Nothing Finer

Five games ago, Maryland looked like their season was over. Losses to Miami, Virginia Tech, two losses to Virginia, with North Carolina, Duke (twice!), looming. The past two seasons had seen Maryland sit at the precipice of being in the tournament, one game short, most experts had claimed, from being invited to the dance. Some of that had to do with the turmoil and aftermath of working with temperamental John Gilchrist, and perhaps that Nik Caner-Medley never quite became the big consistent star Maryland needed. Another season on the brink, and calls for Williams to move on were starting to make the rounds. This despite being only 6 years from a national championship.

But what a difference five games make. Duke was first on that list. Duke, too, was reeling, having lost three in a row, and whoever heard of Duke losing four in a row, but it started with a dominating start, and ended with victory. Then, two victories in a row on the road, against NC State, who was also struggling, and against Clemson, who had single handedly knocked Maryland out of the tourney despite two wins against Duke. Then, a win at home against Florida State, which was thought to be important because there would be three more games, one against fifth ranked UNC and playing at Duke after they recovered from four losses in a row.

So it wouldn't be so surprising if Maryland lost to UNC. After all, they are ranked fifth. Even so, Maryland must have been feeling good, especially playing at home, and managed to take a deficit and win a close one against UNC, thus locking up a bid to the NCAA tournament.

Now, the goal is go into the ACC tournament on a roll and head into March with momentum. What a difference a few games make. Has Maryland turned it around for real?