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November 3, 1998 On scales of heart, Juan Dixon is a heavyweight; redshirt-freshman ready to take the court for the first time in a Terp uniform. November 18, 1998 Steve Blake, Tahj Holden and Drew Nicholas committ, giving Maryland yet another stellar recruiting class. September 28, 2000 Former Tulane star Byron Mouton, anxious to suit up for the first time, expects to fit right in. October 25, 2000 Just beginning to adjust to the pace of the Division I game, but not the least bit intimidated by what lies ahead, Chris Wilcox jumps into the mix. November 10, 2000 Terps announce signing of Long Island shooting guard Michael Grinnon, a shooting guard from tarditional powerhouse St. Dominic. November 13, 2000 Terps sign power forward Ryan Randle from Allegany Junior College, the same school which produced former Maryland All-American Steve Francis.
Maryland's initial foray into the strange new world known as the Final Four ends with an all too familar loss. Playing for the right to advance to the NCAA championship game, the Terrapins bolt to 22-point lead against Duke, but it doesn't hold up. April 1, 2001 Despite Final Four loss, Maryland relishes finest season remembering where it ended, not how. Playing in front of 45,406 at the Metrodome and a national TV audience provides good exposure for the program. April 4, 2001 On the heels of its first appearance in the NCAA Final Four, and winning 10 of its last 12 games with losses only to eventual national champion and top-ranked Duke, the Terrapins earn a No. 4 final ranking in the ESPN/USA Today national coaches poll. It is Maryland's highest final ranking ever, matching a No. 4 mark in both final polls in 1974. April 12, 2001 In front of over 1,000 guests including families, boosters, alumni and fans, the team honors its 2001 Final Four season with its annual awards banquet. Highlighting the evening is the naming of Co-Players of the Year Dixon and Baxter, both juniors who are expected to return next season for another run at the Terps' first national championship. April 20, 2001 Terps ink Andre Collins, a 5-9 point guard, to National Letter of Intent. May 8, 2001 Head Coach Gary Williams announces the addition of former Terrapin player Matt Kovarik to the men's basketball coaching staff. Kovarik, who starred for the Terps from 1994 to 1998, joins Dave Dickerson and Jimmy Patsos as assistant coaches for the 2001-02 season. May 23, 2001 Athletic director Deborah A. Yow announces that Coach Williams has signed a new contract which significantly enhances the guaranteed financial terms of his previous agreement. June 25, 2001 Coach Williams takes a few moments during his summer time in the office to discuss his thoughts on his players and the upcoming season. July 12, 2001 Maryland's 2000-01 tournament run helps prompt NCAA re-bracketing scheme, which will be implemented for 2002 tourney. Terp fans still shaking their heads over Maryland, George Mason, Georgetown and Hampton all being sent to Boise last March.
Dixon and Baxter are named to the Preseason Wooden Award Watch List. Senior All-Americans are among group of 50 players on initial listing. August 4, 2001 ESPN analysts like Terps in college basketball preseason polls. Andy Katz, Dick Vitale and Jay Bilas all rank Maryland second in the nation as part of ESPN's Summer Top 25. August 6, 2001 Baxter, Dixon and Holden travel to Denver, Colo. to participate in USA training camp for the World University Games. The Terrapin trio are among 16 athletes chosen for the training camp from a tryout in June at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. August 15, 2001 Terps announce 2001-02 schedule. Scheduled to play 18 games in front of national TV audiences, Maryland is to open the regular season at Madison Square Garden in New York, battling perennial power Arizona as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Classic. August 15, 2001 Following five days of training camp featuring 14 finalists, the 12-member 2001 USA Basketball Men's World University Games Team is finalized. Highlighted by UM's Dixon and Baxter, the U.S. team are to remain in Denver to train through Aug. 16 before traveling to Beijing, China to begin competition at the 21st World University Games. August 27, 2001 It is not yet September, but college basketball analyst Dick Vitale rolls into full swing, naming his preseason All-Americans with Baxter and Dixon filling spots on the first two teams. August 31, 2001 Dixon, who averaged a team best 19.3 points a game during the World University Games tournament, pours in 26 points, 15 from beyond the arc, to lead the USA past Germany in the bronze medal game at the World University Games. September 27, 2001 In 1999, University of Maryland students slept in sleeping bags around the floors of Cole Field House in order to get tickets to watch Steve Francis and his Terrapin teammates play college basketball. Two years later, many of those same students are temporarily without a home following the Sept. 24 tornado that swept through the Maryland campus, but Francis is on hand to lend a helping hand. October 9, 2001 Midnight Madness is only hours away. Returning players will receive their Final Four game jerseys in a special presentation. It was former coach Lefty Driesell, in College Park on Oct. 15, 1971, who is given credit for originating the Midnight Madness spectacle with his then-called Midnight Run. October 10, 2001 Coach Williams fields questions about upcoming season at Media Day. October 10, 2001 As announced by the ACC, Maryland changes the game time for its Feb. 3 home date with N.C. State in order to accommodate the change of dates for the 2002 Super Bowl.
