Steve Davis: Can The Terps Make A Run?
The simple answer is "yes." However, it sure doesn't look very likely. Maryland is the 5 seed in the South and plays in Spokane. (OK, being in the South and playing in Washington seems like someone needs a geography lesson, but that is a topic for another day. I get it, the whole POD system). Maryland should beat South Dakota State. The Terps are way more talented, but historically, 12 seeds upset 5 seeds 37% of the time.
I believe Maryland will win that game. The second round would likely be against #4 Cal. These two teams are trending the wrong way. Maryland lost 4 of their last 6 regular season games. Cal had a run in February and March where they won 7 in a row. Basically, Maryland started fast and ended slow, and Cal did it the other way. The Bears play tremendous defense and that has to be a concern for a Maryland team that seems to have so much trouble getting into a good offense and taking good shots. I am not writing Maryland off because they have so much talent. Their entire starting line-up could be on NBA teams next year; all 5 probably won't be, but they might be. So, if a couple guys get hot in a tournament game, Maryland can beat anyone.
The problem is, they haven't really beat anyone good since the Purdue win in early February. The story written on Maryland so far has been disappointing but they do have a chance to change the narrative.
