Forward Jake Layman defends a shot when the Terps defeated Southern New Hampshire, 91-55, at Xfinity Center on Nov. 6, 2015.
The last time the Terrapins men’s basketball team played Georgetown in a scheduled regular-season game, senior forward Jake Layman hadn’t been born yet.
In fact, guards Varun Ram, Trevor Anzmann and Jaylen Brantley were the only players who were alive when the Terps topped the Hoyas, 84-83, in overtime in Landover on Nov. 26, 1993.
So some players aren’t very aware of the historical significance of the No. 3 Terps’ game against Georgetown on Tuesday night at Xfinity Center. Still, they realize how much the game — played between schools separated by less than 20 miles — means to the DMV area.
“This is what you come here to play in games like this,” Layman said. “I’m excited to be able to be a part of this game and how much excitement it brings to people in this area. It’s going to be an unbelievable crowd tomorrow, and I’m just ready to get that atmosphere back in the Xfinity Center.”
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In April, the programs announced they would play their first home-and-home since the 1970s as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. After playing every season from 1946-47 to 1975-76, the teams have met just three times since 1980. As a result, a once-flourishing rivalry — the Terps are 36-27 all-time against the Hoyas — began to fade away.
But as hype began to build around the Terps program in April after a record season and key offseason additions, the idea of renewing a local rivalry grabbed the attention of the Washington-area community.
“I don’t know how many tickets we could have sold if we had a huge arena, but I’m sure we could have sold 50,000 to 60,000 tickets for this game,” coach Mark Turgeon said. “It’s going to get a lot of play.”
Though Georgetown (0-1) dropped its season opener at home against mid-major Radford in double overtime Saturday, the Terps (1-0) don’t expect the Hoyas to roll over Tuesday.
Georgetown received votes in the preseason Associated Press poll and is led by guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, who decided to return for his senior season instead of leaving for the NBA.
“We know just because they lost to Radford doesn’t mean they aren’t going to bring their A-game against us,” guard Melo Trimble said. “Any loss can make any team hungry.”
Plus, students have been clamoring for tickets since they were eligible to request them Nov. 3. Layman said it doesn’t compare to the Duke game when he was a freshman, but it will provide the current newcomers with “their first taste of a really big game like that.”
“I imagine the building is going to be electric tomorrow night, which is going to help motivate us even more,” Turgeon said. “I don’t need to give any speeches for tomorrow night’s game.”
The players have their specific reasons why they are extra motivated for the nationally televised showdown.
Trimble, an Upper Marlboro native, never received an offer after visiting Georgetown. Now he has a chance to show them what they missed out on.
Layman gets a chance to play a highly regarded program for the first time in his four seasons as a member of a top-five squad.
And forward Robert Carter Jr., who sat out last season after transferring from Georgia Tech, has the chance to play before a home atmosphere he didn’t experience while sitting on the bench.
“This is college basketball at its finest,” Carter said. “You always want to be on the big stage playing against another one of the best teams in the country.”
