Maryland leads contingent of District-area squads into March Madness

Bring on the upsets, Cinderella runs and buzzer-beaters. The NCAA Tournament field is set — six teams from the District, Maryland and Virginia are going dancing. 

Maryland, American, Mount St. Mary’s, Liberty, Norfolk State and VCU will vie for a national title at this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, which begins with Tuesday’s First Four matchups.

The madness begins in earnest with 32 first-round games on Thursday and Friday.

Maryland leads the capital region’s contingent as a No. 4 seed in the West. The Terrapins, powered by All-Big Ten center Derik Queen, have been a virtual lock to make the tournament for weeks. 

The Terrapins’ strong season saw them break into the Associated Press’ Top 25 in February. An unexpectedly successful run in conference play pushed Maryland from a potential bubble team to a contender. 

Coach Kevin Willard’s squad was predicted to finish 10th in the Big Ten’s preseason media poll. They finished in second place after all five starters averaged at least 10 points per game throughout the season.

A last-second loss to Michigan in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament wasn’t enough to hamper the confidence of Maryland’s “Crab Five” starting lineup. 

“We’re not satisfied,” senior guard Selton Miguel said. “The main focus is just, you know, stick together all the time and keep playing.”

The Terrapins open tournament play against No. 13 Grand Canyon. Maryland’s path to the Sweet Sixteen will go through the winner of the 5-12 matchup between Memphis and Colorado State. 

American used home cooking to punch its ticket to the tournament for the first time in 11 years. The Eagles won three straight home games at Bender Arena, including a 22-point blowout against Navy in the Patriot League final, to clinch an automatic berth. 

They will be the only school from inside the District at this year’s tournament. Georgetown, Howard and George Washington will be watching from home. 

No. 16 American opens play in the First Four round against fellow 16th seed Mount St. Mary’s from Emmitsburg, Maryland. 

What would March Madness be without a small, Catholic university looking to make a Cinderella run? Mount St. Mary’s will be looking to fill the role most recently made famous by Loyola Chicago’s unlikely trip to the Final Four in 2018.

The winner of the American-Mount St. Mary’s matchup receives the honor of facing No. 1 seed Duke, a championship favorite, in the first round. 

The Virginia Cavaliers, once perennial contenders, won’t be in this year’s tournament. Instead, the Old Dominion State will saddle its championship hopes on a trio of underdogs. 

Norfolk State, like American and Mount St. Mary’s, is among the longest of long shots. The Spartans will look to become the second No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed in the opening round against Florida. 

Liberty, a No. 12 seed, is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021 after securing the Conference USA title. The Flames open the tournament against fifth-seed Oregon. 

No. 11 VCU has an underdog pedigree stemming from its 2011 Final Four run. But postseason success has eluded the Rams. They haven’t advanced past the tournament’s first weekend in 14 years. 

VCU will look to buck that trend with a 2025 run that begins against sixth-seed BYU.

VCU, American, Mount St. Mary’s and Liberty will all play in the East quadrant of the bracket.

Football might still be king in the Southeast, but a surge in college basketball talent might tilt the scales. The newly expanded SEC sent a record 14 teams to this year’s NCAA Tournament, including No. 1 seeds Auburn and Florida.

Only two SEC squads — 14-18 LSU and 12-20 South Carolina — were left off the bracket.

Florida is currently the betting favorite to win the title after securing the SEC title on Sunday, according to BetMGM. Fellow top seeds Duke, Auburn and Houston aren’t far behind. 

The SEC’s 14 bids may cause some strife from teams who were left without a bid. Bubble squads West Virginia, Indiana and Ohio State watched other borderline squads like Texas scrape in. 

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey won’t apologize for his conference’s success, though.

“It’s a unicorn league right now,” Sankey told ESPN on Friday. “We’re not going to change our name, but we stand alone historically. And I think that’ll be rewarded.”

The 14 postseason berths were a reward for an unparalleled season. SEC squads recorded a .889 winning percentage in nonconference games, including a combined 44-6 record against the ACC and Big 12. 

One of the top conversations on Sunday surrounded North Carolina. The blue blood struggled against top competition this season, recording an abysmal 1-12 record against Quad 1 competition. 

Fans and analysts quickly pointed out that UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham is the chairperson of the selection committee. Current NCAA guidelines require committee members to recuse themselves during discussions of their teams.

“Can he even really answer questions about this?” NBC Sports insider Nicole Auerbach wrote on X. 

The Tar Heels scraped into the tournament as one of the last four teams in. They’ll face San Diego State on Wednesday, hoping to secure the No. 11 seed and a shot to play sixth-seed Ole Miss in the next round.