Since winning the NCAA title in 2002, Maryland had failed to make the NCAA tournament three times, including last season. Williams became the focal point for the fans' frustration this season. When redemption arrived last night, his players expressed their support physically and verbally.
"I'm so happy for Coach Williams," said senior forward Dave Neal. "He works so extremely hard during the season. There are some nights he won't sleep at all because he's watching so much game tape. He's had a tough season. The media's been on him. The fact that we played extremely tough and made it back to the NCAA tournament shows people what a great coach he is."
Junior guard Greivis Vasquez turned the table on Williams' critics in the Terps' moment of triumph. "All those people who wrote what they wrote and said what they said, now they can answer their own questions," Vasquez said. "What else do they want? Hopefully, we can make it to the Final Four, so they can really just never talk anymore about Maryland. Unbelievable job for Coach Williams."
Bears dancing
If Williams silenced his critics, Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman has paid his dues. He came off a 10-year ban by the NCAA for rules violations at California to bring Morgan's moribund program back to life. The Bears have won the past two regular-season titles in the MEAC and now have their first Division I bid.
"Todd's done a great job," Williams said. "Not just because they're the champions of the MEAC. But each job you have ... is different, each job presents its own problems, each job has certain advantages. I think Todd has done a great job figuring out a way to do it at Morgan State."
For Bozeman, 45, it was his fourth NCAA berth in seven years as a head coach. Before the pairings were unveiled and when Morgan's band struck up one of its best songs, the coach started dancing onstage and invited two of his players to join him.
Considering where Bozeman has been, Kansas City looks pretty good.
"We are dancing," he said later. "They could've sent us to Siberia. Who cares? We're playing. People are going to be there, it's going to be on TV, CBS is going to be there. So who cares where we are? I always say it doesn't matter where we play. Just give us two baskets and a ball. We could play it outside."
