The Maryland men’s basketball team gathered in coach Mark Turgeon’s living room Sunday evening as the NCAA tournament bracket was revealed. It was supposed to be a celebratory moment, but when Maryland’s name was announced, little was said.
In the front row of seats, Dez Wells and Melo Trimble were frozen as the Terrapins learned their fate: They would not be a No. 3 seed, as nearly every projection had indicated. Instead, they are a No. 4 seed in a treacherous Midwest region alongside Kansas, ACC champion Notre Dame and No. 1 overall seed Kentucky.
“Yeah, I think we put too much into [Joe] Lunardi and his bracketology,” Turgeon said, chuckling while referring to ESPN’s bracketologist. “No, our guys are fine. I think they were just shocked. It’s so early in the [selection] show, and then all of the sudden, here comes Maryland. But our guys are fired up. They’re excited about being a part of the tournament.”
Excited or not, this year’s bracket induced more head-scratching than applause for area teams. The underseeded Terrapins will face No. 13 seed Valparaiso in Columbus, Ohio on Friday. Virginia, which many projections had as a No. 1 seed, instead is a No. 2 seed and will play Belmont in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the opening round of the East Region. A victory there would set the stage for a potential rematch against No. 7 seed Michigan State, which eliminated the Cavaliers in the Sweet 16 last year.
Elsewhere, VCU was awarded a No. 7 seed in the West region despite winning the Atlantic 10 conference championship earlier Sunday. The Rams also received one of the toughest draws in the tournament: A first-round meeting with No. 10 Ohio State in Portland.
Perhaps the only local team to benefit from Sunday’s draw was Georgetown, a 10-loss team that received a No. 4 seed despite its lackluster resume. As part of the CBS broadcast, Utah State athletic director and NCAA tournament chairman Scott Barnes explained that the Hoyas were “a team that the committee felt very strongly about in terms of the eye test.” They’ll face Eastern Washington in the South region.
“It speaks to the strength of our schedule, it speaks to the strength of our league and strength of our team,” Georgetown coach John Thompson III told reporters. “I’m quite honestly more surprised that they are a 13 than we are a four. I’ve seen them play and they are a very good team. This time of year, four, 13, it doesn’t matter about the numbers. It’s all about the opposition.”
Last year, the Cavaliers were having a rowdy ride home from Greensboro, North Carolina, after winning the ACC tournament. They pulled over at a restaurant to watch the NCAA selection show and learned they were a No. 1 seed.
The setting Sunday was more subdued. The team was on campus after losing to North Carolina in the semifinals of the ACC tournament on Friday. Instead of a No. 1 seed, the Cavaliers were moved down to a No. 2 after losing two of their last three games. Many Virginia followers were disappointed. Coach Tony Bennett was non-plussed.
“Everybody was projecting us as a two seed, I think,” Bennett said. “I didn’t really follow it, to be honest. But, it was just us. The families. It was the players. The staff and the managers. It was just neat to be together. Thankful to be chosen.
“It was a little more less joyous celebration from the year before just because of the circumstance.”
Georgetown watched this year’s selection show in a school dining hall crowded with students and staff. Tapestries bearing sketches and nicknames of players hung from one wall.
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The Hoyas were expectedly pleased with their seed, but less enthusiastic about their opponent. Big Sky conference champion Eastern Washington averages 80.8 points per game and fields Tyler Harvey, the nation’s leading scorer at 22.9 ppg.
“We all have to bring it, give it everything we got,” senior Jabril Trawick said. “This is it right here.”
While the Hoyas will aim to reverse a recent trend of early tournament exits, Maryland will try to start a new trend of success under Turgeon. The Terrapins haven’t reached the NCAA tournament since Gary Williams’ penultimate season as head coach, and they haven’t made it to the Sweet Sixteen since 2003.
“To be honest, I’m just excited to be a part of the tournament,” Turgeon said. “It’s been three years for me since I’ve been in it, and just want to be a part of it. The number in front of your name, it’s just a number. It’s who you’re playing is what’s really important. So we’re playing a good Valpo team. The seeding didn’t really affect our reaction.”
• Todd Dybas contributed to this report.
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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