Here it is. The day that the decades-long title drought finally ends. Nearly 37 years to the day.

There are, of course, a wealth of previews from people who actually know about the sport: like this one and this one from College Crosse, this one from the Baltimore Sun, and this one from InsideLacrosse, plus a delightful piece about the best part of Maryland lacrosse: the Mosh Pit. Loyola has been the best team for most of the year, but Maryland has extraordinary talent and has shown time and time again that they can beat anyone when they're focused (as you'd assume they'd be for a game of this magnitude).

Game is at 1:00 on ESPN. Spew your anti-green vitriol below.

Ever since under-the-radar big man Damonte Dodd committed to Maryland in February, I've been interested to see what scouts would think of the forward when they got to see him in person. It looks like a few are finally getting a shot to do that at an Under Armour sponsored AAU tournament. And the verdict: pretty impressive, apparently.

Not sure when he'll contribute but 2012 Maryland commit Damonte Dodd us most certainly better than advertised. Long, lanky with fluidity.

— Hoopniks (@Hoopniks) May 27, 2012

I'm trying to figure out how Demonte Dodd stayed under the radar for so long. 6-9. Mobile and can board it. Maryland has a lot to work with.

— Evan Daniels (@EvanDanielscout) May 27, 2012

Mark Turgeon is going to enjoy molding Demonte Dodd. Needs time but will eventually contribute.

— Dave Telep (@DaveTelep) May 27, 2012

Biggest surprise of weekend? 2012/2013 (not sure which) Demonte Dodd. Maryland commit. Has the physical tools.

— Evan Daniels (@EvanDanielscout) May 27, 2012

It looks like scouts have discovered what's been becoming increasingly clear to Marylanders: Dodd's physical tools really are top-notch. He's a legit 6-9, has a good frame and mobility, works hard, and is athletic. No matter how raw, you put that combination of tools together and people will be impressed. We knew he had that potential, but as a fan it's always nice to see someone who really knows what they're talking about see the same.

And more semi-news: he apparently told Evan Daniels that he's "not sure" if he'll be at Maryland next year or will prep instead, and will decide soon. (I assume Mark Turgeon will be deciding that as much as Dodd will.) Even with the recent scholarships to Conner Lipinski and Logan Aronhalt, there's still a 'ship open for Dodd next season. The question is going to be whether or not he and/or the staff think it's better for him to get games (prep) or get coaching on campus (redshirt). If it's the former, I'd expect more kind words coming his way as more scouts see him live.

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The ladies fell to the odious Northwestern Wildcats last night, unfortunately. Hopefully the men don't suffer the same fate, facing the equally odious Duke Blue Devils. The ball drops at 5:00 on ESPN2.

Wish I had more to say, but I'm not exactly a lax mastermind here. Regardless: duck fuke, all that. Spew your anti-Blue vitriol below.

Kessenich: What We Learned During the NCAA Quarterfinals
I'm annoyed by Quint just as much as you are, but I wanted to highlight this:

Coach John Tillman devised a tremendous game-plan. Maryland did attack quickly on a few occasions, scoring before the Hopkins defense was set-up. The dozen or so stalling calls will lead to criticism from fans but providing a viewer-friendly product isn't his job description. Maryland has learned to finish games. They have developed a keen sense of identity and will bring emotional effort.

Like I said last week: Tillman is turning into a tournament coach. And I mean that in a good way. Maryland, being Maryland, will very nearly always be in the postseason anyway. And if he can be our Tom Izzo, well then by Juan I'm happy.

And so they meet again: Washington Examiner on Maryland-Northwestern rivalry...
In women's lacrosse, not in blogs. The Lady Terps will meet Northwestern for the third straight year in the postseason, in what is (I assume) turning into the game' premier rivalry, if it isn't already. (Again, could be totally wrong there.) Game's on ESPN3 on Friday at 8:00. Just don't go troll Sippin' on Purple this time, eh?

MLax: Five Terps Earn USILA All-America Honors
Jesse Bernhardt leads the way with a second-team selection. Joe Cummings, John Haus, Niko Amato, and Goran Murray all made honorable mention. Meanwhile: four Terps on the ladies' side made first-team, with another two second-teamers.

