ESPN Analysts Tab Basketball Terps As No. 2 Or No. 3 In Summer Preview
8/6/2001 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Aug. 6, 2001
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Midnight Madness -- the official start to the college basketball season -- is still more than two months away, but that hasn't stopped hoops aficionados at ESPN from putting together their "Summer Top 25" polls.
Maryland, a national semifinalist in 2001 which returns four starters to its 2001-02 roster, is a No. 2 pick in three of the four polls, and No. 3 in the other. Last season, Maryland finished the year with its first trip to the Final Four, and a No. 4 USA Today/ESPN national ranking which matched the highest in school history.
The Terps open the upcoming season at the Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Classic, Nov. 8 and 9 at Madison Square Garden. Maryland battles fellow 2001 Final Four participant Arizona in a first-round game, and will play either Temple or Florida in a second-round matchup. Florida, too, was a unanimous Top Five pick by the ESPN summer experts and joined Duke and the Terrapins as the only other school with a No. 1 or 2 ranking.
Maryland, entering its final year of play at Cole Field House before moving to the 17,000-seat Comcast Center for 2002-03, boasts the nation's longest non-conference home court win streak, presently at 77 games. The streak, though, will be tested early with a Nov. 27 bout against defending Big Ten champion Illinois as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Illini are a unanimous Top 10 selection in the four ESPN summer polls, with two selections at No. 4.
The ESPN panel clearly is of the opinion that it's Duke's title to lose, but says Vitale, "The Blue Devils have plenty of challengers."
On Maryland, Vitale says, "The Terps return a solid nucleus, with a super inside-outside duo of Lonny Baxter and Juan Dixon. Baxter is one of the most powerful inside players around, while Dixon is deadly on the perimeter. Steve Blake is an outstanding ball-handler. Gary Williams will get more from Tahj Holden and Chris Wilcox. It should be a special season in the final year of Cole Field House."
Andy Katz Dick Vitale Jay Bilas Joe Lunardi 1. Duke 1. Duke 1. Duke 1. Duke 2. Maryland 2. Maryland 2. Maryland 2. Florida 3. UCLA 3. Florida 3. Kentucky 3. Maryland 4. Illinois 4. Illinois 4. Florida 4. Kentucky 5. Florida 5. Kentucky 5. Kansas 5. UCLA 6. Kentucky 6. UCLA 6. Illinois 6. Illinois 7. Missouri 7. Kansas 7. Virginia 7. Missouri 8. Kansas 8. Memphis 8. UCLA 8. Kansas 9. St. Joseph's 9. Stanford 9. Iowa 9. St. Joseph's 10. Iowa 10. Missouri 10. Georgetown 10. Iowa 11. Virginia 11. Iowa 11. St. Joseph's 11. Boston Coll. 12. Georgetown 12. Virginia 12. Fresno St. 12. Virginia 13. Temple 13. Georgetown 13. Temple 13. Georgetown 14. Memphis 14. Fresno St. 14. Missouri 14. Temple 15. Oklahoma St. 15. St. Joseph's 15. Cincinnati 15. Connecticut 16. Syracuse 16. Temple 16. No. Carolina 16. Gonzaga 17. Fresno St. 17. Boston Coll. 17. Boston Coll. 17. Fresno St. 18. USC 18. Michigan St. 18. Texas 18. Memphis 19. Boston Coll. 19. No. Carolina 19. Oklahoma 19. Oklahoma St. 20. Gonzaga 20. USC 20. Michigan St. 20. Utah 21. Connecticut 21. Wake Forest 21. Syracuse 21. Indiana 22. Michigan St. 22. Connecticut 22. Stanford 22. Mississippi 23. Alabama 23. Oklahoma St. 23. Oklahoma St. 23. Syracuse 24. Stanford 24. Alabama 24. Mississippi 24. Arizona 25. Cincinnati 25. Xavier 25. Memphis 25. Michigan St.
