It?s been a pretty good week for James Gist. He began by scoring a career-high 30 points in a victory over N.C. State on Saturday, and two days later, was named the Sporting News National Player of the Week after leading his team to its fourth straight win.
But the senior forward?s week won?t be complete until Maryland (16-8 overall, 6-3 ACC) defeats No. 2 Duke (21-1, 9-0) tonight at 7 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., in front of a national television audience on ESPN.
“We have to keep our same focus,” Gist said. “We can?t get away from what we?ve been doing. We have to keep focusing on the very next game and make sure we?re prepared.”
But Cameron is not the friendly confines of Comcast Center.
Gist reflected on a moment his freshman year when, after giving his mom a hug and kiss before the game, Duke fans picked up on it when Gist was standing on the foul line.
“When I was shooting my free throws, they all started chanting, ?Momma?s Boy! Momma?s Boy!,?” Gist said. “That was the funniest thing I?ve probably seen from playing there.”
Duke?s frenzied fans, known as the Cameron Crazies, become bilingual when they chide Terrapins sophomore guard Greivis Vasquez.
“They?re very smart down there,” Maryland coach Gary Williams said sarcastically. “They figure Greivis is from Venezuela so that means he knows Spanish. It?s amazing. It just shows [how smart they are]. It?s part of 2008 where there?s trash talking on the court at every level. It?s true with fans. There?s trash-talking every place you play. I don?t mind it at all. I tell our players to enjoy it. If you look at it the right way, it?s funny.”
What was not funny to Maryland?s players was their loss to Duke at Comcast Center last month. The Blue Devils overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to down the Terrapins, 93-84, on Jan. 27.
“We have to play 40 minutes hard against Duke,” junior forward Dave Neal said. “It showed we couldn?t just put one half together. You have to put two good halves together to beat Duke.”
But Williams has found some success against a Duke team everyone else struggles to solve. The Terrapins, who are 60-102 against Duke all-time, have won five of the past eight meetings between the schools. Maryland is 4-4 in its past eight trips to Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“With huge games like this against No. 2 Duke, Coach Williams makes sure he?s more ready than anybody out here, including us,” Gist said. “He studies tape night in and night out. He just makes sure we?re ready. Nobody is more ready than Coach Williams for this game.”
Tonight?s game is pivotal for the Terrapins and especially Gist, who could be entering the final stretch of his basketball career. Maryland has seven games left ? three at home, four on the road ? before the conference tournament to prove it?s worthy of making the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year.
“I?ve got seven games left,” Gist said. “You?ve got seven more games to see the best of me.”