What if Paul Finebaum did a Lacrosse Radio Show - College Crosse
Heh. I'm in a lax state of mind and the concept is great, so I'm linking it.

Other, non-lacrosse sports post-jump, including some absolutely devastating news:

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So, Maryland's opponent in the BB&T Classic this time around? The George Mason Patriots, per the Post's Steven Goff. Color me ... underwhelmed.

I know I should probably love it as a D.C. hoops fans, and maybe all the D.C. hoops neutrals actually are delighed. (The two haven't met since 2004, back when the BB&T was an actual tournament, but that was before Mason's ascendence.) But I just don't see the upshot from Maryland's side. A win over Mason, established as a credible mid-major though they may be, isn't going to be a resumé victory. And a loss would be at least a little embarrassing, especially if Maryland harbors any hopes of the bubble next season. I guess it's nice that they won't be giving away a home game by having to take a return trip to GMU - at least I hope to God not - but part of me would still rather much prefer, I don't know, UConn.

Mason, if you're wondering, went 24-9 last year, but missed out on the NCAAs and the NIT. They'll lose their best player, Ryan Pearson, and starting center Mike Morrison to graduation, though they do return three starters. That's a good base to build upon, but I'm not sold they'll be better than they were last year. Then again, I'm not yet sold (by which I mean 100% certain) that Maryland will be better than they were last year, so again, maybe this is a better match than we'd like to admit.

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Mark Turgeon's shown in his time at College Park that he's not afraid to go after big names, but he's also shown he's not averse to adding unknowns and springing surprises. The latest in that list, joining Alex Len and Damonte Dodd, is Logan Aronhalt, a 6-3 fifth-year-senior-to-be guard, who announced yesterday that he'll transfer to Maryland from Albany and be eligible to play immediately.

Albany's starting shooting guard, Aronhalt was a cornerstone to a decent team last season, averaging upwards of 30 minutes and 13 points per game and playing through an injured knee late in the year. (He had surgery, for what it's worth, and is still recovering, but should be healthy before practices start.) He's the latest in the trend of graduate transfers, the NCAA rule that allows a player to transfer without having to sit out a year if they're pursuing a graduate degree in a field their current school doesn't offer. (If you're wondering: kinesiology.) Per Matt Bracken's piece in the Baltimore Sun, Aronhalt also considered Purdue, Kent State, and UMKC (though I'd assume his options were limited to the schools that offer kinesiology).

Just like the last time Maryland had a transfer, this addition was paved by another's departure, but I'm not sure it was Ashton Pankey's. (The two would, after all, not exactly be walking on each other's playing time.) Instead, when Terrell Stoglin joined Mychal Parker in leaving the program, Maryland's perimeter depth had quietly been depleted. As it was, Mark Turgeon was going to have to rely (to some extent) on the freshmen trio of Seth Allen, Sam Cassell Jr., and Jake Layman to eat up minutes. The arrival of Aronhalt seems the logical counter to that; an experienced 6-3 guard, probably able to play either guard spot, he can allow Nick Faust to stay back in his more natural 3 and make sure that Allen and Cassell aren't rushed into playing time if they're not ready for it. He's a shooting guard, not a point guard - only one assist per game last year, to nearly two turnovers - but you'd expect him to be able to occasionally spell Pe`Shon Howard if he has to. He could challenge for a starting spot for all I know, but at the very least he'll provide Maryland with a much-needed safety net.

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Post all of your vitriolic anti-Hopkins rabble right in here.

For previews and other such informed chatter, I direct you to InsideLacrosse and College Crosse. The ball ... uh, drops? ... at 12:03 on ESPN2 in Annapolis.

Enjoy, and beat Hopkins.

Mark Turgeon's first class was a monster, a six-man behemoth that is arguably Maryland's most promising in the last decade. But if you don't follow recruiting, the six will-be-freshmen aren't much more than names. Over the next several days, we'll be overviewing the class, recruit by recruit, introducing the newest batch of Terrapins to their future fanbase. We've already looked at Bahamian big Shaq Cleare, lanky wing Jake Layman, good-natured Georgia forward Charles Mitchell, explosive scorer Sam Cassell Jr., and under-the-radar guard Seth Allen. Today's focus is on sleeper big man Damonte Dodd.

