Diamondback Online - The University of Maryland's Independent Daily Student Newspaper

Issue date: 2/6/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Yuchen Nie

Lately, all the buzz surrounding the Terrapin men's basketball team has been about the stellar play of senior post duo Bambale Osby and James Gist.

And rightfully so - Osby played the hero in Saturday's win against Georgia Tech, while Gist was enormous in the Terps' biggest win of the season at then-No. 1 North Carolina. The pair has combined for 32.3 points and 18.6 rebounds per game in ACC play.

But way back in December, neither could contain the shot-blocking terror of Boston College's Tyrelle Blair. The 6-foot-11 center has averaged a league-high five blocks per game in ACC play, with his peak performance coming in the Eagles' 81-78 win in College Park on Dec. 9, where he blocked 11 shots and altered countless others.

Tonight, the Terps head to Chestnut Hill, Mass., for a rematch with Blair and the Eagles. In the last meeting, a flurry of fouls and blocked shots flustered the Terps, and the Eagles seemed to have an answer for every attempt at a Terp rally throughout the night. Boston College took the lead at the 10-minute mark and never relinquished it.

Coach Gary Williams admittedly wasn't quite prepared for Blair in December, but the veteran coach knows his team will have to plan around the super-long senior for this rematch.

"When a guy blocks shots, it's often off his man ... so maybe if we just make one extra pass, that can negate a shot-blocker. But it's hard," Williams said. "He's one of those big guys with great timing."

Williams added that the best way to neutralize a shot-blocker is to play physically and not allow him to get proper spacing. And Gist seemed excited at the idea of attacking Blair down low.

"You just got to be able to take it to him," Gist said. "If he's gonna alter the game like that, a guy like that can't be in the game too long. You got to take it to him every chance you get."

On the other side, the Terps have faced primarily up-tempo offenses since ACC play began. But Boston College plays a grinding, compact version of the same flex offense Williams runs in half-court sets. And Eagle point guard Tyrese Rice's speed allows the Eagles to run occasionally to contrast their half-court game.

Williams recognizes the challenge.

"They lull you to sleep a little bit where you don't think they're going to run, and all of a sudden, it's like [Rice]'s going 90 miles-per-hour," Williams added. "He doesn't do it all the time, but he's as quick as anyone in this league."

Eagles coach Al Skinner knows the Terps every bit as well as Williams knows Boston College. Both teams have changed over the last two months. Williams was not willing to look past the fact that the Eagles have won each of the last three games in the series, saying he felt the Eagles had an upperhand.

Gist, though, is mentally prepared for this one.

"Me personally, that's just something that I've had on my mind since we lost that game - that we've got a chance, we've got another chance when we go back up to Boston College," Gist said. "That's a win I'm looking to get."

ajosephdbk@gmail.com

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