Maryland Terrapins-North Carolina Tar Heels: The GameThread

Your preview is here; game tips at 7:00 on ESPN, with Dan Shulman and Fran Fraschilla on the call. I won't miss Dickie V, who couldn't make it up through the snow, and I quite like Fran, who I consider something of half a Terp simply because he was on Gary's staff at OSU.

Anyway, before we move onto the fun stuff, let's quickly bid adieu - sort of, at least - to the two senior Terps, who'll be playing what is hopefully their last game in the Comcast Center tonight. James Padgett, who came in with Jordan Williams and was the quieter of the two as far as recruits go, never put a huge stamp on the program, but as far as solid four-year program guys go - the ones who were willing to do the garbage work on the inside, work on the glass, keep their heads down and do their job - Padgett was prototypical. Aronhalt stands in stark contrast, though not in a bad way: a graduate transfer and fifth-year senior, we only got to know Aronhalt for a season, during which he turned into Maryland's designated sniper and offered a much-needed cool head on the bench. I really do wish he had more than a year in College Park; he's quietly been one of my favorites on this team, and he fills a crucial role. Congratulations go to the both of them on their careers; hopefully the rest of the team can reward them with a win.

Random, Baseless Prediction: It's Aronhalt and Padgett's day, but the youngest member of the team steals the show: Seth Allen goes three-for-three from deep, puts up 15 off the bench.

Prediction: I want to say a Maryland win, really badly, but I know what happens when I call for Maryland wins. UNC is a better team and their biggest strength is Maryland's biggest weakness. It'll be single digits, but the Heels pull it out.