Name: Damonte Dodd
Height: 6-9
Weight: 240
HS: Queen Anne's
From: Centreville, Md.
AAU: D.C. Assault
Position: PF
Rankings: 247: UNR | ESPN: UNR | Rivals: | Scout: UNR
Committed: Feb. 21, 2012
Recruiter: Scott Spinelli
Twitter: @umd35faded

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Mark Turgeon's first class was a monster, a six-man behemoth that is arguably Maryland's most promising in the last decade. But if you don't follow recruiting, the six will-be-freshmen aren't much more than names. Over the next several days, we'll be overviewing the class, recruit by recruit, introducing the newest batch of Terrapins to their future fanbase. We've already looked at Bahamian big Shaq Cleare, lanky wing Jake Layman, good-natured Georgia forward Charles Mitchell, and explosive scorer Sam Cassell Jr. Now we focus in on under-the-radar combo guard Seth Allen.

Name: Seth Allen
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190
HS: Fredericksburg Christian
From: Woodbridge, Va.
AAU: Hoop Booth
Position: PG / SG
Rankings: 247: | ESPN: , #42 SG | Rivals: | Scout:
Committed: May 14, 2011
Recruiter: Scott Spinelli
Twitter: @bbll4eva_allen

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Maryland-UConn Game Time Announced
It'll be a 12:30 kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 15 at Byrd. ACC Network* for those who get it, ESPN3 for those who don't. What disrespect by ESPN. This is the Edsall Bowl, people. I'm shocked - shocked! - it's not a primetime kickoff on ABC. If this isn't evidence of the ACC's inferior TV deal and proof that we absolutely must defect, I don't know what is.

Hey, at least now that we know the game time, everybody can go buy tickets. Right. Right?

'It Smells Like Gunpowder': Vernon Davis Is Offensive Minded
I'm sorry to have led with that. To counteract the meh-ness when it comes to Maryland-UConn football, here's a Vernon Davis / Marine Corps video that's as absurdly bad-ass as you'd expect from something involving Vernon Davis and the Marines. Enjoy.

And to count this as worthy as a lead link, some of it was filmed when he was back east training. So there. (Also: this way, you get another 150 seconds without having to face that something is being dubbed The Edsall Bowl. So stare at the awesomeness that is Cyborg.)

Relegation Simulation: Rewriting College Football History - SBNation.com
It's relegation week over at the Mothership, so Bill Connelly runs through seven years of what CFB would look like if the losers got bumped down a conference. Maryland basically became Middlesbrough, sadly enough. (Danny O'Brien was our Adam Johnson, except Wisconsin didn't massively overpay to never use him.) And yet, I can't help but feel it'd be worth it, just to watch Duke fight for their lives in the Colonial.

And now we're done with football links. I promise.

InsideMDSports: 2013 point guard RaShawn Powell wants to get to know Terps - Sun
I'm a Pookie fan and he seems to like Maryland, but says his contact with Maryland's staff has been waning as of late. Hmm. Growing confidence in landing one of Rysheed Jordan or the Harrisons? ...

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Mark Turgeon's first class was a monster, a six-man behemoth that is arguably Maryland's most promising in the last decade. But if you don't follow recruiting, the six will-be-freshmen aren't much more than names. Over the next several days, we'll be overviewing the class, recruit by recruit, introducing the newest batch of Terrapins to their future fanbase. We've already looked at Bahamian big Shaq Cleare, lanky wing Jake Layman, and good-natured Georgia forward Charles Mitchell. Today we focus in on scorer extraordinaire Sam Cassell Jr. And in case you've been living under a rock for the past several months, yes, he's that Sam Cassell Jr.

