COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Athletically speaking, the University of Maryland has run aground.

Drowning in red ink, new athletic director Kevin Anderson called it "the roughest day I've ever experienced" when he was required to carry out a committee decision to eliminate eight sports. The goal is to save $29 million with, as an example, $9 million in donations needed to preserve track and field.

The football team lost its last eight games to finish 2-10 under first-year coach Randy Edsall, the once-attractive Terps drawing just 29,945 and 37,401 for their last two ACC home games against Boston College and Virginia.

Gary Williams, who brought an NCAA basketball title in 2002, has retired and young giant Jordan Williams, who produced 16.9 points and 11.8 rebounds last year, turned pro after his sophomore season. Worse yet, 7-foot-1 Croatian Alex Len won't be available until after Christmas, and likely starter Pe'Shon Howard is sidelined with a broken foot.

Not exactly the expectations of new coach Mark Turgeon, who moved from Texas A&M after the Terps' reported flirtations with Mike Brey of Notre Dame, Sean Miller of Arizona, Jamie Dixon of Pitt and, everybody's choice, Brad Stevens of Butler.

So Illinois, an unknown despite its 6-0 record, takes the court at the Comcast Center (a $110 million building that is part of the financial problem) tonight against a 3-2 Terp quintet that has fallen to Alabama by 20 and Iona by 26 in San Juan. Last year's Illini pulled off one of their 20 triumphs against Maryland, 80-76, in New York. This revamped UI team will be playing its first game on an opponent's court.

"Any win over an ACC team on their court is a good win," UI coach Bruce Weber said. He's right but, in this case, it's "must win" for Illinois if the team is to stay on schedule as the competition grows more testing.

Land of stinkin'

Call them the Windy City windbags. They talk a good game, but basketball in Chicago keeps sinking to new lows.

There were always excuses that Chicago prep football is down because the culture leads young Chicago athletes toward the indoor sport. But the senior class of cagers stacks up as one of the weakest in modern times.

Now we turn to the four primary college teams. We've seen two of them at the Assembly Hall. They're bad. And they have been for awhile.

Chicago State, which succumbed to St. Mary's last season by an incredible 69 points, allowed Bruce Weber to play everybody in Sunday's 47-point loss. Southern Illinois is having a terrible time in what is surely Chris Lowery's final season (the Salukis were 13-19 last year) but had no trouble throttling the Cougars, 73-57. The Cougars are going nowhere athletically despite all the millions poured into the commuter school by "patron saint" Emil Jones Jr., former Senate president.

UIC is coming off a season in which the Flames were 2-16 in the Horizon and 7-24 overall (yes, they upset Illinois 57-54), and already have a bad loss to Quincy in a 2-3 start. Recruiting hasn't picked up since Jimmy Collins retired.

Loyola in no way resembles its 1963 NCAA champs, as a 1-4 start indicates. The Ramblers' record over four-plus seasons is 57 wins and 72 losses, and it doesn't appear to be getting any better.

DePaul is contending for the worst conference record ever. If there happens to be a senior who stuck it out the last three years, he was a loser in 50 of 52 games in the Big East. Think about it: two wins in three seasons. Oh, for the days of Mark Aguirre and the Meyer family. The Demons appear on an upswing with four wins and an 86-85 loss to Minnesota, but it remains to be seen whether this improvement will carry over to the rugged Big East.

Tate's tidbits

— With Maryland's front-line shortage, 6-1 Tucson sophomore Terrell Stoglin has become the go-to guy, and he leads the ACC in scoring with a 20.2 average. His 32 points carried Maryland to its most impressive win, 78-71, against Colorado.

— Junior Tyler Griffey took advantage of Chicago State defensive weaknesses to rack eight quick points Sunday. So the former Missouri all-stater is holding off the competition at the power forward as Weber evaluates four others either part-time or full-time at the position: Mike Shaw, Nnanna Egwu, Joe Bertrand and Myke Henry. All had their moments Sunday as those five players combined for 49 points.

— There'll be bipartisan interest in Tuesday's game with the attendance of U.S. Representative Tim Johnson of Urbana and Democrat Steny Hoyer, formerly House speaker. Johnson will be halftime guest on the Illini radio network.

— Weber's Illini face hard times in Chicago and St. Louis before Christmas. This isn't the same UNLV team that Illinois whipped 73-62 in the NCAA tournament. The United Center foe is unbeaten with consecutive wins against Southern Cal (66-55) and top-ranked North Carolina (90-80), and playmaker Oscar Bellfield, deadeye Chace Stanback and rebounder Mike Moser are playing like all-stars. And then there are Missouri's Tigers, 6-0 and appearing like a whirlwind in sweeping Cal and Notre Dame off the court by scores of 92-53 and 88-59.

Loren Tate writes for The News-Gazette. He can be reached at ltate@news-gazette.com.