COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Charles "Lefty" Driesell once said he wanted to make Maryland "UCLA East."

	Gary Williams enjoys Midnight Madness as the coach of the national champs, and gets to thanks Juan Dixon for that honor.

The defending national champion Terrapins are still a few titles short of Driesell's goal, but as they celebrated the opening of their new on-campus arena through The Old Lefthander's tradition of Midnight Madness, it's important to note how far the program has come under the Not-So-Old Lefthander, head coach Gary Williams. Commenting on the new season earlier in the week, the 57-year-old coach said, "It's like any year, really. It's just that we have more things to put behind us."

Joking aside, it's remarkable what Williams has done in raising his alma mater from the funeral pyre.

The rumple-clothed coach with the crimson sideline face was all smiles Friday night while signing (southpaw) his new book "Sweet Redemption" before the Terps christened the new 17,950-red-seated Comcast Center. And while the new arena might not officially be the "House That Gary Built," it's hard to imagine the building existing had the 1968 grad not returned to College Park 13 years ago.

Then, UM was still hurting from the death of Len Bias as well as being on probation following Bob Wade's short tenure. GW endured two consecutive losing seasons before turning it around with recruits like Keith Booth and Joe Smith, making Cole Field House once again one of the toughest home gyms in the nation. This year, Maryland moves its 84-game home-winning streak against non-conference foes (the nation's longest such streak) across campus to the Comcast Center.

In 1970, Driesell began Midnight Madness by having the Terps run a mile outside. On this night, as four outside air vents resembling giant dishwashers blasted steam into the fall evening, rabid Turtle fans packed (the event was ticketed but seats were free) the new building that makes Pauley Pavilion look like a pup tent. Those who feel the place is too big to maintain that home-court advantage need not worry. The new building holds 3,000 more seats, but UM has exchanged the arcing Cole roof for a more sunken ceiling. The new student section of 10 floor rows on all four sides as well as steeply rising wall of seats covering one baseline should be a second-half pain to the opposition.

If this night is any indication, this place will be loud. As the angry eye of the Terrapin flashed on the message boards above the luxury boxes, the place went nuts just watching the gymnastics team Gymkana vault through a ring of fire. It was damn near shaking during the pregame scoreboard show featuring a Halloween graveyard scene complete with Duke headstone. And when the Terps took the floor, senior point guard Steve Blake, who has started all but two games in his Maryland career, received the biggest ovation.

Williams calls his current team "a work in progress" that should hit its stride come conference play. The 2002-03 Terps feature four seniors, but as the coach notes they also sent four guys to the NBA. Byron Mouton, Chris Wilcox and Lonny Baxter are all gone. As is the resilient Juan Dixon, who stopped by this evening to hang with coach on the bench as Drew Nicholas and freshman Nik Caner-Medley exchanged throwdowns. Nicholas punctuated his flush on Mike Grinnon by getting in the sophomore's grill. Nothing like a little showtime in a pickup game in front of 17 thousand.

For his part, Williams couldn't be happier with the exception of a few new crowd tricks from people he said probably felt like tourists in their new digs.

"I think that place has a lot potential crowd-wise," Williams said afterward. "It sounded pretty loud out there. But let me just say, 'The Wave' will be banned from the Comcast Center in the future. I don't know who those people were, but we don't do that at Maryland basketball games."

Williams said he enjoyed the night, the fact Maryland can open its new gym as national champion and with a bit of a celebration. But he just as soon take on the challenge of the new season. Part of that means removing his national championship ring and putting it in a safe place at home.

	“	I took it off right before I went in the locker room. I told the players that's the last time they'll see it. We're about this year now. ”
		— Maryland coach Gary Williams, talking about his national championship ring.

"I took it off right before I went in the locker room," he said. "I told the players that's the last time they'll see it. We're about this year now."

On the Comcast Center's Lobby Level, across from the enormous Terrapins Team Shop, a photographic collage lines one wall. Among the many pictured are former UM greats John Lucas, Randy White, Boomer Esiason, Albert King and Renaldo Nehemiah. Photos of Williams cutting down the nets and the Lefthander holding his 500th victory ball bracket them all.

Williams, with 481 victories, is in line to get his 500th this season, probably sometime in February. But he shrugged off any notions about winning in the new building that his rebuilding job at Maryland help make possible.

"I don't worry about numbers," he said. "I've been in a couple of rebuilding situations where you're not going to get big numbers and I've coached in the three best conferences where you're playing against great teams all the time. So numbers don't mean much."

Except one. And for the first season in the new gym, the Turtle is that number. Thanks to the Not-So-Old Lefthander, Maryland can finally say it's No. 1.