Name: Samuel James Cassell Jr.
Height: 6-3
Weight: 175
HS: Notre Dame Prep (Fitchburg, Ma.)
From: Baltimore, Md.
AAU: Nike Baltimore Elite
Position: SG / PG
Rankings: 247: | ESPN: | Rivals: , #34 SG, #146 overall | Scout:
Committed: Apr. 21, 2011
Recruiter: Bino Ranson
Twitter: @sam2ss2ll

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Mark Turgeon's first class was a monster, a six-man behemoth that is arguably Maryland's most promising in the last decade. But if you don't follow recruiting, the six will-be-freshmen aren't much more than names. Over the next several days, we'll be overviewing the class, recruit by recruit, introducing the newest batch of Terrapins to their future fanbase. We've already looked at Bahamian big Shaq Cleare and lanky wing Jake Layman. Now our attention turns to the gregarious Georgian big man, Charles Mitchell.

Name: Charles Mitchell
Height: 6-7
Weight: 250
HS: Wheeler
From: Marietta, Ga.
AAU: Worldwide Renegades
Position: PF / C
Rankings: 247: | ESPN: , #23 C | Rivals: , #22 PF, #92 overall | Scout: , #27 C | BIAH Consensus: #113 overall
Recruiter: Bino Ranson
Committed: March 8, 2012
Twitter: @StuckLikeChuck1

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After Maryland's season, no one was quite certain if Terrell Stoglin, Mychal Parker, or Ashton Pankey would be returning next year. A month or so ago, everything looked peachy. Now Stoglin's gone (and suspended), Parker's at Loyola, and Pankey, well:

Freshman PF Ashton Pankey leaving Maryland & will likely transfer somewhere closer to home in NY, multiple sources say.maryland.247sports.com/Board/67/Panke…

— Jeff Ermann (@insidemdsports) May 15, 2012

Gonna miss maryland &terpnation...always have a place in my heart & I appreciated the last 2 years..#familyfirst

— Ashton Pankey (@AshtonP_30) May 15, 2012

Pankey always seemed the most likely of the aforementioned trio to head out, and I'm a little surprised he was actually the last to do so. His first year had some bright spots, but he also drew the ire of Mark Turgeon and was benched more than once. Throw in multiple new big men to compete with, and things didn't look too bright for his long-term prospects in College Park.

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Mark Turgeon's first class was a monster, a six-man behemoth that is arguably Maryland's most promising in the last decade. But if you don't follow recruiting, the six will-be-freshmen aren't much more than names. Over the next several days, we'll be overviewing the class, recruit by recruit, introducing the newest batch of Terrapins to their future fanbase. We've already looked at Bahamian big Shaq Cleare. Now, we turn to the lanky, potential-laden New England wing, Jake Layman. Sadly, I don't know his middle name.

Name: Jake Layman
Height: 6-8
Weight: 195
HS: King Phillip
From: Wrentham, Ma.
AAU: BABC
Position: SF
Rankings: 247: , #14 SF, #61 overall; ESPN: , #17 SF, #67 overall; Rivals: , #17 SF, #70 overall; Scout: , #14 SF, #65 overall; BIAH Consensus: #61 overall
Recruiter: Scott Spinelli
Committed: Sept. 6, 2011
Twitter: @JLayman10

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As a staunch B1G advocate, I should probably be celebrating a B1G road trip simply for the sake of not making me look like a fool later when I talk about how awesome those great Midwestern metropoli are, but just I can't quite get excited about Maryland's draw in the 2012 ACC-Big Ten Challenge. You could certainly do worse than a trip to Chicago, even if it's late-freaking-November, and you could do worse on the court, as well. A Penn State grudge match, a trip to Nebraska, and at Minnesota would all be less appealing on both counts, especially when recalling that it's late-freaking-November. So I'm not complaining, per se. It's just not moving the needle for me, not when Michigan State and Michigan and OSU and Wisconsin and Purdue were all options. (C'mon, we'll be better than Clemson and Virginia, give us an appealing matchup.)

Although, y'know, Northwestern fans are scoffing at us, too. So maybe this is a better match than I'd like to admit.

