Who? The Terrapins of Maryland.
What? The diamondback terrapin is the state reptile of Maryland. Testudo's name comes from the Latin. Somehow. (With all the debate about team names, I assume Maryland has a very good debate team...)
Where? College Park, Maryland, home of one of the oldest airports in the world.
When? March 4th, at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Why? They won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
How? ACC Player of the Year Alyssa Thomas carried Maryland on her shoulders, scoring 29 points to give Maryland a 68-65 win over Georgia Tech.
Surprise? Tabbed to finish third in the preseason, and seeded third in the conference tournament, it's a mild surprise- but technically, that game chalked, since Georgia Tech was the fourth seed.
RPI (as of 3/4): 6
SOS (as of 3/4): 10
Record: 28-4 (12-4 Atlantic Coast)
Good wins: Georgetown, Duke
Bad losses: Virginia Tech
Who's running this show? Brenda Frese, since 2002. Perhaps needs to teach her sons how to recognize bad influences when they meet them.
Who knew turtles were so tall? Or so high-octane? With seven rotation players at six-foot or taller, and four scoring in double figures, Maryland can be a dangerous team. They have a +14 rebounding margin, giving them plenty of chances to get loose. Sophomore Alyssa Thomas leads the team in scoring with 17.4 per game, adding 8.1 rebounds. Junior forward Tianna Hawkins (does she still have the magnificent crown of curls?) leads the team in rebounding with 9.3, almost half of those offensive. I've gotten the sense that a lot of their turnovers are unforced, though. Someone wanna confirm that for me?