The Maryland Terrapins are back in the NCAA Tournament as a number four seed as they take on the Valparaiso Crusaders in the second round on Friday afternoon.
The Terps come into the contest on the heels of a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament semifinals on Saturday afternoon. The Terps finished the regular season 27-6, and many thought they had all but locked up a three-seed in the tournament. As the selection committee would have it, that would not be the case.
Valparaiso comes in with an impressive record of 28-5, having won the Horizon League with a win over Green Bay on March 10. The Crusaders average 69.8 points per game and rebound the ball well, ranking 33rd in the country with 37.7 boards per contest. Led by sophomore forward Alec Peters, the Crusaders will hope to offset the challenge of matching up with the lengthy Terps squad.
The Terps will look to avoid the fate of others in this tournament thus far and win against the lower-seed. Here is a full preview of the contest as well as a viewing guide and more on Peters.