More Zone 'D' Talk

A couple of interesting points about the 3-2 zone defense the Terps implemented during the second half Saturday againt Florida State:

• The team has practiced operating it on a regular basis since, by Gary Williams's estimation, the third day of practice back in the fall.
• Maryland is known for adamently sticking to its man-to-man coverage, which may have been why the Seminoles appeared so flummoxed when the Terps broke out into something different.
• Williams said its nice to know his players are capable of running it effectively, but that doesn't mean we're going to see it more often in games from now on. Saturday's game was only the second time Maryland has used a zone defense this season. The other was against Charlotte on Jan. 3 after the 49ers nearly shot the lights out in the first half.

"We haven't used it that much," Williams said. "Sometimes you do it, not because it's a better defense, but just because it changes the tempo or the rhythm of the game. It's an important defense for us, but you won't see us use it every game."