Terps Look To Get Back With Defense

One of the most pressing issues for Maryland in almost all of its ACC losses had been erratic shooting, not defensive intensity. So when the defensive effort Gary Williams had come to expect from his team was virtually nonexistent in the Terrapins' 17-point loss at Florida State on Tuesday, the coach was perplexed.

"That drives you nuts," he said, "because you think your defense is at a certain level. You shoot the heck out of the ball against Florida State and the defense isn't there. Where does that come from? You don't know."

Not surprisingly, defensive competitiveness was a focal point in practice this week as the Terrapins (16-6, 2-5 ACC) prepared for tonight's game at Wake Forest, the last-place team in the conference. If Maryland has any chance to rally in the regular season's final month, it needs a consistent defensive effort in a game it cannot afford to squander.

Williams acknowledged a big difference between being 3-5 and 2-6 at the midpoint of the ACC schedule, but he added that regardless of tonight's outcome he knows no other approach other than to continue to plod through the 16-game conference schedule. He has chosen to accentuate positives with his team, even as Maryland's hopes of reaching the NCAA tournament for the first time in three years continue to fade.

"You never eliminate yourself or think you have something mathematically made until it is certain," he said. "I've won eight games in a row before. I've lost five league games in a row and made the Final Four. Everything is still there for us."

The most experienced Terrapins -- including Mike Jones, D.J. Strawberry, Ekene Ibekwe and Will Bowers -- can recall the 2003-04 season, when Maryland started 2-5 in the ACC but rallied to finish 7-9 and win the conference tournament. Williams has not referenced that experience yet with his players, but he might be inclined to do so.

The Terrapins aim tonight to win just their fifth ACC road game in the past three seasons. They must do so in a game that seemed more manageable a week ago, before Wake Forest (10-11, 2-7) ended a six-game losing streak by beating Georgia Tech at home. Kyle Visser, Wake Forest's senior center, had a 26-point, nine-rebound effort against the Yellow Jackets, prompting Williams to say he might be the conference's most improved player. Visser ranks second in the ACC in field goal percentage.

Maryland, however, has its own interior player who has performed particularly well of late. James Gist has scored 49 points and made 20 of 25 shots the past two games. The coaching staff recently has worked with Gist to refrain from pump-faking before he attacks the basket. Pump-faking often allows the defense to catch up to Gist, who is faster than most interior players.

"You get confidence somewhere along the line in your career," Williams said. "James has gotten better every year, but now I think he has taken a little bit of a step. He knows he can make open jump shots. He sees how he can score inside. He is in a good place right now."

Strawberry, on the other hand, said even before the Florida State game that he has placed the onus on himself to play better offensively. In the five ACC losses, Strawberry has made only 13 of 50 shots from the field.

An offensive boost will be a plus, but Williams primarily wants his team to provide a stronger effort defensively and in the rebounding battle. If that occurs, he still believes Maryland can be a "very good team" this year.

"When you have been through enough things, you realize that [mind-set] is the only way to do it," Williams said. "Whether it happens or not, you don't know. It's not going to happen unless you stay tough."