Maryland to NIT

[Kung Wu]

For you bracket experts, I was wondering if Maryland will squeak into the NIT this year (assuming they dont win their tournament)?

[Ricardo del Rio]

On a sorta related subject, did Coach Turgeon leave the cupboard bare....again?

My Aggie buds are not too happy down thar in Texas.

It is hard to imagine the Aggie basketball team in the SEC or football for that matter.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

Maryland is highly unlikely to even make the NIT. They will need several quality wins between now and then to get into the discussion.

As for A&M, weren't they picked to win the Big 12? Sounds like they have talent but are a mess as far as teamwork and coaching goes.

[SubGod22]

Pretty sure Kansas was picked to win this year.

[_kai_]

Pretty sure Kansas was picked to win this year.

You're both right.

They picked dual preseason #1's. A&M and KU.

http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10410&ATCLID=205314008

[Good News]

A&M's struggles have way more to do with Billy Kennedy taking a leave of absence for the first 6-8 weeks of practice and being diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's. They've also struggled with injuries to two starters (Middleton and Harris).

Speaking as someone who DOES happen to believe that Turge left the cupboard bare at Wichita State, he didn't do that at A&M. I hear a lot of mumbling from my Aggie buddies about Billy Kennedy, but there hasn't been a peep about Turge.

Although I will be the first to admit that the two main guards that Turge brought in (Dash Harris and BJ Holmes) were definitely below the level that you'd expect Turge to be recruiting in the Big 12. I didn't think they could start for half the teams in the Valley last year. The other guys that he's landed - Middleton, Loubeau, Ray Turner, Elston Turner... solid players. If they didn't have the turmoil of a coaching change, I really do think they would have finished in the top 4 somewhere and danced.

That preseason #1 pick was more about everybody that KU, Texas, Missouri, and Baylor lost to graduation and injury than it was about A&M being the strongest team in the conference.

[Rlh04d]

Maryland is 8th in the ACC right now. The ACC might get 4 in the NCAA tournament, but I don't see them getting another 4 in the NIT.

Finishing the season against UNC and Virginia, Maryland would probably get in to the NIT with two wins there. But UNC on the road is almost a guaranteed loss, and Virginia is a better team, which would leave them with a 16-14 record overall.

Turgeon needs his team to win another game to avoid the worst season Maryland basketball has had since 1992-93. That would only make them the worst team since 1995, when Maryland still made the NCAA tournament.

[_kai_]

If Turgeon doesn't turn it around, Maryland might be the height of his coaching career ladder.

[Rlh04d]

ESPNU has a half hour "All Access" special on Turgeon and the Maryland program on now. Not sure how old it is.

*Edit: And although this season probably isn't what Turgeon was hoping for at Maryland, expectations weren't very high for them this year. Preseason polls had Maryland at 9th in the ACC, and they're at 8th right now. Granted, with UNC and Virginia left on the schedule they could still finish 9th, but with two games to go they're SLIGHTLY exceeding expectations ;) He picked up Maryland in a tough position (they have one senior and one junior on this team that play at all, really), and I'm sure he'll have a few seasons to turn things around. They have a sophomore that's the ACC's leading scorer at 21+ PPG this year, and I've heard good things about Faust. Just a very young team.

http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/101911aaa.html

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

If you want to see UGLY gray's, check the UM-UNC game on ESPN.