Nov. 2, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
With the release of the first ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll of the season, the Maryland women's basketball team has earned a No. 14 preseason ranking. It is the highest preseason ranking in the coaches poll for the Terps since 1992-93.
Head coach Brenda Frese's Terps have earned numerous top-15 preseason ratings from various publications, including a No. 7 ranking by SLAM Magazine. Maryland returns four starters from last season's team and nine letterwinners overall. The Terps posted a 22-10 record last year, the most wins for the program since 1992-93, earning a No. 24 final ranking in the Coaches Poll after advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year.
Among the returnees are Wade Trophy and Wooden Award candidates Shay Doron and Crystal Langhorne. Doron was a Kodak/WBCA Honorable Mention All-American and a first team All-ACC selection last season. Langhorne is the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year and also earned a spot on the second team all-conference squad. Combining for 34.8 points per game, the pair were also recently named Preseason All-ACC.
Frese welcomes her third-straight top 10 recruiting class, including two consecutive top-five classes. This season's incoming class of McDonald's All-Americans Marissa Coleman (Cheltenham, Md./St. John's College [D.C.]) and Kristi Toliver (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) was ranked fourth in the nation.
Maryland is scheduled to face five teams ranked in the preseason poll, including No. 1 Tennessee and No. 2 Duke. The Terps also battle No. 8 Michigan State in non-conference action, while ACC-foes North Carolina and NC State are rated No. 8 and No. 24, respectively.
The Terrapins host EA Sports for an exhibition matchup on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. The Terps officially open the regular season at Siena on Nov. 18.
ESPN/USA TODAY Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Tennessee
2. Duke
3. LSU
4. Ohio State
5t. Rutgers
5t. Georgia
7. Baylor
8. North Carolina
9. Connecticut
10. Stanford
11. Michigan State
12. Texas
13. Texas Tech
14. Maryland
15. Notre Dame
16. Vanderbilt
17. Minnesota
18. Arizona State
19. DePaul
20. Temple
21. Utah
22. Southern California
23. Purdue
24. North Carolina State
25. Oklahoma
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