on the Richter scale, shaking the entire landscape of the ACC.
“Unfortunately today, people look at the first three or four games [of your conference schedule] and say that?s who you are. Maryland is getting better,” Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said. “Teams develop and get better over the course of the season. You might be seeing what Maryland eventually is by the end of the year.”
What onlookers also see is No. 4 North Carolina, which was No. 1 before Saturday?s loss, is not impenetrable.
“It?s always going to be a race for the top,” Boston College coach Al Skinner said. “You?re always going to pick a favorite, but the fact of the matter is you have to go out and play the games. You never know what?s going to happen on any given night. There?s always going to be favorites, but you have to play the games. And the results often times come out differently than you anticipate.”
After an 18-0 start, UNC is tied with Boston College at 3-1 in conference play, with No. 3 Duke (15-1 overall, 3-0 ACC) as the lone unbeaten left in the ACC.
Next up for Maryland (12-7, 2-2) is a chance at Duke ? and to climb into the top tier of the conference, ahead of the other three teams at .500. Duke visits Virginia Tech (11-7, 2-2) Thursday, but Maryland has the week off.
Maryland coach Gary Williams said the key for the Terrapins is to stay focused on defeating Duke ? not look ahead to upcoming games against Virginia and Georgia Tech next week.
“We have to handle the North Carolina game like the American game,” Gary Williams said. “We have to do a good job of not getting too high with a win or too high after a loss. Hopefully, we?ll be a mature team this week, but we?ll see what happens.”
TERRAPINS (12-7 overall, 2-2 ACC) VS. No. 3 DUKE BLUE DEVILS (15-1, 3-0 ACC)
» Tipoff: Sunday, 6:30 p.m.
» Where: Comcast Center
» TV/Radio: CSN/105.7 FM, 1300 AM
