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Terps, Hoyas to Spend Holiday in Test Mode
Maryland's Gary Williams, top, and Georgetown's John Thompson III want their teams to be challenged early on.
(By Toni L. Sandys -- The Washington Postby Ricky Carioti -- The Washington Post)
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The Hoyas did a far better job following Thompson's offensive script against Drexel, and their shooting percentage shot up as a result.
"I think we're going to make progress all year," Wright said.
Wichita State also is in rebuilding mode, having lost three of its four top scorers from last season. That means the Hoyas might not really be pushed until tomorrow, when they'll face either 12th-ranked Tennessee or Siena.
Maryland likely will have a rougher Thanksgiving, opening against Michigan State (2-0) at 7 p.m. The Spartans return last season's leading scorer, junior forward Raymar Morgan, one of the game's more versatile players.
It's possible Maryland will face a second top 10 opponent just 24 hours later. Tomorrow's schedule pits the Terrapins against the winner of today's game between Gonzaga and Oklahoma State.
"It's going to be a good experience," Maryland senior forward Dave Neal said. "We're going to see exactly where we're standing with some teams that are in the top 10 in the country. We've got a good chance to go down there, show some things and see how truly good we're going to be."
Added junior guard Eric Hayes, "The teams that are down there are going to be like the competition we see in the ACC, so if we can play well down here in the tournament, then I think that bodes well for us in the ACC schedule."
Saturday is an idle day for all eight teams. Play resumes Sunday morning, with the two undefeated teams squaring off for the championship at 7:30 p.m.
Georgetown and Maryland have played each other just twice since 1981, and it's doubtful they'll meet in Orlando -- unless, of course, both advance to Sunday's title game.
But at this stage, Thompson believes, the process matters more than any trophy.
"We're just looking for improvement," he said. "I think for this group, it's more important to be tested -- to grow, to learn and to go through that evolution early. Hopefully we can do that without losing games and without losing confidence in each other."
Staff writer Steve Yanda contributed to this report.
