March 27, 2007

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland seniors Ekene Ibekwe (Carson, Calif.) Mike Jones (Dorchester, Mass./Thayer Academy) and D.J. Strawberry (Corona, Calif./Mater Dei) will participate in the 55th Annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT). The PIT takes place April 4-7 at Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Va. It is the only tournament for college seniors to participate in and be evaluated by National Basketball Association personnel before the NBA's pre-draft camp in Orlando in June.

Ibekwe led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 2.7 blocked shots per game this season and was named to the league's all-defensive team. He became just the fourth Terp in school history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 blocked shots. Ibekwe ranked fourth in the ACC in rebounds (7.8) and was sixth in both offensive (2.9 rpg) and defensive (4.9 rpg) rebounds per game.

Jones finished second on the team with 13.8 points per game as a senior. He led the Terrapins in scoring a team-best 14 times this season. Jones led the Terps in three-point field percentage (.440) and ranked third in the ACC in three-point field goals per game (2.38 3fg). He finished his career with 203 three-pointers, the second-highest total in school history. Jones finished his career shooting 81 percent from the free throw line, which ranks seventh all-time at Maryland.

Strawberry was named second team All-ACC and garnered All-ACC Defensive Team plaudits as a senior. He led the Terrapins with 14.9 points per game, which ranked 11th in the league. Strawberry was fourth in the ACC with 2.03 assists per game and tenth in field goal percentage (.477). He posted the ninth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the conference (1.59). Strawberry led the Terps in scoring 11 times during his senior season and led the squad in assists on 13 occasions.

Maryland finished the year 25-9 and advanced to the NCAA Midwest Region's second round. It was the 14th consecutive season the Terrapins qualified for postseason play.