Terp Women Host U.S. National Team on Wednesday Night
10/30/2007 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 30, 2007
EXHIBITION GAME 1
U.S. National Team at Maryland Terrapins
Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2007 • 7 p.m.
Comcast Center (17,950) • College Park, Md.
Radio: WMUC Sports (Listen)
Webcast: ACC Select (www.accselect.com)
Terps Battle U.S. National Team
• The Terps prepare for the upcoming 2007-08 season with a tune-up game vs. the U.S. National Team on Wednesday, Oct. 31. Some of the most well-known players in women's basketball history will take the floor at Comcast Center.
• Prior to the start of the game, Maryland will host a Trick or Treat beginning at 5:30 p.m. on the concourse of Comcast Center. Kids aged 15 and under who are dressed in a Halloween costume will receive free admission to the game.
• The game vs. the U.S. team can be viewed on ACC Select and can be heard on Maryland's WMUC Sports. Video and audio links are available at www.umterps.com.
About the Terps
• Maryland was 28-6 last season, 10-4 in the ACC, placing third in the conference, advancing to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-straight year.
• Entering her sixth season at the helm, head coach Brenda Frese welcomes back her most experienced class since taking over the reigns at Maryland. Eight letterwinners return, including four starters. The Terps lost just two players from last year's squad, including Shay Doron who ended her career as Maryland's second all-time leading scorer.
• Among the returnees are two-time All-American and National Player of the Year candidate Crystal Langhorne. She led the nation with a 70.7 shooting percentage, leading the team in scoring and rebounding for the second-straight year.
• Also returning are All-ACC performers Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver. Both, along with Langhorne, were named to the Wade Watch preseason candidate list. 2006 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player Laura Harer is also back for the Terps.
• Joining the Terrapins this season is the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation, which includes four Parade All-Americans. Freshmen Marah Strickland and Drey Mingo were also WBCA and McDonald's All-Americans.
• The sideline will also have some new faces. Joining Frese and long-time assistant coach Erica Floyd are Daron Park, who spent three years at the University of Utah, and Diane Richardson, who is well known in the Washington, D.C. area as a successful high school coach.
About the U.S. Team
• The 10 players on the USA team's roster which will face the Terps tonight bring a wealth of talent and success. All 10 are professional players in the WNBA.
• This summer, Diana Taurasi (Connecticut) helped the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury capture the 2007 league crown, defeating the Detroit Shocks' Kara Braxton (Georgia), Swin Cash (Connecticut) and Katie Feenstra (Liberty). Kara Lawson (Tennessee) helped the Sacramento Monarchs to the WNBA semifinals, while Loree Moore (Tennessee), a teammate of former Terrapin great Shay Doron, also helped the New York Liberty advance to the league playoffs. Lisa Leslie, a three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player, makes her return to the court after missing the 2007 WNBA season. Leslie and Taj McWilliams-Franklin are members of the L.A. Sparks.
• Maryland fans may remember Feenstra, who will be making her second trip to Comcast Center. She was a member of the 13th-seeded Liberty University squad which upset fourth-seeded Penn State in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament which was hosted by the University of Maryland. The Liberty eventually reached the Sweet 16, only the second team in tournament history to advance that far.
Current Terps with U.S. Ties
• A number of current Terrapins have ties with the U.S. Basketball program. Most recently, seniors Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper helped the U21 National Team win a gold medal at the U21 FIBA World Championship this summer.
• Also playing in a U.S. uniform this summer was junior Marissa Coleman. Coleman traveled to Brazil, helping the Americans capture a gold medal at the Pan American games.
• It was Langhorne's, Harper's and Coleman's second stint with the U.S. National Team.
• Along with those three, Christie Marrone and Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood participated in the Youth Development Festival when they were in high school, while Marah Strickland and Marah Strickland have been invited to junior national team trials.
Three Named to Wade Watch List
• Three Terrapins were named to the preseason candidates for the State Farm/WBCA Wade Trophy, presented to the nation's top women's collegiate player. Crystal Langhorne, Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver are all repeat honorees, with Langhorne making her third-straight appearance.
• Last year, four Terps were placed on the preseason Wade Watch list, a record for the award. Langhorne was a finalist for the award, eventually being named to the WBCA All-America team.
Terps Top Pick in ACC Preseason Poll
• Maryland received 27 of 37 first-place votes and was predicted to finish first in the league in the ACC Preseason Poll, determined by a vote of the media who attended ACC Media Day, conference sports information directors and head coaches. It is the second-straight year the Terrapins were selected first in the poll and the third time since the polling began in 1991.
• The poll also revealed that Crystal Langhorne was selected the ACC's Preseason Player of the Year. A three-time All-ACC honoree and the 2005 ACC Rookie of the Year, she has been named to the first team the last two years.
• Junior Marissa Coleman, a two-time second team All-ACC and the 2006 ACC Rookie of the Year, was named to the Preseason All-ACC squad for the second-straight year.
Terps Ranked Among Top Five
• With four starters returning from last year's 28-6 squad and eight letterwinners overall, the Terrapins are ranked in the top five in numerous early preseason polls.
• Maryland's highest ranking is CSTV.com's No. 2 rating. The Sporting News Magazine and SLAM Magazine ranked the team third in the nation, while CBSSportsline.com Magazine, Lindy's College Basketball and Women's Basketball Magazine have the Terps fourth in the nation. Their lowest ranking was Athlon Sports' No. 5 rating.
Older and Wiser Terps
• With eight returning letterwinners on the 2007-08 roster, Maryland boasts the second-most experienced team in the nation. The eight returnees boast 351 combined career starts, second to only West Virginia's 364 returning career starts.
• This year's roster is the most experienced squad head coach Brenda Frese has had since arriving in College Park. The senior class, who have all started significant games at some point in their careers, consists of Laura Harper, Crystal Langhorne, Ashleigh Newman, Jade Perry and Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood. Juniors Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver have also been starters since arriving on campus.
Records Watch
• Senior Crystal Langhorne has had an outstanding career in her three seasons in College Park. Entering her final season, she is approaching two of the biggest records at Maryland.
• Langhorne has scored 1,711 points and grabbed 939 rebounds in her career. She ranks third behind Shay Doron (1,878) and record-holder Vicky Bullett (1,928) in scoring, and is only second behind Bullett (968) in rebounding.
Coming Up
• Maryland officially opens the 2007-08 campaign hosting Princeton in the first round of the Preseason WNIT on Friday, Nov. 9. The game can viewed on ACC Select. Audio and video links are available at www.umterps.com.
