As the Associated Press' No. 2 team - its highest preseason ranking ever - Maryland is more than eager to show the ACC and the rest of the country that it can contend for the national title again this season. With only one starter - Terrence Morris - lost to graduation, the Terrapins have one of the most seasoned and experienced teams in the conference.
"To lose a three-year starter, you're always affected by that," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "We're looking to find a way to play the same way we played last year with a couple of different people out here."
Actually, Morris' impact and scoring ability had been waning since his standout sophomore year, and the Terrapins have a plethora of burgeoning talent that can replace his production.
Senior forward Byron Mouton, who transferred from Tulane last year, has shown great leadership on the floor, along with great athletic ability. He will start at the swingman position, backed up by one of the deepest backcourts in the country.
Junior point guard Steve Blake, who led Maryland last year with an average of 6.9 assists per game, has shown a knack for distributing the ball to his talented teammates. Then there is the backbone of the team, All-American senior guard Juan Dixon, who led the team in scoring with 18.2 points per game. Dixon earned his reputation in the NCAA tournament last year by scoring 85 points in five games and inspiring his team in late-round wins over Georgetown and Stanford.
"The big thing with Juan is that he's never stopped trying," Williams said. "Some players plateau when they get to college. Juan got to play with [former Maryland guard] Steve Francis for a year, and Steve has a great work ethic, and I think that really helped Juan to see what it took to be a great player."
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| COURTESY MARYLAND MEDIA RELATIONS |
Junior backup shooting guard Drew Nicholas also has developed into a key contributor off the bench for the Terrapins. He shot 42 percent from three-point range last season and should get more playing time this year.
In the frontcourt, senior center Lonny Baxter leads the way. He has been a solid performer alongside Dixon since the Francis days in 1998-99. Although Baxter is only 6-foot-8, he more than makes up for his lack of height with light feet and soft hands. Baxter takes pressure off the backcourt and can dictate the pace with his scoring, blocking and rebounding touch on any given night. He averaged 15.6 point, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
"He's very quick at 255" pounds, Williams said. "He's about 6-8 and he's comfortable playing against bigger players."
Junior forward Tahj Holden will be anchoring the post with Baxter. sophomore forward Chris Wilcox, who showed solid play in last year's tournament, will come off the bench to relieve Holden and Baxter.
Maryland has the talent to snatch the ACC title away from Duke. With the core of their team intact, the Terrapins are no doubt primed for another run at the national championship.
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