Above you can view the player introduction from the Wake Forest game. Below are images from Tuesday’s game.
The NCAA Tournament
Will the Terps get in? I have been asked many times in the last 24 hours. What is the path to the NCAA tournament?
Well, lets start with the math. 65 teams get in. But it is not as simple as being one of the best 65 teams. Here is the breakdown. 22 teams get in by winning their conference tournament. 1 team gets in by winning the regular season, Ivy League.
23 automatics leaves 42 at large bids. But it is not as simple as being one of the top 42 teams. That only works if the 23 teams that win the conference tournaments are the best 23 teams. If some of those conference tourney winners just get hot for a weekend, that adjusts the math again.
Lets say that 10 of the tournament winners would not have gotten into the NCAA tourney without winning their conference tournament. If these are the smaller, one bid conferences, then that leaves the 42 teams. However, if the regular season winners also get a bid to go along with the tournament winner, then there are 32 at large bids.
Usually that is closer to the number. 23 conference tourney winners, 10 conference winners who did not win the conference tournament and then the next 32 best teams in college basketball.
For example, if Wake Forest wins the ACC tournament in Atlanta next week, there is no math adjustment. Why? Because Wake would be in the NCAA’s anyway. Now if Ga Tech wins the ACC tourney, that would eat up another slot. Why? Because Ga Tech is not supposed to be the NCAA’s as they are the last place team in the ACC.
I hope that we are in that group of 32. I think that unless there are an unusually high number of upset tournament winners, the Terps are in. Probably around 26 of the 32.
Other local teams are also trying to get in. American is in first place in the Patriot League. This is a one bid league. Therefore the AU Eagles need to win the confernce tournament. Georgetown, with their loss to lowly St. Johns on Tuesday, needs to win at least 3 conference tourney games at Madison Square Garden next week.
Jordan(partially hidden) and Wayne are happy as we have the lead.
Speaking of that lead, we had great hope that the 6 point lead would hold up.
The fans were loud and engaged. Here they try to distract a WF free throw shooter.