Terrapin players meet the media. October 12, 2001 Terps are No. 1! Maryland is a consensus Top 5 pick in preseason publications throughout the country, but CollegeInsider.com says the Terps are tops. October 12, 2001 ESPN.com unveils its college basketball preview, ranking the ACC duo of Duke and Maryland atop its list of challengers for the 2002 national championship. Says ESPN analyst Jay Bilas: "Maryland is a serious threat to win the national championship." October 13, 2001 Amid the smoke from the fireworks that accompanied the introduction of the 2001-02 Terrapins basketball team at Midnight Madness, Coach Williams grabs the public address microphone at 12:15 Saturday morning and tells the 14,000 fans at Cole Field House exactly what they wanted to hear: "We went to the Final Four for the first time last season," Williams said. "This year, we want to win a national championship!" October 25, 2001 ESPN.com basketball analyst Andy Katz says the Terps could be closing in on the champs. October 29, 2001 For the third straight season, Coach Williams's Terrapins are picked to finish second in the ACC men's basketball race behind Duke. For the sixth straight season, Duke is picked as the ACC preseason favorite by the media at the conference's 40th annual Operation Basketball event in Greensboro. October 29, 2001 Seniors Baxter and Dixon join a trio of Duke all-stars on the 2001-02 All-Atlantic Coast Conference preseason squad as voted on by the attending media at the Conference's 40th annual Operation Basketball event in Greensboro. October 31, 2001 The Sporting News chooses Maryland as its preseason No. 3. One of the reasons TSN cites is the Terps' sterling backcourt combination of Blake and Dixon. November 1, 2001 Seven months after matching Maryland's highest final college basketball ranking in history, the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll does the same by matching the Terps' highest-ever preseason ranking. Maryland is picked behind Duke and Illinois as the country's No. 3 team in the season's first official poll. Previously, Maryland earned No. 3 preseason billing in 1973 and 1975. November 2, 2001 The Terps begin play! Baxter records 22 points and 10 rebounds and Dixon pours in 20 as Maryland cruises to a 98-80 exhibition victory over the EA Sports All-Stars. November 5, 2001 Duke and Maryland are 1-2 in The Associated Press preseason college basketball poll, just the second time two teams from the same conference have held the top spots. The other time also involved two schools from the ACC, when Georgia Tech and North Carolina were 1-2 before the 1985-86 season. November 7, 2001 College basketball's official tipoff takes N.Y. center stage. Coaches vs. Cancer and the season's New York City tip-off present added significance for Terps, Arizona, Florida and Temple. November 8, 2001 The 2001-02 season is officially underway! Terps are stopped by Arizona in Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic.
