When coach Gary Williams was asked whether Maryland’s game Thursday against Pittsburgh held any significance as a conference measuring stick between the ACC and Big East, his answer was pointed. “Five national championships in 10 years,” said Williams, referring to titles by his Terrapins (2001) and ACC rivals Duke (2001, 2010) and North Carolina (2005, 2009).
His point was made.
While Williams feels no need to prove anything about the strength of his own conference as the Terps head to Madison Square Garden for the 2K Sports Classic, there is much at stake in his constant crusade for respect for his put-upon team.
| UP NEXT | ||
| Maryland vs. No. 5 Pittsburgh | ||
| When » | Thursday, 7 p.m. | |
| Where » | Madison Square | |
| Garden, New York | ||
| TV » | ESPN2 | |
| Radio » | 980 AM | |
Over the last two weeks, Williams has voiced his disgust more than once at voters who ignored the Terps in the preseason Associated Press poll. Against No. 5 Pitt (3-0) on Thursday and either No. 13 Illinois (3-0) or unranked Texas (2-0) on Friday, Maryland (3-0) has the opportunity to prove it belongs.
“We want to win,” he said.
This is a big game for Maryland forward Jordan Williams, who was named ACC player of the week after posting three double-doubles, averaging 21.0 points and 13.7 rebounds.
The slimmed-down Williams (6-foot-10, 260 pounds) is excited for the chance to play at Madison Square Garden. He grew up in Connecticut watching Big East basketball. His uncle, Murray Williams, played for UConn.
“If you can’t get up at Madison Square Garden, then you might as well play archery as Coach Williams says,” Jordan Williams said. “We’re all really excited about it and have definitely matured from those games.”
The Terps’ foreign-born newcomers, Berend Weijs of the Netherlands and Haukur Palsson of Iceland, have talked of their anticipation of playing in New York, while it is a homecoming for sophomore forward James Padgett of Brooklyn and freshman forward Ashton Pankey of the Bronx.
Senior point guard Adrian Bowie called Madison Square Garden a “basketball mecca.” But he sounded as motivated by playing a team viewed as one of the nation’s elites and loaded with backcourt talent in senior Brad Wanamaker (19.3 points a game, 6.3 apg, 5.0 rpg) and junior Ashton Gibbs (19.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg).
“Anytime you play against a top-five team in the nation, that’s what you work hard for,” Bowie said. “You do all the work in the summer and preseason to play against a great team.”
