The latest NCAA Tournament bracketology projections for Maryland basketball
College basketball season has reached the stage when Bracketology is no longer speculative. It's the final week of the regular season, so everyone's NCAA Tournament profile has taken shape. Here are the latest projections for Maryland.
College basketball season has reached the stage when Bracketology is no longer speculative. It's the final week of the regular season, so everyone's NCAA Tournament profile is largely complete. Kevin Willard and Maryland (2207 overall, 12-6 Big Ten) have improved their standing by winning 11 of their past games. And the only thing keeping them from a nearly two-month undefeated stretch are three losses on last-second shots.
There are two games left, against Michigan and Northwestern, plus the Big Ten Tournament (here's where they stand for a double bye). What's Maryland's most likely NCAA Tournament seeding? Here are some of the latest projections for the Terps:
TeamRankings.com's projection is a No. 5 seed, accounting for about 40 percent of simulations.
CBSsports' Jerry Palm remains oddly low on Maryland. He has Maryland as a No. 7 seed in the East, playing No. 19 Georgia in Providence for a chance to play No. 2 seed Alabama. That matchup didn't go well a couple of years ago.
ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Willard's team as a five seed in the Midwest, facing McNeese State for a chance to play the Arizona-Akron winner. Former LSU coach Will Wade, making his comeback from the FBI sting that took him out of coaching for a bit, has McNeese (24-6) looking like a team people will talk about as a sleeper.
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Mike DeCourcy of FOX Sports and the Big Ten Network has Maryland ranked as the lowest No. 5 seed (no bracket).
Haslemetrics, which has been high on Maryland all season, has the Terps as the third-best No. 4 seed. Bracket Matrix, which pools 85 bracketologists to find average seedings, says Maryland is the third-best No. 5 seed overall.
On the women's side, ESPN has the Terps as a No. 5 seed, playing Grand Canyon with the winner of Kansas State and UTSA looming in the second round. Willard's team, meanwhile, can improve its standing in the final two games of the regular season, beginning Wednesday at Michigan (22-7, 14-4), which sits one game behind first-place Michigan State. A win there would provide a lot of juice.
