Sixty-eight teams entered the NCAA Tournament with hopes of becoming national champions. Through 46 games since the First Four on March 18, the field has already dwindled down to just 22 teams. Another six teams will be eliminated in the second round before the NCAA Tournament heads into the Sweet 16.
Although 10 teams have already advanced to the Sweet 16, six spots still remain unclaimed. Among the second-round teams still vying for a spot in the Sweet 16 are the fourth-seeded Maryland Terrapins, who entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed in the West Region.
The Terrapins trounced the No. 13 seed Grand Canyon Antelopes, 81-49, in the first round, setting a school record for the largest margin of victory in an NCAA tournament game. That victory set up a second-round matchup against the No. 12 seed Colorado State Rams on Sunday night at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Although Maryland is favored to advance, Colorado State proved they belong in the tournament with a 78-70 upset victory over No. 5 seed Memphis. The winner will face a daunting test against the No. 1 seed Florida, but March Madness is known for signature upsets and underdog stories.
When was the last time Maryland made it to the Sweet 16?
If the Terrapins advance to the Sweet 16, it would mark Maryland’s first time reaching the tournament’s regional semifinal round since 2016. Maryland is positioned to make a run in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The Terrapins have won 16 of their last 17 opening-round games since 1997, but they’ve often fallen short in the second round.
In the 2016 NCAA Tournament, the No. 5-seeded Terrapins were outmatched by No. 1 seed Kansas, who eliminated Maryland with a 79-63 rout in the Sweet 16. In the following round, Kansas lost to No. 2 seed Villanova, who went on to become the national champions.
How many times has Maryland made it to the Sweet 16?
Maryland has made it to the Sweet 16 a total of 14 times in program history, but they’ve struggled in recent tournaments. The Terrapins were once a regular participant in the regional semifinals. Maryland made seven Sweet 16 appearances during the 1990s and early 2000s, but that success didn’t last. They’ve only made it past the Round of 32 once in the past two decades.
Reaching the Sweet 16 would be a notable achievement under second-year head coach Kevin Willard, especially considering the program’s recent struggles. After an appearance in 2003, Maryland went 13 years before making it back to the Sweet 16 in 2016. They lost in both of those Sweet 16 matchups.
When was the last time Maryland won a national title?
Maryland won the national title in 2002, the first and only time they were crowned national champions. The Terrapins, coached by Gary Williams and led by standouts like senior guard Juan Dixon and forward Lonny Baxter, defeated Indiana 54-52 in the championship game.
Williams became the first coach to win a championship without a McDonalds All American on the roster. The impressive run included victories against Kentucky in the Sweet 16, UConn in the Elite Eight, and Kansas in the Final Four.
The 2002 Terrapins won 32 games, the most in the program’s history. Dixon was named the 2002 NCAA Final Four MVP and ACC Player of the Year. He also finished his career as the school's all-time scoring leader.
How many times has Maryland won a national title?
Maryland has only won the national championship once. The Terrapins made deep runs in the NCAA tournament between 1995-2003 but fell short every other time. In 2001, Maryland made its first Final Four appearance in school history. The Terrapins led by as much as 22 points in the first half and had a 10-point lead in the final minute of the game, but Duke pulled out the victory in the final 54 seconds. Maryland returned the following year to finish the job. They failed to make the Final Four in 2003, which ended in the Sweet 16 when the sixth-seeded Terrapins were upset by No. 7 seed Michigan State, 60-58.