Maryland fans slam selection committee for sending the Terps to Seattle

March Madness is set to begin in Seattle for the Maryland Terrapins on the men's side. The NCAA men’s basketball committee appeared to make it a point to inconvenience coach Kevin Willard's team as much as possible. They will face Grand Canyon for the first time in program history. While it's not exactly a walk in the park for the program from the Western Athletic Conference, those in charge of seeding couldn't have given the Terps a worse spot in the country even if they had tried. 

In theory, the regions are supposed to mean something. Putting Maryland in the West, consequently, is about as deliberate as a misplacement can get. They won't be the only East Coast team to travel cross-country. It does make it highly questionable how the group in charge of organizing this tournament ever came up with these decisions.

As shared by the Maryland Sports Report on X, teams are supposed to be placed within a certain range of their geographical location. And when this isn't feasible, the next closest option is meant to serve as the default backup option. 

Even neutral fans agree that this is far from the case. The campus is roughly 2,800 miles away from the tournament site. For a process that presents a debatable end product anyway, based on the rules, something is amiss. Clearly, MD lost out in seeding to a higher seed. Based on the established rules, that's the only explanation for coach Willard preparing his roster for a tourney appearance outside of his school's "natural region." 

In general, the committee once again appeared to throw these selections together, without the names or guidelines in mind whatsoever. It instead looks as if the region was picked, solely off intriguing matchups. Ryan Hammer shared a post on X, taking note of how he views the West:

St. John's and Florida are further than the now-traveling Terrapins. This above-mentioned group should point out how ridiculous these four sectors are set up. The travel demand on these three schools, for example, is significantly higher than others. That being said, however, there can't be any excuses made at this point.

Program-first matchup for Maryland

The reward for caravanning across the nation is a strong Grand Canyon team. In an 89-82 win over Utah Valley, the Lopes punched their ticket to the dance in the WAC championship. They've played their competition tough, including only a five-point loss to a then 9-1 SEC Georgia Bulldogs side.

Scott Abraham was correct to not only point out the lunacy of where Maryland would play next, but also mention how their next opponent would be a tough matchup: 

For many fans of the Terps, this is something of a worst-case scenario. The team has a decided logistics disadvantage to deal with. They now, furthermore, face one of the more dangerous double-digit seeds in the bracket.

This year needs to be something of a deep run. Even with the travel and potential ensuing matchups, coach Willard has to show that his side can win when it matters on the big stage. As Terpsguy eloquently put it on X:

The basketball program needs to, at a minimum, reach the Sweet 16. Playing in Washington is an added layer for the team to overcome. Their play, and more importantly, a first-round loss, cannot be excused by this aspect if the WAC champs beat a Big Ten side. This location ultimately affects the fans. Many fans will still make the trip, but the NCAA's lack of basic common sense makes it impossible for hundreds more would-be spectators to support Maryland basketball.