Women's Basketball No. 23 in Associated Press Preseason Poll
11/9/2004 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 9, 2004
The Maryland women's basketball team earned a No. 23 ranking in the recently-released Associated Press Preseason Poll. The team, coming off an 18-13 record and a third place finish in the ACC a year ago, was also ranked No. 23 by ESPN/USA Today in its first poll of the 2004-05 season.
The Terps are coming off a 2003-04 campaign that saw them finish third in the ACC and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 years. The team will also receive a lot of help from the No. 2-ranked recruiting class in the nation, which features four highly-touted players. Crystal Langhorne was tabbed the ACC's Preseason Rookie of the Year, the first Terrapin to earn the accolade in the history of the award.
Maryland, which was voted to finish third in the ACC in a preseason media poll last week, returns seven letterwinners and three starters. Among the starters returning are sophomore Shay Doron (Great Neck, N.Y./Christ the King) who has garnered preseason recognition, earning a spot on the All-ACC preseason squad and being named to Street & Smith's Honorable Mention All-American preseason team. She was the team's top-returning scorer a year ago, averaging 13.5 points per game.
Frese led the Terps to an 18-13 record last season and an unexpected third-place finish in the ACC. After Maryland upset fifth-seeded Miami (Fla.), 86-85, in the first round of the tournament, advancing to the second round for the first time in 12 years, the Terps received votes in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll of the season. Of the ACC squads mentioned in the poll, only Duke (6th) and North Carolina (12th) are ranked ahead of the Terps.
The Terrapins will play a home exhibition game against UMMC Ekaterinburg this Sunday, Nov. 14 and will open regular season play on Friday, Nov. 19 at Appalachian State. The Terps come to Comcast Center for the home opener on Sunday, Nov, 21 to host Siena at 2 p.m.
