Somewhere out there, former Maryland coach Lefty Driesell was smiling Friday night.
With
an 83-74 ACC quarterfinal win over second-seeded Duke (Driesell's alma
mater) in Greensboro Coliseum, Maryland's ACC basketball
tournament
began with a win the left-hander once dreamed about but rarely realized.
Not
only did the Maryland win keep alive the possibility of a string of wins
over
Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State, it also probably knocked the Blue
Devils out of a regional top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The
Terps' upset win was made possible by the play of former Raleigh high
school player Dez Wells, who dominated the game with 30 points, six
rebounds
and three assists.
The
second win over Duke this season for Maryland (22-11) means the Terps
will land a spot in the NCAA regardless of what happens Saturday or
Sunday
in Greensboro.
For
Duke (27-5), the loss could serve as a good/bad finale to the ACC
season. Duke loses a lot of momentum but gains some time for Seth Curry
and
Ryan Kelly to mend their injuries.
But
Friday began with Duke a certain No. 1 regional seed and among the NCAA
favorites. The day ended with one "who knows now?" note.
