Jackets Hope To Keep From Crumbling

The pressure is on Georgia Tech.

Losers of three straight and clinging to dreams of an NCAA Tournament berth, the sixth-seeded Yellow Jackets face No. 3 Maryland today in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum.

If Tech harbors any hope of hearing its name called Sunday during the NCAA selection show, the Ramblin’ Wreck needs a victory over the Terrapins, who have beaten the Jackets four consecutive times, including both meetings this season.

Talk about pressure: It was Maryland’s defensive pressure that killed Tech in both regular-season meetings, forcing the Jackets into a total of 47 turnovers.

“Maryland puts a lot of pressure on us,” said Tech coach Bobby Cremins, “and we’ve really got to take care of the basketball.”

During Maryland’s 81-69 win last month in College Park, the Terps threw a full complement of presses at Tech’s freshman backcourt, forcing Dion Glover (five turnovers) and point guard Travis Spivey (six) into bad decisions and worse passes.

“We decided to pressure them, get some turnovers, get some momentum and get things going,” said Maryland forward Laron Profit, the Terps’ leading scorer with 16.2 points a game. “Pressure is going to have a little more effect on (Tech’s freshmen) because they haven’t seen it as much.”

Added Terps’ guard Matt Kovarik: “We’re a pressing team against everyone. We come out with full-court and half-court presses, and most teams aren’t used to that.”

Spivey said the Jackets will attack Maryland’s full-court pressure a little differently today, placing Spivey in the middle of the press, rather than on the flanks, where he was stationed during the two losses.

“We feel like if we can get it to the middle of the press we’ll be fine,” said Spivey, who has 17 turnovers in Tech’s last three games, coinciding with his team’s present losing streak.

In terms of psychological pressure, Tech (17-12) again figures to be facing more heat than Maryland (18-9), which went 10-6 in the ACC and is considered a lock for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.