Juan is the one as the Terps notch first victory of the season, a 82-74 win over Temple in the third-place game of the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic. December 4, 2001 Maryland rolls to its sixth straight victory and Baxter earns the trophy he coveted. Baxter tallies 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Dixon scores 16 points as No. 3 Maryland pulls away in the second half to beat Connecticut 77-65 to win the BB&T Classic. Baxter, who goes 8-for-10 from the field and 8-of-10 from the foul line, is an overwhelming selection as tournament MVP. "It's my senior year, I'm from D.C. I really wanted this MVP trophy tonight," the 6-foot-8 center said. "I just came out playing my hardest and we got the game." December 30, 2001 The guys with Final Four experience show the young team how to finish off a game. Maryland went eight minutes without a field goal in the second half, but Blake and Dixon produce enough offense late as the eighth-ranked Terrapins open their 49th season of play in the ACC with a 72-65 victory over North Carolina State. January 3, 2002 The nation's longest home winning streak against non-conference opponents remains intact with No. 8 Maryland claiming a 92-69 victory over Norfolk State in the Terps' final non-conference game ever to be played at Cole Field House. Dixon scores 17 points and Holden adds a season-high 16 as the Terrapins extend their non-conference winning streak to 84 games. January 9, 2002 Baxter and Dixon named as top candidates for the Wooden Award. January 9, 2002 Matt Doherty looks at the stat sheet, shook his head and let loose an audible sigh. Never in the history of North Carolina basketball have the Tar Heels allowed so many points in a game. Dixon scores 29 points as No. 4 Maryland rolls to a 112-79 victory, the Terrapins' most lopsided victory in the 79-year-old rivalry and just two points shy of matching North Carolina's worst-ever ACC defeat. It is the final game against the Tar Heels in Cole Field House. January 14, 2002 Maryland moves to No. 3 in the AP Top 25. January 17, 2002 Top-ranked Duke and Maryland get set to renew hottest rivalry in college basketball. January 17, 2002 In the first meeting since the 2001 NCAA semifinal tilt, the Terps can't slow down Blue Devils in 99-78 loss. Baxter scores 24 points in a game that sees 30 lead changes in the opening 23 minutes. January 17, 2002 Maryland-Duke draws ESPN's largest audience ever for a regular-season college basketball game - nearly 3 million TV homes. The game also draws a 3.46 cable rating (each point represents about 860,000 homes). February 3, 2002 Dixon is named to Vitale's All-Rolls Royce Team. February 4, 2002 Dixon scores 43 points in two games the previous week to guide Maryland to a pair of ACC victories and run its record to 8-1 in the league, its best nine-game mark in the conference since 1980. He is named the ACC's player of the week for the second time of the season and for the sixth time of his career. February 8, 2002 Baxter and Dixon are named finalists for Senior CLASS Award. Terp duo are among just 10 finalists for the national honor. February 11, 2002 Jackie Bradford, Executive Director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club, announces the 20 collegiate men and women finalists for the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award. Baxter and Dixon are among the finalists. February 12, 2002 Seniors Dixon and Baxter are named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)/Pontiac Division I All-District 5 first and second teams, respectively, as announced by the NABC.
No last-minute collapse. Not even a home loss. Maryland finally beats Duke at Cole Field House and the venerable building claims one more No. 1 victim. The third-ranked Terrapins, who had lost four years in a row on their own floor to the Blue Devils, beats the Blue Devils 87-73, the seventh time a top-ranked team lost in the building that closes at the end of the season. February 17, 2002 Terps' win over Duke draws CBS' largest regular season rating since 1994. Duke and Clemson victories run No. 2 Terps' win streak to nine games with three regular season games to play. February 18, 2002 Wilcox is named ACC's Player of the Week, the first-ever such honor for the Terp sophomore. February 20, 2002 Maryland, having finally exorcized its demons with a clutch victory against Duke, prepares for its stretch run in a bid to end the Blue Devils five-year reign in the ACC. Going into the next game at Clemson, the second-ranked Terrapins have a one-half game ACC lead over the third-ranked Blue Devils on the strength of their 87-73 victory. February 22, 2002 Coach Williams, enjoying his 13th season as head coach of his alma mater, is named as one of 25 finalists for the Naismith College Basketball Coach of the Year Award, presented annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. February 27, 2002 No. 2 Terps rout Florida State, 96-63, to clinch at least a share of the ACC regular season title. Dixon scores 25 points as Maryland wins its 11th straight game and becomes the first school since North Carolina in 1977-78 to win the ACC football title and the ACC regular season basketball crown during the same school year.
Dixon leads way with 23 points as Maryland puts exclamation point on a fabulous 47-year run at Cole Field House by defeating Virginia, 112-92. With the win, Maryland becomes the first ACC institution since N.C. State in 1973-74 to not only win the ACC football title and the ACC regular season basketball title during the same school year, but do so while going undefeated at home in both sports! March 4, 2002 Maryland's entire starting lineup earns All-ACC merits while Dixon collects All-America, first team All-ACC, ACC All-Defense and ACC Player of the Week awards. March 5, 2002 Dixon pulls down his second major first-team All-America citation in as many days, earning recognition as one of the top five players in the country in voting by the United States Basketball Writers Association of America. March 6, 2002 Terrapins to enter ACC tournament as No. 1 seed. March 7, 2002 Dixon is named one of seven finalists for the second annual V Foundation Comeback Award, to be presented on March 28 as part of the ESPN The Magazine College Basketball Awards Show. The award is presented to a basketball student-athlete who embodies the spirit and courage represented by the late Coach Jim Valvano, whose inspirational "Don't Give Up. . . Don't Ever Give Up!"® speech is the basis for The Foundation's mission of funding cancer research. March 8, 2002 Wilcox was the first to admit he played poorly. Luckily for second-ranked Maryland, plenty of his teammates stepped up. The Terrapins turn to their reserves for a much-needed second-half spark and pull away to beat Florida State 85-59 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. The win runs Maryland's ACC semifinal streal to eight years. March 9, 2002 No. 2 Terrapins fall in ACC semifinal to N.C. State, 86-82. March 10, 2002 Maryland earns No. 1 seed in the East Region and will play winner of Alcorn St./Siena Game. March 10, 2002 Coach Williams comments on the Field of 65. March 11, 2002 Coach Williams, who led Maryland to its first outright ACC regular-season title in 22 years and a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs, is named The Associated Press coach of the year in the ACC. Williams received 44 of a possible 84 votes cast by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Association to edge North Carolina State's Herb Sendek, who got 35.
