Maryland-Virginia Is of NCAA Importance

For all of the detailed charts, statistics and formulas that bracketologists use to forecast the NCAA tournament field each season, a glance at the ACC standings reveals one undeniable truth to even the casual college basketball fan: For teams not named North Carolina or Duke, a trip to the NCAA tournament is no sure bet, though the goal remains within reach.

"Really, there are 10 teams that are really all the same," college basketball analyst Jerry Palm said of the wide-open ACC. "The ones that figure out a way to play consistently enough to separate themselves at the end of the regular season from other teams in this bunch will make the tournament. The ones that don't will make the NIT."

Maryland and Virginia, two teams that sit squarely within the logjam behind the clear front-runners, face off tonight, with the winner taking a small step forward and the loser edging toward irrelevance.

"We have to prove who's going to rise to the top," said Maryland Coach Gary Williams, whose Terrapins host the Cavaliers at Comcast Center tonight. "Obviously, Carolina and Duke have led the way. Now, we'll see who the next teams are, and that's why I think it's a big game for both teams."

Virginia (11-7, 1-4 ACC) needs a victory to stop its freefall and regain status as a tournament contender. The Cavaliers seemed on track to the postseason after their 5-0 start, which included a victory at Arizona. Having lost four of its last five games, Virginia sits in last place in the ACC, the only team with just one victory.

"Our intention is to be a real good team," Virginia guard Calvin Baker said. "We're definitely not giving up on our season or anything like that. We've got a bump in the road that we've got to overcome. Of course, it's shocking to us."

Said Cavaliers guard Sean Singletary: "I'm always concerned. I know we've got the talent, and we're always in the game. We've just got to get over that hump."

Meantime, Palm said if Maryland (12-8, 2-3) hopes to preserve a chance at an at-large bid, it can ill afford to drop another game on its own floor, the price of a poor nonconference performance that included RPI-bruising home losses to Ohio and American.

While Maryland has shown a renewed intensity, taking No. 3 Duke to the brink Sunday after knocking North Carolina from its No. 1 perch a week earlier, the Terrapins will be tested to keep the momentum going.

"We still have to win the games we've got to win, like all the rest of the ACC games at home," Terrapins forward Dave Neal said last week. "We've got to win those if we want to keep it going, and win on the road with some ACC teams that we should beat."

The Terrapins have surged as forwards James Gist and Bambale Osby have emerged as one of the league's more formidable front-court duos. Both were instrumental in handling North Carolina all-American Tyler Hansbrough, and both were the centerpiece of a game plan that stressed inside play and built a nine-point halftime lead over Duke.

Conversely, Virginia's post defense has become a glaring weakness. On Sunday, Georgia Tech pounded the ball inside against Virginia, and its gang of athletic forwards abused Virginia's undersize post players. Centers Tunji Soroye and Lars Mikalauskas and forward Will Harris have been sidelined with chronic injuries, leaving Virginia short-handed. Freshman Mike Scott, a 6-foot-8 power forward, has been starting at center.

"It's obvious we're playing with a short deck up front," Virginia Coach Dave Leitao said.