PressBox: March Madness Begins, Without Terps

March Madness Begins, Without Terps

By Kevin Heitz

Today won’t be remembered as a good day for Maryland basketball fans.

First, two days after ending the Terps' season, the hated Duke Blue Devils dominated North Carolina, 75-58, to win the ACC Tournament for the third-straight time and the 10th time during the past 13 years.

The Blue Devils were rewarded for their 30-4 season with a No. 1 seed in the West Region, where they will face the 16th-seeded Hampton Pirates, who beat Morgan State to claim the MEAC championsip.

The Terps, thanks to a 19-14 mark, thought they'd be relegated to the NCAA Tournament’s ugly step-sister -- the NIT -- for the fourth time in seven years but did not even get an invite to that postseason "tournament."

ACC TEAMS GO DANCING

Three ACC squads join Duke on the big bracket -- North Carolina; Florida State; and Clemson, a surprise bubble team.

North Carolina earned a No. 2 seed in the East Region, and the Tar Heels will open play Friday just down the road in Charlotte, against No. 15 seed Long Island University.

Florida State is seeded 10th in the Southwest Region and will face No. 7 seed Texas A&M Friday in Chicago.

Clemson plays Tuesday night against Alabama-Birmingham in Dayton, Ohio. The winner will face No. 5 seed West Virginia on Thursday in Tampa, Fla.

Posted March 13, 2011