UMBC, Utah State: Maryland Fans' NCAA Tournament Rooting Guide

0:00On March 16th, Maryland basketball fans are out of the NCAA tournament this year, but that does not mean you have to sit on the sidelines. With few direct ties to the bracket, like former coach Kevin Willard, now at Villanova, or ex-player Jacobi Gillespie at Tennessee, many terps. Supporters are picking secondary teams to root for over the next few weeks. One easy choice is UMBC, the University of Maryland Baltimore County Retrievers. They share the Maryland name and boast that legendary 2018 upset over Virginia as a number 16 seed, led by Guard DJ. Armstrong, son of longtime NBA player Darrow Armstrong, faced Howard in the first four on Wednesday night in Dayton. Meanwhile, plenty of fans want to see Villanova stumble early thanks to lingering bitterness over Willard's messy exit from Maryland last spring. That puts Utah State, coached by Jared Calhoun, a coach with ties to Maryland's current athletic department in a great spot as Villanova's first round, opponent.

1:01Other fun options include Miami, Ohio, who went undefeated in the regular season before a conference tournament slip and are led by first year coach, Jay Lucas, son of former Maryland star, John Lucas. Tennessee offers a nod to Gillespie, who transferred after helping the terps last year, while Ohio State connects through Gary Williams' old assistant, Dave Dickerson. Big 10 powerhouses like Michigan are Purdue could deliver conference bragging rights to since no Big 10 team is won at all since Maryland's two. Thousand two title. Pick your underdog or rival beater and enjoy the madness unfolding.