AP Writers Rank Maryland Women Fourth in Preseason Poll
11/3/2007 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 3, 2007
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Associated Press released its preseason poll on Saturday and the Terrapin women's basketball team was ranked fourth. It is the highest preseason ranking for any team in the ACC as four league squads made the top 25.
Maryland, which opens its season on Friday, Nov. 9 against Princeton in the first round of the Preseason WNIT, was also ranked fourth in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, which was released earlier in the week. The Terrapins have garnered numerous top-five ratings in various preseason publications.
The ACC's North Carolina and Duke also appear in the top 10 in the poll, with UNC coming in at No. 8 and the Blue Devils are 10th. Florida State was 19th in the preseason poll.
Defending national champion Tennessee topped the AP poll, followed by Connecticut and Rutgers. The Terps battle Rutgers in the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 3 in Piscataway, N.J. LSU, a possible Preseason WNIT opponent, rounded out the top five in the poll.
The Terps also face sixth-ranked Oklahoma in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 11 in Chapel Hill, N.C. Meanwhile, No. 16 Ohio State and No. 20 Pittsburgh appear on the 2007-08 Maryland schedule, as well. Other Preseason WNIT participants in the poll are No. 17 Michigan State and No. 24 Notre Dame.
Maryland and head coach Brenda Frese welcome back eight letterwinners, including four starters, this season. The Terps are the second-most experienced team in the nation behind only No. 18 West Virginia with the returnees combining for 351 career starts. Among the returnees are preseason Wade Trophy and Wooden Award candidates Crystal Langhorne (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro), Marissa Coleman (Cheltenham, Md./St. John's College [D.C.]) and Kristi Toliver (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg). The team also adds the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation, which includes four Parade high school All-Americans.
Tickets for Maryland women's basketball games are available through the Comcast Center Ticket Office by calling 1-800-IM-A-TERP or online at ww.umterps.com.
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