The Terps are participating in the 5th annual Puerto RIco Tipoff on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; they open the tournament at 5:30 Thursday against number 15 Alabama. Alabama is the only ranked team in the tournament but the field is loaded with quality teams like Temple, Purdue, and Wichita State who all received votes in the others receiving votes in the most recent USA Today poll. Colorado had a very good season last year finishing with 24 wins. Iona is always a tough mid major from the MAAC and always seem to be a tough out when they got to the tournament (just ask Wake Forest). Depending on the Terps result, they will play the winner or loser of the Wichita State-Colorado game.
The Terps have a tough challenge against the Crimson Tide as coach Anthony Grant has turned the Tide around in the two years he has been there. The Tide finished last year 25-12 and reached the conference semifinals of the SEC tournament and got to the final of the NIT tournament. They are led by JaMychal Green, a first team All SEC forward last year, and Tony Mitchelll and Trevor Releford form a solid returning nucleus for Grant. They also have the cousin of Kevin Durant, Kendall Durant, who is a senior. The Terps need to control the painted area and use Stoglin, Faust and company’s strengths to exploit weaknesses in the Tide. It should be an interesting game and I’m curious how it will go. Turgeon is much more focused on the defensive side of the ball and if the Terps can play good team defense, I give them a fighting chance to pull the upset.
Puerto Rico Tipoff Preview
At this point in the season, I don’t see a situation in which Maryland wins this game. Alabama is a team that is accurately rated as the 15th best in the country with the talent to get into the top 10. Along with Releford and Green, they have two very talented freshmen in Trevor Lacey and Levi Randolph who can both spread the floor with their shooting ability. As good as Alabama is, I just don’t think Maryland has enough of an identity to figure out how to win this game. They have no point guard right now (Stoglin is completely shoot first), there’s no reliable outside shooting threat (0-9 from 3 vs. Wilmington), and they have a turnover problem (7 assists, 13 turnovers last game) that will be exacerbated by one of the best defensive teams in the country. It will take something lucky (Green getting in early foul trouble, or someone besides Stoglin scoring 18+) to even make this game close. I think Alabama wins by more than 10.
Thanks for providing this article,Thank you for sharing the data.I like it very much.it is very useful for me.