How badly did Maryland blow it?
Were the Terrapins headed for a No. 3 seed on Sunday had they reached the ACC Tournament semifinals rather than losing to last-place Miami in the opening round? Will the NCAA Tournament selection committee instead see the Maryland of midseason versus the late-season run of seven straight wins?
Losing to Miami probably drops Maryland to a No. 5 seed – at best – maybe a No. 6. You can never tell about the committee, but it doesn’t treat front-runners stumbling at their door very kindly.
It has been a maddening season at times for Terps fans. Maryland opened 14-2 with several solid victories. But it all seemed lost during the 3-6 ACC start when it looked like the same bunch of underachievers of the last two seasons.
But the Terps had their best run since the 2002 national championship by beating Duke twice and North Carolina during the closeout seven-game run. Everyone started believing in thisteam again, including the players. Too much, in fact. They played like individuals versus a bad Miami team and no late-game run could wash away that sin.
Coach Gary Williams dismissed the loss as inconsequential given everyone gets new partners in the Big Dance. Sure. But the Terps now get someone with game in the first two rounds versus a last-in No. 12 seed.
At No. 6, the Terps will face a fair contender in a No. 10 seed. An Indiana or Winthrop, maybe even Syracuse or Michigan State. Not exactly first-round freebies, especially after losing to Miami on a neutral court.
A No. 4 seed would have meant Gonzaga or Old Dominion where a bad game doesn’t always mean elimination. But if the Terps play like their midseason selves, a Syracuse or Winthrop would send them home quickly.
Let’s address another drawback — location. The Terps probably earned a trip out west for the San Jose regional rather than a jaunt up I-95 to East Rutherford. Not a lot of fans travel cross-country even if Maryland students are headed for spring break on Friday. Maybe the Terps will get lucky and gain the Columbus opening-round site.
The NCAA likes to keep teams close to home to increase attendance, but there really aren’t many Mid-Atlantic options. The higher local seed – Georgetown – will get first shot. Maybe the Terps will be sent to Buffalo. But if we’re talking road trip, they might as well go somewhere warm like New Orleans.
The good news is the Terps won’t be making a third straight NIT appearance. The bad news is they’ll be returning home quickly if they don’t recapture the selfless persona that set College Park a buzz.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
