March Madness: Terps Dance Again
The stage has been set for the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Yesterday, the hopes and dreams of 68 college basketball teams were made. With the release of the seeding for the Big Dance, we were privileged to see the explosive reaction of several schools who made the tournament for the first time in their history. For other teams, selection into the tournament was no big deal, because they pull out their dancing shoes almost every March. As an avid Maryland fan, I am thrilled to see Maryland in the tournament for the third year straight. I was pleasantly surprised with the seeding the Terps received (#6 in the West) and I would be lying if I said that my heart wasn't in my throat as the placement of the Terps was not revealed until last. The 6th seed, and a date with the Musketeers from Xavier, presents both great opportunity and great difficulty for Maryland. This team has struggled against the zone all year and that is one of Xavier's strengths. Xavier also has great presence on both the offensive and defensive glass, another area in which Maryland struggles. Maryland has shown the ability to heat up from the 3-point line on a whim, something they will need to turn on this Thursday night at 6:50pm in Orlando. Being placed in the West helps the Terps because they avoid having to play teams like Villanova, UNC, UCLA, and Kansas early on. However, there is still no easy game in March. Junior Melo Trimble has proven over the season to be the definition of the word "clutch." He always manages to come up big in the final seconds of close games, but I would like to see him make the more routine plays, as well as an increase in his shooting percentage. In order to make a deep run in the tournament, the Terps will need an NBA caliber performance out of #2. Another key to the Terps success will be in the hot hands of their three freshmen; Kevin Huerter, Anthony Cowan, and Justin Jackson. These three have proven their ability to carry this team with their big play capabilities on both offense and defense. If coach Mark Turgeon can harness his team's best basketball, then the Terp Squad could make a run deep into the tournament.
