Seventy-six of Gary Williams? 599 career wins came courtside for Boston College.
It?s fitting, in a sense, that Williams? first shot at No. 600 comes in Chestnut Hill, Mass., where he spent four years of his career, including his first two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Fitting, perhaps, but no more meaningful to Williams.
“At the end of the year I?ll sit down and maybe look at it,” Williams said. “Right now, we?re playing Boston College, and I can?t be any different than I am for any other game.”
If anything, tonight?s game at Conte Forum (8 p.m., ESPNU) offers the Terrapins (14-8 overall, 4-3 ACC) a chance to avenge their conference-opening, 81-78 loss to the Eagles (12-8, 3-4) on Dec. 9.
Maryland trailed 25-22 at the half against the Eagles ? the only time this season the Terrapins were behind at intermission in a league game. The Terrapins are playing their best of the season, as they?ve won eight of 10, largely because the team has improved its confidence and ball-handling.
The Terrapins have scored in the 80s in each of the past four games ? something they had accomplished just once before playing Boston College.
“The one thing we have to work on now is trying to maintain that intensity for 40 minutes,” senior forward James Gist said. “We realize how we can play. We know what we?re capable of doing. Its just a matter of doing that for a whole game.”
Enter the ultimate motivator: Williams.
Williams, who turns 63 next month, refuses to change his approach, particularly because of the impending milestone.
“The players hear about it and things like that. I?m sure they look at me to see if I?m any different,” Williams said. “I have to be my usual patient self at practice.”
In his 30th year as a head coach, Williams is 599-336. In many ways, he is the same pursuing win No. 600 as he was chasing his first win.
“I still think he?s probably as intense as ever,” Boston College coach Al Skinner said. “I?m not sure how much he?s changed; I didn?t know him that early in his career. He?s still fiery, he?s still intense and he gets his team ready when he needs to.”
Williams would become the eighth active coach in Division I men?s basketball to amass 600 wins. The all-time leader in victories is Bob Knight, who retired from Texas Tech with 902 career wins on Monday.
Williams, like Knight, is known for his fiery, intense approach toward the game.
“There?s a lot of ways to get it done as a coach, just like anything else,” Williams said. “Certain coaches can sit there and not say much or look like they not say much, but it?s in there somewhere. I think you have to coach your own style. You can?t be somebody you?re not. Players pick up on that right away. I don?t try to be like anybody.”
