Oct. 12, 2001

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - ESPN.com unveiled its college basketball preview on Friday, ranking the ACC duo of Duke and Maryland atop its list of challengers for the 2002 national championship.

Says ESPN analyst Jay Bilas:
Maryland is a serious threat to win the national championship. The Terps' heart and soul is Juan Dixon, who is as mentally tough as any player in the nation and has the ability to lead the ACC in scoring. Lonny Baxter, Steve Blake and Byron Mouton are capable and experienced, but Tahj Holden and Chris Wilcox must step forward to give Maryland more balanced strength up front to rebound and defend with anyone. While outsiders will undoubtedly focus on the games with Duke, dispensing psychoanalytic babble about the results, the Terps need concentrate only on getting better as the season progresses. Maryland can finish second in the ACC and still win it all.

Click here to view ESPN's Terrapin preview. Here is a look at the rest of the ESPN.com Top 25.

ESPN.com College Basketball Top 25
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils
No. 2 Maryland Terrapins
No. 3 Florida Gators
No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats
No. 5 Kansas Jayhawks
No. 6 Illinois Illini
No. 7 UCLA Bruins
No. 8 Missouri Tigers
No. 9: St. Joseph's Hawks
No. 10: Memphis Tigers
No. 11: Iowa Hawkeyes
No. 12: Michigan State
No. 13: Stanford Cardinal
No. 14: Temple Owls
No. 15: Virginia Cavaliers
No. 16: Oklahoma State
No. 17: Boston College Eagles
No. 18: Georgetown Hoyas
No. 19: Oklahoma Sooners
No. 20: North Carolina Tar Heels
No. 21: USC Trojans
No. 22: Texas Longhorns
No. 23: Connecticut Huskies
No. 24: Alabama Crimson Tide
No. 25: Gonzaga Bulldogs