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Maryland is in the Southern Region. Once the Terrapins reach the Sweet 16, they travel to Louisville for the second weekend of the tournament. He is the only time the program has reached the Sweet 16 since 2003, the year after the Terps won the national title (2016). This year, they will need to outrun their top-seeded opponents.
For coach Kevin Willard, getting an NCAA Tournament bid in his first season in Maryland is a huge achievement. He took over the program a year ago after the Terps survived a turbulent season that saw Mark Turgeon resign early in the campaign. Maryland finished last season with its first losing record since 1992-93. I was. Willard had to build a roster quickly, with his four members of his eight-man rotation joining the program for the first time.
Willard joked that athletic director Damon Evans “looked pretty smart” about hiring him for winning the bid in his first year as coach of Maryland. Willard added:
Maryland finished 11-9 in conference play this season, earning the sixth seed in the Big Ten Tournament. The Terps defeated Minnesota in the second round, but were eliminated after losing to Indiana in the quarterfinals.
Maryland’s regular season was highlighted by a 10-0 record in conference play at home. The Terps defeated five ranked teams including Purdue (1st seed in the NCAA Tournament) and Indiana (4th seed). Maryland also defeated Miami (the 5th seed) at the neutral site in November. They’re just 2-9 this season, with wins coming only to Minnesota (bottom of the Big 10) and Louisville (bottom of the ACC).
Maryland has lost three of its last four games, including back-to-back disappointments to close out the regular season. It was against the university and Pennsylvania State University. The Buckeyes advanced to the Big Ten semi-finals and the Nittany Lions lost the championship. Penn State won 8 of 9 games before falling to Purdue in the conference title game.
The Terps have an experienced senior tier team, but four players from Maryland’s rotation (starting point guard Jahmir Young, starting forward Julian Reese, reserve forward Patrick Emilien, and reserve guard Ian Martinez, this will be their first NCAA tournament. Young (formerly of Charlotte), Emilien (West Michigan and St. Francis of Brooklyn) and Martinez (Utah) never earned a berth before moving to Maryland, and Reese is still in his sophomore year. Young is currently stepping up his Terps with 16.1 points per game and will soon have the opportunity to create a memorable moment in his Madness March.
“From being a kid just watching March Madness to being able to sit in the living room on the couch and finally be able to play March Madness, it’s just an emotion,” said Young. is thrilled to be with these guys.”
Maryland starters Hakim Hart and Donta Scott were part of the Terps team that lost to Alabama in the second round after beating Connecticut in the first round as the 2021 No. 10 seed.
Willard, who coached Seton Hall for 12 seasons, appeared in five NCAA Tournaments, winning just one. (He missed his best chance to run in 2020, when the Pirates were projected to take the No. 3 seed before the postseason was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.)
When Maryland hired Willard, the coach energized the fan base by saying that the team’s annual goal was to win a Big Ten title and a national title, and that “this program doesn’t allow for anything else.” I was. No one expected Willard to achieve such a feat in his first season, but this tournament will be Willard’s first chance to prove himself on the biggest stage in college basketball. .
“There are a lot of kids who never made it,” said Willard. “So their reactions, their feelings, their emotions are great. It’s great momentum for the program to move forward.”
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