The Wildcats have turned into a decent program, even if they've still never made an NCAA Tournament, which is starting to feel like some long extended prank on that fanbase. They were a bubble team last year and only lose a couple of players; unfortunately, one of those is John Shurna, who defined that team for the past few seasons. The addition of Louisville transfer Jared Swopshire will help things, as will the return of their entire backcourt, with Drew Crawford, Reggie Hearn, and Dave Sobolewski all back. It's tough to imagine them getting better after the departure of Shurna, but it's plausible that they could be a bubbler once again.

Which is probably where Maryland will be, too. Which actually worries me a bit. Northwestern isn't a name opponent, and it's a winnable game, but they're not a cakewalk. A young Maryland team, with several freshmen still getting acclimated to high-major college basketball, on the road early in the season against a half-decent team ... it might actually be a tall order. And a loss never looks good. All things told, though, it'll probably be the best early-season indicator of what'll be in store for '12-'13.

By my count, this is the third out-of-conference game we know of, joining the season-opener against Kentucky at the Barclays Center and the return trip to Notre Dame. Whoever plays in the BB&T Classic will make four, which, you might recall, is exactly what Mark Turgeon said was his target number. Sadly, none of these four will be playing in the Comcast Center, something that's long been a complaint of the fanbase (especially when whoever plays in Verizon for the BB&T gets a return game). Sometimes the B1G Challenge can mitigate that like it did last year with Illinois, but it might not be a bad idea to get a home-and-home with another decently big name for years when the Challenge takes Maryland on the road, even if that means a fifth big game.

So, who's up for a snowy road trip?

Mark Turgeon's first class was a monster, a six-man behemoth that is arguably Maryland's most promising in the last decade. But if you don't follow recruiting, the six will-be-freshmen aren't much more than names. Over the next six days, we'll be overviewing the class, recruit by recruit, introducing the newest batch of Terrapins to their future fanbase. We start with Maryland's most highly-regarded in years, the big Bahamian Shaq Cleare. And yes, his middle-name really is O'Neal.

Name: Shaquille O'Neal Cleare
Height: 6-8
Weight: 278
HS: The Village School (Richmond, Tx.)
From: Nassau, The Bahamas
AAU: Houston Defenders, an Under Armour-sponsored team also featuring superstar recruits Andrew and Aaron Harrison
Position: C
Committed: Aug 24, 2011
Rankings: 247: , #9 PF, #36 overall; ESPN: , #8 C, #30 overall; Rivals: , #13 C, #53 overall; Scout: , #11 C, #37 overally; BIAH Consensus: #35 overall

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You know what they say: lacrosse, the game of runs.

Er, uh, maybe not. I assume not, actually. But Maryland's last-minute, 10-9 rollercoaster of a victory at 7th-seed Lehigh in the first round of the NCAA Tournament certainly fit that bill. The two teams traded long scoring streaks, but it was the Terrapins who found three unanswered goals late in the game - including the game-winner from Joe Cummings with only seven seconds left - to nip the Mountain Hawks in a thriller.

The win sets up a tantalizing date with Johns Hopkins in the second round on Saturday in Annapolis. Hopkins impressively disposed of Stony Brook easily earlier in the day, 19-9, but Maryland topped them in Baltimore when the two met in the regular season. So: definitely a GameThread for that one, right?

Back to tonight: after the two traded goals to open the action, Maryland went on a hot streak, putting in five consecutive goals and taking a commanding 6-1 lead. Midway through the second quarter, though, their fortunes reversed, and Lehigh was able to grab three before the break to cut the deficit to only 6-4 at half. Things would only get worse from there, as Lehigh found another four right out of the gates, clawing back with seven straight to take a 8-6 lead. Maryland was thoroughly dominated in the third stanza, going scoreless in an entire quarter for just the second time all season.

But the Terps didn't rattle, perhaps a result of their experience from last year's title game run compared to Lehigh, which was playing in its first NCAA Tournament appearance. Maryland found three fourth-quarter goals - two coming from senior Drew Snider - to set up Cummings' game-winner in the final minute, beating Lehigh's sensational freshman goalie Matt Poillon at the far post. Lehigh owed much to Poillon, who made several extraordinary saves and kept the Mountain Hawks in the game with a virtuoso performance.

