Keys to the Game

Maryland vs. Kansas

At Georgia Dome in Atlanta

5:30 p.m., channel 2

*

STYLE OF PLAY: It’s not often that Maryland, averaging 85.3 points, is asked about its need to refrain from getting into a run-and-gun game. But the Terrapins, who aren’t reluctant to run, yet excel in half-court sets with the inside-out combination of 6-foot-8, 260-pound power forward Lonny Baxter (thunder) and 6-3, 164-pound shooting guard Juan Dixon (lightning), would seemingly be out of their element in a track meet with Kansas. The Jayhawks, with their three-guard lineup, are most at home in transition, as evidenced by their nation-leading 91-point average. But Maryland might not want to slow it down much, either, because Kansas is shooting 50.8% and four of its top five scorers are shooting at least 50.5%.

*

MATCHUP TO WATCH: Steve Blake vs. Aaron Miles. Often in the NCAA tournament, teams’ fortunes are determined in the backcourt. This duel of point guards features Blake, a third-year starter who, although he was scoreless at the time, waved off a play drawn up for Dixon in the regional final against Connecticut and made a clutch three-point basket, against Miles, a pass-first, shoot-second freshman in the mold of Jacque Vaughn.

*

INTANGIBLES: Kansas Coach Roy Williams is as superstitious as they come. So imagine how startled he was to find out that, should his Jayhawks get bounced by Maryland, the Terrapins would be playing the 2,002nd game in school history Monday night for the 2002 title.

*

MAGIC NUMBERS: Maryland, top seeded in the East regional, has won 17 of its last 18 games and is making 85.7% of its free throws in the tournament, second-best in NCAA history. Dixon is the second-leading scorer in this year’s tournament with 104 points in four games. Kansas, top seeded in the Midwest Regional, has won 20 of 21 and has the top two rebounders in the tournament, Drew Gooden at 13 and Nick Collison at 11.5. Kansas guard Jeff Boschee has made at least one three-point basket in 35 consecutive games.

*

FINAL ANALYSIS: On paper, Kansas should run Maryland out of the Georgia Dome. But the Jayhawks, with a freshman point guard, have been skittish at times, especially against Holy Cross in the first round and against Illinois in the Elite Eight. Maryland, with its top seven scorers returning from last year’s Final Four team and Baxter, Blake and Dixon having started together for the last three seasons, doesn’t figure to get rattled. The coach named Williams who sheds his tag of not being able to win the big one should be Maryland’s Gary.

*

Paul Gutierrez