Maryland’s Lonergan Will Coach Vermont

Mike Lonergan, an assistant coach at the University of Maryland, has been named head coach of men’s basketball at the University of Vermont.

Lonergan, 39, also spent three years as an assistant coach at Colgate University. He succeeds Tom Brennan, who announced before the season that he would retire after his 19th season.

Lonergan, who joined coach Gary Williams’ staff at Maryland in April 2004, led Catholic University to seven consecutive NCAA Division III tournament appearances and nine overall from 1992 to 2004.

He compiled a 251-88 (.740) record during his 12-year tenure and his squad averaged 24.7 victories a season over his last seven years.

*

North Carolina leading scorer Rashad McCants will sit out the second-ranked Tar Heels’ game at Maryland today because of an intestinal disorder.

It’s the same ailment that kept him out of Tuesday’s win over North Carolina State. McCants did not travel to College Park, Md., with the team, the school announced Saturday.

The 6-foot-4 junior leads the Tar Heels (23-3, 11-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) with 15.8 points per game.

McCants has felt ill since the Feb. 13 game at Connecticut, and missed much of last week’s home victory over Clemson because of an upset stomach.

The Tar Heels lead the ACC race by one game over No. 6 Wake Forest (23-4, 10-3) heading into the final week of the regular season. After playing the Terrapins, whom they beat 109-75 in January, they close with home games against Florida State and No. 7 Duke.