Nov. 1, 2002

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The defending national champion Maryland basketball team debuted at No. 15 with the release of the first USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll of the season. The Terrapins, who posted a 32-4 record en route to the program's first-ever national championship a season ago, bring a solid core of senior leaders and a group of talented newcomers into the 2002-03 campaign.

Pre-season Naismith Award candidate Steve Blake, awards candidates Drew Nicholas and Tahj Holden and the No. 15 Terps officially open the season when the Miami (Ohio) Red Hawks visit the $120 million, state-of-the art Comcast Center on Nov. 24 at 5 p.m. (ESPN2). The Harlem Globetrotters face the Terps in Maryland's exhibition opener on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. (ESPN2), and the EA SPORTS All-Stars come to College Park on Nov. 19 (Comcast SportsNet).

Several of the Terps' 2002-03 opponents earned a preseason top 25 ranking in the first USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll of the year, including No. 6 Duke, No. 7 Florida and NCAA finalist and No. 21 Indiana. ACC rivals NC State and Virginia just missed the top 25 with high point totals. BB&T opponent Notre Dame, conference foes Wake Forest and Georgia Tech, and non-league Hampton also received votes.

The Terrapins tied their highest-ever preseason ranking in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll a year ago when they opened the 2001-02 season at No. 3. Maryland has been ranked in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 in every poll dating to the 1998 season.

The complete preseason USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll can be found here.