March 10, 2001

Chris Boyer
The ACC.com

ATLANTA - Earlier this week Maryland head basketball coach Gary Williams told all the media who were listening that the reason his smallish shooting guard Juan Dixon has been so effective scoring inside the paint in the ACC is because he played small forward in high school.

"They (Dixon's high school team) had two midgets playing guard, so Juan spent a lot of time shooting inside," explained Williams after the Terps' Thursday shoot around.

After Dixon scored a team high 15 points and took 17 shots, many of them in the lane among the big bodies, in his team's first round win over Wake Forest, the player was surprised at his coach's explanation for his fearlessness inside.

"Coach, you think I played small forward in high school?", Dixon quizzically asked Williams in the locker room after the win.

"It's a good story, Juan, stick with it," urges Williams. "You were the biggest guy. You had two midgets playing with you on your high school team."

Regardless of the reason, Dixon has become fearless in taking the ball inside to get his shots.

"I don't mind taking it inside. I just have to keep expanding my game. Part of that for me is taking the ball hard inside and hopefully finishing the play."

The joking nature between Williams and Dixon was even evidenced on the Maryland sideline in the game's waning moments. Such a relaxed public display has been rare for Williams' coached Terp team, and smiles on the Terrapin bench were almost nonexistent earlier this season, as the squad struggled through a period of five losses in six games in late January and early February. Fans and the media have noticed how Williams' sideline demeanor seems to have changed late in the season. Dixon has noticed it too.

"Coach is a great coach, but he stresses that everybody can get better. I think he feels one way he can get better is by settling down on the sidelines. That's why he is a great coach. He has kept the guys together, and hopefully we can keep it up."

The joking will come to an end tonight as the Terrapins try to keep it up in the Tournament semifinals against Duke. The season's previous match ups between the Terrapins and Blue Devils have been well documented with the end result being each team winning a game. Dixon feels the key to getting this win will be a complete effort.

"We just need to give an effort and play our game for 40 minutes and keep on playing hard. We are playing very well right now, on both ends of the floor. We're doing things we weren't earlier in the season, playing great team defense, rebounding, holding teams to one shot. Everyone is together, and this is a great time to be peaking. I think it's going to be a great game. Duke will be very prepared. A lot of people are looking forward to it, and I think it will be a great atmosphere."