On the same day that he collected his third major All-America selection, Dixon is named the Player of the Year in the ACC. Dixon, named as the player of the year on 41 out of 84 ballots cast by the Atlantic Coast Sportswriters Association, edged Duke's Jason Williams, who drew 38 votes. Dixon is also named a first team All-American by the Associated Press, his third major All-America award of the season. March 13, 2002 Terrapins prepare for ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament. A No. 1 seed for the first time in school history, Maryland is the only team in the tournament who has not lost a game to a team that is currently unranked. March 15, 2002 Leaving nothing to chance in his final NCAA tournament, a determined Dixon scores 29 points as top-seeded Maryland cruises past Siena 85-70 in a first-round East Regional game. March 17, 2002 Dixon steps into the Maryland record book and the top-seeded Terrapins methodically marches into the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 for the sixth time in nine years with a 87-57 victory over eighth-seeded Wisconsin. The Terrapins match the 1998-99 team for most wins in a season and set a school mark for margin of victory in an NCAA tournament game. March 22, 2002 No jumping around, no excited hugs, no pointing to the stands. Maryland's players simply shake hands with the team they beat and walked off the court, closer to a second straight Final Four. Despite a quiet second half from All-American Dixon, top-seeded Maryland just moves right along, beating Kentucky 78-68 in the East Regional semifinals. March 24, 2002 Back and forth, back and forth - until Blake speaks up and comes through. Pulled from a tight East Regional final because of poor defense, and without a point, the junior guard still wanted a shot. So when Coach Williams barks instructions to get the ball to Dixon with less than a minute left, Blake cuts Williams off and announces he will take care of things. With 25 seconds left and the shot clock nearing zero, Blake sinks a 3-pointer for his first bucket of the game, leading top-seeded Maryland to a 90-82 victory over Connecticut and a second straight trip to the Final Four. On to Atlanta!! March 26, 2002 Terrapins venture to second consecutive Final Four - the only team to return from last season's Final Four. March 26, 2002 Coach Williams' speaks at the Final Four press conference.
March 27, 2002 Dixon and Baxter are named to the Wooden Award All-American Team and are among 10 finalist for the 26th annual Wooden Player of the Year Award. March 30, 2002 Now, finally, the Maryland Terrapins can forget about last year. Led by Dixon and Wilcox, Maryland buries 365 days worth of frustration with a 97-88 victory over Kansas in the NCAA tournament semifinals. Having already accomplished plenty this season, this Maryland squad became the first in the rich history of the basketball program to play in the championship game. On April 1, the Terrapins will face Indiana, which beat Oklahoma in the first semifinal.
Maryland didn't play like Maryland until it mattered. Now the Terrapins are national champions. With All-American guard Juan Dixon snapping out of a scoring drought just in time, Maryland ends Indiana's magical tournament run with a 64-52 victory. It was the Terrapins' first appearance in a national championship game and the senior-laden lineup came through over the final 9:42, pulling away from the Hoosiers to become the fourth straight No. 1 seed and eighth in the last 10 years to win it all. Coach Williams brings his alma mater from the depths of probation 13 years ago to the pinnacle of college basketball. The man considered among the most intense in the game is able to celebrate with his team, which features four players who have started at least 100 games in their careers. April 2, 2002 Maryland fans gather at Cole Field House to celebrate the 2001-02 men's basketball season. Johnny Holliday, "Voice of the Maryland Terrapins," serves as MC for the event, which features remarks by President C.D. Mote, Jr., Head Coach Gary Williams and members of the team. The "Mighty Sound of Maryland" Band and Maryland Cheerleaders also perform.
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