Maryland Basketball

Under the direction of Gary Williams, Maryland basketball has reached heights previously unseen in the school’s history. Taking over a program in 1989 that was facing NCAA sanctions, Williams quickly went to work and turned around the fortunes of a proud program that had hit hard times.

Included among the numerous accomplishments during the Williams era are:

A school-record 11 straight NCAA Tournament appearances (1994-2004)

A school-record 14 straight postseason appearances (1994-present)

Seven Sweet 16 appearances

Consecutive Trips to the Final Four (2001, 2002)

2002 ACC Regular Season Championship

2004 ACC Tournament Championship

2002 NCAA National Championship

Taking over a team that won just nine games during the 1988-89 season, Williams posted an impressive 19-14 record in his first season at the helm in College Park. The 10-win improvement was the largest in school history and second-largest in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference by a first-year coach. The Terps advanced to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament, making Williams the only coach in school history to guide the Terps to the postseason in his first year.

After overcoming an NCAA probationary period from the previous regime, he has guided the Terps to a period of national prominence spanning over a decade in the nation’s most prestigious and competitive conference.

In just his fifth season in College Park, Williams guided the Terrapins to an NCAA Tournament appearance, as Maryland finished the year 18-12. The following season continued the program’s climb to the nation’s elite as the Terrapins tied for first place in the ACC with a 12-4 league record. Maryland finished the season 26-8 behind the consensus Player of the Year, Joe Smith. He earned six national player of the year awards and was named the ACC Player of the Year.

Following a 17-13 campaign in 1995-96 which saw the Terps earn their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, Maryland put together a string of eight consecutive seasons in which the Terps won no fewer than 20 games. The 1996-97 Terrapins were led by senior All-American Keith Booth. Maryland finished the year 21-11, the same record the Terrapins would post in 1997-98.

Behind junior All-American Steve Francis, Maryland recorded a then school-record 28 wins during the 1998-99 season. The Terps finished 13-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and advanced to the NCAA South Regional Semifinals. Although Francis spent just one season in College Park, he clearly left his mark. He was named First Team All-ACC and was named to the ACC All-Tournament Team. An ACC All-Defensive Team honoree, Francis was the second overall pick in the NBA draft by the Vancouver Grizzlies. He went on to be named NBA Co-Rookie of the Year in 2000.

The 2000 Terrapins, thought by many to be rebuilding posted 25 wins, a second-straight runner-up finish in the ACC, and their first appearance in the conference tournament final since 1984. That season, a testament to the hard-charging Williams’ ability to maximize the most out of his teams, would lay the groundwork for a special run the next two seasons.

Maryland was ranked No. 5 in preseason balloting to start the 2000-01 season. The Terps would not disappoint, finishing in the No. 4 spot at the end of the year. Williams became just the sixth coach since 1980 to direct his alma mater to the Final Four. It was a milestone for the program, marking the Terrapins’ first Final Four in school history. The Terrapins came on strong during the final stretch of the season, a hallmark of Williams’ teams, winning 10 of their last 12 games. Seven ranked teams fell to the Terrapins during that stretch. An 87-73 win over second-ranked Stanford gave Maryland its first NCAA regional title.

As if an encore was needed, Williams directed the 2002 Terrapins through a magical season. In the final year at historic Cole Field House, Maryland posted a school-record 32 wins, reached its second consecutive Final Four, and captured the program’s first national championship.

The Terps ran through the ACC with a record of 15-1 and finished the year with a perfect 15-0 mark at home. Maryland became the first program in NCAA history to reach the championship game by defeating the highest possible seed in each round. The Terrapins’ march trough the NCAA tournament featured wins over perennial powers Wisconsin, Kentucky, Connecticut, Kansas and a 64-52 triumph over Indiana in the title game.

After all he had given to the program as a player and coach, it was only fitting that the team returned the favor in March 2003 when the Terps’ 68-65 victory at NC State gave Williams his 500th career victory. He joined Syracuse’ Jim Boeheim as the only 500-win coaches currently guiding their alma mater. Maryland finished the year 21-10 and recorded an 11-5 mark in the league. The Terps advanced to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year and finished with their fourth Top 10 ranking in five seasons.

Guiding a youth-laden team in 2004, Williams displayed his penchant for having teams perform their best at the end of the season as Maryland captured its first ACC Tournament Championship since 1984. Williams guided the Terps to victories over the top three seeds: No. 3 Wake Forest, No. 2 NC State and top-seeded Duke. Overcoming a 21-point first-half deficit against the Wolfpack, Williams engineered the greatest comeback in the history of the ACC Tournament.

Back to back 19-13 seasons pushed the Terps’ consecutive postseason appearances streak to 13 years. In 2006-07 the Terps finished 25-9, capturing a 2K Sports College Hoops Classic title, before posting a 10-6 record in league play. Sweeping Duke and knocking off fifth-ranked North Carolina at Comcast Center gave the Terrapins their first sweep of the Blue Devils and Tar Heels since 1938-39. Victories over NC State and Wake Forest earned the Terps a sweep over every team from the state of North Carolina for the first time since 1932-33.

A proud program, the Terrapins have enjoyed one of the nation’s most intimidating home courts over the years. Maryland has won over 82 percent of its home games under Williams (227-49) and has proven to be almost unbeatable at home against non-conference competition as the Terps are 125-2 when hosting a non-league opponent. The Terps are 138-21 (.865) at home over the last ten seasons have posted a record of 72-14 (.837) since moving into Comcast Center in 2002-03.

The standard of excellence set by Williams at Maryland is nothing short of astounding. During that time the Terrapins have recorded 66 wins over Top 25 teams, while Williams leads all-active coaches with six victories over top-ranked opponents. The Terps have defeated at least one top-10 opponent in 14 of Williams’ 18 seasons in College Park.

With first class facilities, a rich tradition, All-American performers, and a determination to overcome all obstacles, Maryland basketball has assumed its rightful place as one of the nation’s truly elite programs.