If the Slipper Fits

ATLANTA -- The IU men's basketball team has been in this game five times before, but none of the Hoosiers' current players have. This will be the first national title game in school history for Maryland.\nStill it is presumed that the big game experience lies with the Terrapins. And of course, they are expected to win.\nThat doesn't faze Gary Williams, who is in his 24th year of coaching. Maryland might be favored to win in Las Vegas, but that doesn't mean the Terrapins are taking the Hoosiers lightly.\n"Well, we were the favorite I guess up until (Saturday night)," Williams said. "They took out a very good Oklahoma team."\nAfter the way the Hoosiers have shot the three-pointer in the tournament, it has become a big topic before each of their games. The Sooners beat Maryland by 16 in December at Oklahoma. \nAgainst the Sooners on Saturday, the Hoosiers hit their last seven three-pointers of the game, including six-for-six in the second half.\nThe Terrapins know the three-point shot has helped IU get to this point, especially when the Hoosiers hit 15 of 19 three-pointers against Kent State in the Elite Eight. \nThe Sooners tried to key on the three-pointers in the first half and the Hoosiers had their way down low. In the second half, Davis said Oklahoma was tired and IU got some open looks.\nWilliams said that balance is scary.\n"They've been successful as a three-point shooting team, but they've had games where they haven't shot the three and won against some good teams," Williams said. "Oklahoma really struggled with that. Hopefully we can do a better job."\nPoint guards\nJunior Tom Coverdale said his left ankle is fine and that he expects it to feel better tonight than it did Saturday night. Either way, Steve Blake doesn't expect Coverdale to be any less than 100 percent.\nA three-year starter who had 11 assists against Kansas Saturday night, Blake has struggled of late. He did hit a big three-pointer in the closing minutes to help Maryland get past Connecticut in the Elite Eight, but Blake knows he will have his hands full tonight.\n"I'm just going to play the way I always play," Blake said. "Play solid defense and offensively play the same game. His ankle looked fine the last game I saw yesterday so it doesn't change the game plan at all."\nIt's just emotion\nThe CBS broadcast might not pick up on all of the turmoil that he will experience, but Gary Williams will go through the usual agony he deals with every time out. With each possession that doesn't end in success for Maryland, Williams throws his arms in the air and then holds his hands to his temples while yelling.\nIt is something Williams' players have grown accustomed to.\n"I wish he would just sit there for 40 minutes but I know he's not going to do that," Juan Dixon joked. \nWilliams always sweats through his dress shirt to the point where it changes to a different color. If he left his suit coat on, he would probably sweat through that. His players aren't scared of his wrath, but Williams' actions do draw some laughs.\n"The first game that we had, coach came and yelled at me and I wasn't even dressing out," Byron Mouton said. "I called home and told them coach was yelling at me and I'm not even playing.\n"I'm just so excited because when a coach is like that, always involved, you know you are going to have a great time with him."\nRandom numbers\nTonight's 2002 national title game will be Maryland's 2002nd game in school history…A No. 1 seed, Maryland beat another No. 1 seed, Kansas, Saturday night. All-time, the winner of a No. 1 vs. No. 1 national semifinal is 3-7 in title games. Maryland is 30-0 this year when the Terps have a better field goal percentage than their opponent. Earlier this year Dixon became the first player in NCAA history to record 2000 points, 300 steals and 200 three-point field goals in a career.