MarylandTerps Should Watch For Complacency Trap Against Miami, N.C. State

There's no denying the Terps are playing good ball right now. I don't deny that. No denying it.

Since ACC play began, they've won three of four, including over No. 18 Florida State and a dominating win at BC. As you know, Maryland's only loss in this stretch was a gutsy and gut-wrenching overtime affair at Wake Forest that could have gone either way.

Following last night's win over the Longwood Windshield Bugs, which set a new record for margin of victory at the Comcast Center, they face N.C. State and Miami before a big Jan. 31 test at No. 24 Clemson. The Wolfpack just upset FSU themselves and lost a squeaker to Clemson, but they will likely sit at 12-7 after facing Duke tonight (not that I want to jinx Duke or anything). At 15-4, Miami has been surprising, but hasn't faced a ranked opponent yet.

On paper, these games (both at home) are quite winnable, especially with Greivis Vasquez looking like the ACC's best player (don't bring that Jon Scheyer gobbledygook in here) and Eric Hayes (second in the ACC in three-point percentage), Landon Milbourne (just pencil him in for a 19 and 10), and Jordan Williams chipping in.

But here's the inevitable rub. Not to be a Negative Nelly, but the Terps have a notorious tendency to contract a nasty little affliction known as Throw-Your-Jersey-on-the-Floor syndrome. Symptoms include obsession with press clippings, loss of reasoning skills during games, and delusions of grandeur based on the premise that, because you have won three of your last four games, you are just a few commas and zeroes short of the Lakers.

Don't believe me? Let's take a stroll down Statistics Lane, shall we? It's right here at the corner of Cold and Reality. Last season, following a seven-game win streak, the Terps infamously threw up on themselves versus Morgan State (another symptom of Jersey-on-the-Floor syndrome). This ignited a spate of self-destruction that included the most lopsided loss of  Gary Williams' career. I'm no Jay Bilas, but I don't believe that's what you want to see.

In 2008, they won seven of nine in ACC play before spitting the bit against Va. Tech and Miami, a momentum-killing stumble that ultimately netted them 13 shiny tickets to the NIT. 

Back in 2005, they defeated Duke twice, but lost to 16-16 Clemson three times, 16-14 Virginia Tech once, and 16-13 Miami once. NIT again.

The Terps aren't the only team to play up and down, but it's pretty safe to say they've perfected the art of looking past certain opponents. They're like the Picassos of underestimation.

Perhaps it won't happen this time. N.C. State and Miami, while not juggernauts, may be dangerous enough to keep Maryland's attention. We shall see. All I know is, they won't get caught in a trap game if they just watch where they're going. Wow, that was deep.