When Maryland and Wake Forest met in conference play four years ago, it was a battle of the ACC's elite that had national significance.
In 2003, the Terrapins were the defending national champions and the Demon Deacons were en route to a first-place finish in the ACC. But when they played Saturday, it was a battle of teams that were sub-.500 in the conference.
Although Wake Forest's tumble was last season's surprise, the Demon Deacons field a young roster this year and expected to finish low in the conference. Maryland, on the other hand, is still adjusting to life in the conference's bottom half.
Over the last three years, Maryland has gradually slipped out of the ACC's upper echelon. Last year's 8-8 conference finish was the team's best during that stretch, but the Terrapins finished sixth in conference play for the third year in a row. Some have attributed Maryland's fall to the overall strength of the ACC, but the team's disappointing streak comes on the heels of a six-year stretch in which the Terrapins never placed lower than third in league play. When the Terrapins beat Wake Forest 79-72 Saturday, they moved to 3-5 in the conference.
"We're trying to compete," head coach Gary Williams said. "Last year, we were 8-8 in the league, and it's close. The league has so many good teams now."
Maryland's fall has been noticed on a national scale as well. After 11 years of earning a NCAA Tournament bid, the Terrapins have been left out from the past two. The team competed in the NIT last year, but failed to record a win, effectively silencing those who felt the team deserved an at-large bid.
Once again, this year's team finds itself squarely on the bubble, having bounced up and down throughout the year. The Terrapins have had their fair share of success on both a personal and team level, as seniors Mike Jones and Ekene Ibekwe reached the 1,000 point marks for their careers, and the team raced out to a 14-2 start and handed Clemson its first lost of the season in January. At the same time, though, Maryland has struggled on the road, with the win at Wake Forest marking its first road triumph since Nov. 28 at Illinois.
"We beat Michigan State and Illinois and St. John's in Madison Square Garden before we started playing [ACC games]" Williams said. "Just because we get into the league and lose some games, that shouldn't mean that we're not a good basketball team, because we are 17-6."
Before beating the Demon Deacons, Maryland's chances at an at-large berth in next month's tournament looked bleak. Nevertheless, after a home loss to a weak Miami team along with their poor road performance, the Terrapins look all but relegated to the ACC's cellar.
"I don't see anybody out there that's a sure thing, especially on the road," Williams said. "That's not true in every conference. You can bottom-feed in some conferences. I think that's what makes this conference tough."
Although he said he sees more challenges than in years past, Williams said he hopes to lead Maryland back to former glory.
"We're still battling," he said. "We're still fighting, and we think we can be very successful this year in the ACC."
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