The game felt almost a microcosm of Maryland's season, an inconsistent effort that showcased both talent and frustration. Beating Hopkins is always a tall order, but if any team can get a full game of a focused Maryland at their best, it's them, as the earlier matchup showed. Sadly, that's about as far as I can go in lacrosse analysis; I leave the rest up to the pros, like the good folks at College Crosse. Go there for actual, y'know, thought, and such.

The 2012-13 ACC basketball schedule hasn't been announced yet, but that doesn't mean Mark Turgeon doesn't know what it is. And it also doesn't mean he particularly likes it:

Maryland, which should still be young but improved next season, also got a heavy schedule: Duke, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida State twice, according to coach Mark Turgeon.

"Mine's not easy,'' Turgeon said. "But I don't know how else you could do it.''

Two games were added to the conference slate in anticipation of Pittsburgh and Syracuse joining; that won't happen until 2013, but the decision about the conference schedule was made well in advance of that. That means each team will get seven home-and-home matchups, instead of the former five.

In layman's terms: the league is still unbalanced, and everyone's in a huff over that. I don't know why people are acting up now. It's always been unbalanced. It sucks, but it's the game now.

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Been quiet on the recruiting trail around here lately, which I suppose is what happens the season after you bring in a five (or six) man class. Maryland's staff has largely done their homework early and identified their main targets (the Brothers Harrison, Rysheed Jordan, perhaps Stanford Robinson and Junior Etou) for a should-be-small class, which means the summer is kind of boring until anything happens with that crew. And ... nothing's really happening.

The Harrisons are looking like the end of the summer, but there's no real end in sight there. And Jordan? Well, he was deciding in July, but things like getting an offer from Kansas can change your plan.

"He was going to commit in July, but he's really not ready for that yet. He doesn't entirely know what he wants to do. Does he want to stay close to home or does he want to [get away]? He hasn't really decided yet, so he'll probably wait a while," said Kamal Yard, director of Philly Pride, the AAU program for which the touted point guard plays. [...]

"It's still Maryland and Temple at the top, and then you've got Villanova. Kansas is in there, too. It's the same as before, pretty much," Yard said. "He's a Philly guy and he's got a really close relationship with his mother. He's willing to go a few hours, but probably not too far. But you never know if that could change. Kids are so fickle."

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Bracken says Parker transfers to Loyola
Good to see. Big fan of Loyola as long as Patsos is there, and they were pretty great as far as MAAC teams go. Parker should be a bonus, and you'd think he'd thrive against that level of competition. No matter the struggles he had here, he's certainly going to be on another level athletically against Canisius and Rider.

Do Florida State and the Big 12 make a perfect match? | Dr. Saturday
It's spring, which means the conference realignment chatter is clicking into high gear. It's like clockwork. It's been going on here for a few days, and I'm fully expecting it to only get more intense. The new lead discussion topic is FSU to the Big 12, which would give them substantially more TV money and the possibility to create their own "Seminole Network," ala the Longhorn Network for Texas. Didn't buy it at first, but they're running a deficit of $2mil and have to cut their budget "pretty dramatically." That'll make an extra $5mil a year look a lot more attractive. And if they do leave, regardless of whether Clemson follows, it's a good bet chaos will follow in the ACC. (To which I say: FOLLOW ME! FOLLOW ME TO THE BIG TEN! And yes, I know you all hate me for saying it.)

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Seems like it wasn't too long ago that we were talking about what the ACC was going to do with its new TV deal. Oh, that's right, it wasn't: about two years ago the conference inked a deal with ESPN over FOX and other competitors, which was scheduled to last 12 years. Since then, though, the ACC's brought aboard Syracuse and Pittsburgh, and that means it's time to renegotiate. Hence a new, even more substantial contract:

ESPN's right fees are expected to rise from the league's 12 schools each getting about $13 million per year to the 14 schools in the expanding league getting about $17 million. ESPN will get new rights, including an additional 30 men's basketball games annually and 14 more conference-controlled football games. Also included, ESPN will be able to televise three Friday ACC football games each season with Boston College and Syracuse each hosting one of those. And, ESPN will also get an afternoon or evening game on Thanksgiving.

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