But Maryland rallied to an NCAA bid and 348 days later, when the Terps return to Littlejohn, they arrive in a completely different mind-set.

Riding a four-game winning streak, in which it has thumped opponents by an average of 28.2 points per game, Maryland (14-5, 4-1) is in first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference. But will returning to the scene of its last blowout defeat, Sunday at Clemson (15-6, 3-4), haunt coach Gary Williams’s team?

“It’s always good to start off well in the ACC and 4-1 is a great start,” said Maryland guard Eric Hayes. “But like coach said in the locker room, we still have 11 games left. We can’t relax now. Two weeks from now, if we let up, we could be 4-4.”

Littlejohn has not been friendly to Maryland. The Terps have lost three of their last four trips to Clemson, all by double-digit margins.

This Clemson team, however, appears vulnerable. After winning three straight and achieving a No. 16 ranking, the Tigers have lost three in a row. The last loss, Tuesday to visiting Boston College, came against a team that Maryland throttled at Chestnut Hill.

Clemson’s losing streak has corresponded with the sprained ankle of junior point guard Demontez Stitt, who is questionable for Sunday. With Stitt out, a heavy load falls to senior forward Trevor Booker (6-7, 240), who leads the Tigers in scoring (16.0 points per game) and rebounding (8.2 pg).

In its last two losses, Clemson has hit 5 of 29 shots from 3-point range (17 percent).

But Maryland has often been the remedy for what ails the Tigers, especially in Littlejohn. Will the Terps’ impressive momentum trump their history at Clemson? Maryland’s top scorer, Greivis Vasquez (17.8 ppg), always the target of rabid fans in the Carolinas, will have much say in the outcome.

“We’re playing Maryland basketball,” said Vasquez. “We’re following coach Williams’ system. We’re winning games. That’s all we’re doing.”

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