GREENSBORO, N.C. – As long as Jordan Williams sticks around, the Terrapin men’s basketball forward will play in three more ACC Tournaments.
But he’d probably rather forget his first experience here.
Going up against Georgia Tech’s potent front court in Friday’s quarterfinal loss, Williams struggled with foul problems throughout the night, ultimately fouling out for the first time in his career. The freshman finished with seven points and seven rebounds in just 21 minutes, his fewest in ACC play since the Jan. 10 conference opener.
Williams picked up his fourth foul with 15:33 left in the game trying to draw a charge on Georgia Tech guard Iman Shumpert’s transition lay-up attempt. He sat for more than eight minutes before returning with 7:08 left and fouled out when he grabbed Derrick Favors with three seconds left and the outcome all but decided.
While Williams, who picked up his second foul with 9:46 left in the first half, avoided disqualification until the final seconds, he acknowledged it effected him from getting comfortable in his ACC Tournament debut.
“It was tough for me not to be able to get to my rhythm playing aggressive,” Williams said. “I like to bump. I like to get into the mix. It was tough for me not to be able to do that tonight.”
Dino Gregory also picked up two quick fouls as part of the Terps’ overall first half struggles. With those two limited by their foul issues, Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors, Gani Lawal and Zachary Peacock asserted themselves.
That trio combined for 29 points and 25 rebounds in the game.
The Terps ended up resorting to a four-guard lineup because of the foul problems–something they used regularly early in the season when Gregory was suspended and they were short-handed down low. Coach Gary Williams noted in his postgame press conference that there might have been some pressure during that time for Jordan Williams to avoid foul trouble.
While guards are the Terps’ strength, when they utilized the set Friday, guard Sean Mosley was charged with trying to stop the 6-foot-9, 234-pound Lawal.
While it was clear the Terps missed the young big man’s steady presence, coach Gary Williams applauded Jordan Williams for doing his best given the situation.
“He’s been fortunate,” Gary Williams said. “He hasn’t had much foul trouble all year, so I thought he handled it well for not being in that situation very often.”
When Jordan Williams, who this week became the first Terp freshman to make the All-ACC Freshman squad since Steve Blake in 2000, looks back on the highlights from his freshman campaign, this game likely won’t be included.
But if nothing else, the experience is just another lesson in his quick ACC education.
Eric Detweiler is The Diamondback’s Terrapin Men’s Basketball Team beat writer. He can be reached at edetweilerdbk@gmail.com. You can follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/edetweiler.