Terps Ranked #3 In USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll

There it is. The long awaited preseason poll is here and your Terps are at #3. Disappointing it’s not #1, but we’ll get there. The top 5 billing is justified. I don’t care if they weren’t a Sweet 16 team last year and lost Dez Wells. This team is too stacked to be anywhere but the top 5. The Terps won 28 games last year despite an abysmal frontcourt, and now the frontcourt may very well be the strength of the Terps. They recruited one of the top (and probably the most polished) centers in the nation in Diamond Stone and added a forward (Robert Carter Jr.) who nearly averaged a double-double in the ACC two years ago. Not to mention sophomore Michal Cekovsky, a 7-foot European who has bulked up much like Alex Len did when he made his big jump his sophomore year.

My favorite part about these Terps is that every time I read one of those preseason rankings with a paragraph blurb about each team, the article always fails to mention at least one or two key players who would be the star of just about any other team. I giggle with joy as they forget to mention an RCJ or Stone or a Nickens or a Sulaimon. I could go on and on and on about how deep this team is. And it’s not just star power, it’s a well-constructed collection of puzzle pieces that can beat you a number of ways. They’ve got 3-point shooters and guys who can dribble-drive. They’ve got guys who can score in the paint and guys who can protect the rim. They can beat you whatever way you want. Pick your poison with the Terps this year, and it’s only the beginning.

PS: Look out UNC, we comin for that #1 spot on December 1st.

PPS: Melo’s M belt buckle for Big Ten Media day today is high fashion.