Maryland Projected as Top 20 Seed for NCAA Tourney
2/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The fifth-ranked Maryland women's basketball team (22-2, 13-0 B1G) is projected to be a top-20 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament and is listed as a potential host for the NCAA First and Second Rounds.
The potential No. 1 seeds and top 20 teams were announced Wednesday by the women's basketball committee after its annual Selection Orientation Meeting in Indianapolis this week. In a change this year, host institutions for the NCAA First and Second Rounds will not be announced until Selection Monday on March 16.
“There were several reasons for [Wednesday's] unprecedented announcement,” said Dru Hancock, chair of the Division I Women's Basketball Committee and senior associate commissioner at the Big 12 Conference. “It's important to keep in mind that [Wednesday's] announcement has no bearing on the final bracket, but we were able to identify those institutions that are a possible top-20 seed so that they can begin preparations to host first- and second-round play, while also building momentum towards the upcoming championship.”
The 2015 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship will utilize a hosting model that will allow the top 16 seeds, who meet championship hosting requirements, to host first- and second-round games on March 20-23.
Regional championship play in 2015 will take place at pre-determined neutral sites -- Albany, New York; Greensboro, North Carolina; Oklahoma City; and Spokane, Washington, from March 27-30. The Women's Final Four will be held April 5 and 7 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. For more on the NCAA's potential bracket reveal, log on to http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-women/article/2015-02-11/committee-reveals-top-20-seeds.
At 13-0 in Big Ten play, the Terps are off to their best start in conference play in school history and are atop the conference standings. Their 16-game win streak ties their 16-0 mark to start the 2011-12 season, the second-longest win streak in school history.
Maryland has more wins over teams in the RPI top 50 than any other school in the country with 11 already this season.
The Terps are 57-29 (.663) all-time against their 2014-15 Big Ten opponents. Maryland has won 22 straight games against Big Ten teams, dating back to 2007. In the 13 years under head coach Brenda Frese, the Terps are 25-4 (.862) against their new conference opponents. Frese is 37-10 (.787) all-time vs. Big Ten opponents, which includes her time at Minnesota (2001-02) and at Ball State (1999-01).
Next, the Terrapins will play at Michigan State (11-13, 3-10) Monday at 7 p.m. ET. The Terps-Spartans game will be televised on ESPN as part of Big Monday and will also be shown online through WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.
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