Maryland Terrapins
Big Ten (30-3, 16-2)
Maryland has been able to overcome a pair of losses to Ohio State during the regular season and has put themselves in a position for another potential trip to the Final Four if they get the right draw. The Terrapins, as always, have the support of one of greatest crowds at the XFINITY Center, which will help during the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. This, along with a deep lineup for head coach Brenda Frese to match up well against just about any team in the NCAA Tournament, will make Maryland a very tough out in the NCAA Tournament.
Big Wins: 12/2 Syracuse (82-64), 2/2 at Purdue (87-67), 2/5 Michigan State (85-76)
Bad Losses: 12/28 vs Connecticut (73-83), 1/2 Ohio State (71-80), 2/8 at Ohio State (86-94)
Coach: Brenda Frese
Why They Can Surprise:
The ability to go inside and outside consistently will provide matchup issues for opposing teams during the NCAA Tournament. Junior Center Brionna Jones has the ability to take over games from down in the low blocks in a variety of ways. Offensively, Jones shoots well over 60 percent from the field and at the defensive end of the court Jones rebounds the basketball at a level that very few post players in the country can match. Even though the Terrapins lost by a score of 83-73 when they took on Connecticut back on December 29 at Madison Square Garden, Maryland played without fear against the Huskies. The ability to play without fear against a nemesis like Connecticut and the ability to get to the fourth quarter with a chance to win will serve the Terrapins well.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Turnovers were an issue for Maryland in the losses to Ohio State. The Terrapins committed 23 turnovers in a 94-86 loss to the Buckeyes in Columbus on February 8. It will be important for Chloe Pavlech and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough to value the basketball in the postseason. It will also be important for Maryland to cause more turnovers in order to create easier opportunities at the offensive end of the court. Another potential cause of disappoint in the NCAA Tournament would be if a team like a Baylor, with all of their depth in the post, can find a way to neutralize Brionna Jones and Malina Howard and turn Maryland into a perimeter oriented team.
Probable Starters:
Chloe Pavlech, Senior, Guard, 2.3 ppg, 3.3 apg
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Junior, Guard, 19.5 ppg, 3.3 apg, 2.0 spg, 1.2 bpg
Kristen Confroy, Sophomore, Guard, 8.1 ppg, 1.8 apg, 4.0 rpg
Malina Howard, Senior, Center, 5.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg
Brionna Jones, Junior, Center, 15.7 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.2 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Brene Moseley, Redshirt Senior, Guard, 11.4 ppg, 6.0 apg
Tierney Pfirman, Senior, Forward, 9.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Kiah Gillespie, Freshman, Forward,5.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Kiara Leslie, Sophomore, Guard, 4.5 ppg, 1.0 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 85.2 (4th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 60.6 (103, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 50.3 (2, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 36.7 (48, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.8 (60, 5)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 41.7 (1, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 73.8 (50, 5)
Rebound Margin: 15.8 (1, 1)
Assists Per Game: 19.6 (5, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 15.7 (142, 11)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2015 NCAA First Round win over New Mexico State
2015 NCAA Second Round win over Princeton
2015 NCAA Third Round win over Duke
2015 NCAA Quarterfinal win over Tennessee
2015 NCAA Semifinal loss to Connecticut
2014 NCAA First Round win over Army
2014 NCAA Second Round win over Texas
2014 NCAA Third Round win over Tennessee
2014 NCAA Quarterfinal win over Louisville
2014 NCAA Semifinal loss to Notre Dame
2013 NCAA Round of 64 win over Quinnipiac
2013 NCAA Round of 32 win over Michigan State
2013 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Connecticut
2012 NCAA Round of 64 win over Navy
2012 NCAA Round of 32 win over Louisville
2012 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Texas A&M
2012 NCAA Regional Final loss to Notre Dame
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over St. Francis (PA)
2011 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Georgetown
2010 NIT Round of 64 win over Iona
2010 NIT Round of 32 win over East Carolina
2010 NIT Regional Semifinal loss to Providence
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Dartmouth
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over Utah
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Vanderbilt
2009 NCAA Regional Final loss to Louisville
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Coppin State
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Nebraska
2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Vanderbilt
2008 NCAA Regional Final loss to Stanford
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Harvard
2007 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Mississippi
*all team stats through 3/3
