Williams preparing for Booker again

Jordan Williams looms three inches taller than Clemson's Trevor Booker, but he looks up to the beefy-but-undersized Tiger forward just the same.

It's easy to understand why the Terrapin men's basketball freshman talks about Booker with such deference.

During his four-year career, Booker has worked himself into the top 10 on the Tigers' career list in nine different statistical categories. With Clemson's next win, Booker and teammate David Potter will become the winningest players in program history.

For a young big man, it's hard to pick a better current ACC role model.

But when Booker and the Tigers come to Comcast Center tonight, don't expect that respect to be readily apparent. 

Banging with the ACC's biggest frontcourts for 12 conference games has given the 6-foot-10 Williams a good idea of how to approach such matchups. After helping to force the 6-foot-7 Booker into a season-worst 2-for-16 shooting in the Terps' 62-53 loss at Clemson on Jan. 31, Williams has a plan to duplicate that success.

"Just to bump him and let him know I'm not going to be pushed around," Williams said. "I think that sometimes players think they can just come in and move you around when you're a freshman. I just want to make a statement right away."

Williams, who finished with a team-high 13 points and 13 rebounds, stood out as one of the few bright spots of the Terps' trip to Littlejohn Coliseum. The Terps' 26 turnovers and 20 offensive rebounds allowed were just part of what quickly became one of their worst showings of the ACC season. 

Along with handling the Tigers' defensive pressure, how well the Terps (19-7, 9-3 ACC) hold up inside will likely go a long way toward deciding whether they will be able to capitalize on their first opportunity to avenge a loss this season.

"This is one of those games where you find out if you have been improving," coach Gary Williams said.

Looking at the box score from the loss at Clemson should provide the Terps all the necessary motivation.

Booker and forward Jerai Grant combined for 28 points and 28 rebounds in their team's nine-point win. Despite the Terps' best efforts to double-team and harass Booker, the 240-pound forward still finished with 10 points and 16 rebounds. Grant, a Bowie native, took advantage of the Terps' focus on his teammate to notch career-highs in points (18) and rebounds (12).

Jordan Williams kept the Terps close early on with 10 first-half points and shook off a slightly sprained ankle to play a career-high 34 minutes.

The other two Terp forwards — Dino Gregory and Landon Milbourne — combined to add just seven points and eight rebounds.

"[Jordan Williams has] competed all year against frontlines that are bigger than we are," coach Gary Williams said. "He did the same thing that day. Even though Grant and Booker had a lot of numbers, [Jordan Williams] didn't get much help."

Tonight the Terps, who allowed 21 offensive rebounds in Saturday's win against Georgia Tech, will get another crack at handling the frontcourt.

Guard Sean Mosley said the team has been working on some new defensive looks to try to surprise the preseason All-ACC pick this time around. And Gary Williams discussed balancing how much attention to pay to Booker with trying to keep Grant in check.

Jordan Williams just hopes his efforts will translate into more team success.

In the Terps' second-to-last home game of his freshman season, Williams will get a chance to make more positive memories against the player who has carved out a career he'll continue to aspire toward.

"I mean, yeah, that was good for myself," Jordan Williams said of his first encounter with Booker. "But it doesn't really matter what you do yourself if you lose the game."

edetweiler@umdbk.com