Maryland will have a chance to make its push just a bus ride away from campus.
The Big Ten Tournament is at Verizon Center this year, sending the Terrapins to an arena they are familiar with and one that will presumably be filled with their fans.
“We’re just glad we get to do it in our backyard,” Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said on a conference call Monday.
Maryland moves into the conference tournament following a late-season stumble. It lost five of seven in February before winning its last two games to close the season. The Terrapins were 20-2 at one point, but that was in part a byproduct of a soft schedule. Maryland did not play a ranked team until Feb. 4.
Being the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament has given Maryland a double-bye and extended time off. It does not play until Friday night, almost a week after its last game.
Record: 24-7, 12-6
Path to the tournament: Maryland is well situated for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season. The Terrapins have not made it further than the Sweet 16 under Turgeon, who is in his sixth season at Maryland.
Tournament projections: ESPN has Maryland as a No. 7 seed playing in Tulsa. CBS has the Terrapins as a No. 6 seed playing in Orlando. USA Today projects Maryland as a No. 6 seed that plays in Greenville, South Carolina.
Up next: Friday, March 10 vs. TBD, approximately 9 p.m., Verizon Center, Washington, D.C., Big Ten Network
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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