Maryland coach Williams can relate to Villanova's skid

VILLANOVA IS believed to be the first team to make the NCAA Tournament riding a five-game losing streak. But since the field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985, four teams have gotten in despite having lost their last four games.

Two won a tourney game. One even won twice. That was Boston College, in 1985, the year three other Big East teams advanced to the Final Four. Those Eagles were coached by South Jersey's Gary Williams, who would win it all with Maryland 17 years later.

BC was 18-10 in 1985, 7-9 (sixth place) in the conference. Its last win was against Villanova, the eventual national champ. After that, the Eagles lost to St. John's, Pitt, Connecticut and Syracuse. They still got in as an 11 seed. Then they beat Texas Tech (No. 5 seed) by two and Duke (No. 3) by one in Houston before losing to Final Four-bound Memphis (No. 2) by a deuce in Dallas.

Duke would lose in the final the following year. BC was led by Michael Adams, Roger McCready and Dominic Pressley.

"We were small, but we were really quick," said Williams, who is from Collingswood and coached at Camden's Woodrow Wilson High. "I thought we had a good team. Just like this year, the Big East was very good. Teams always talk about getting on a roll. Well, you can do that negatively, too.

"When the season ends, now you get a chance to regroup and come to realize you're pretty good. I think that's what Villanova will do. I wouldn't want to play them."

Actually the Terps did, on Jan. 15 in South Philly. The Wildcats went on a late run to claim an eight-point win that improved their record to 16-1. Since then, they're 5-10.

Maryland ended up 19-14, and for the first time since 1993 isn't playing in any postseason tourney.

"I would think they'd be really hungry to prove they were a good basketball team," Williams said about Villanova, which will open the NCAA Tournament tomorrow against George Mason. "You get the wrong schedule in the league and you get a couple of guys [hurt] . . . maybe they can play but they're not 100 percent. Those things happen.

"To make the tournament is a great accomplishment in the Big East this year, even though they took 11 [teams]. Everybody was good. It can wear on you, but players are resilient. If you're looking at it from the outside, you're thinking, 'Wow, they lost those games and mentally they won't be ready to play.' I don't believe that. Players, give them a couple of days, something new. You get into the NCAA and the other team doesn't know you as well as they do in league play. All of a sudden, they look better and that confidence kicks in again.

"I think, for Villanova, the big thing is if they can win that first one, they'll be a very tough out."

Maybe he can make Jay Wright's pregame speech. *