Nov. 16, 2004

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The college basketball preview issues of ESPN the Magazine and Sports Illustrated have the Maryland basketball team ranked among the nation's elite. "The Magazine's" preseason No. 7 ranking, as predicted by analyst Dick Vitale, is the highest mark of the preseason for the Terrapins, while SI also includes Maryland in the Top 10.

The Terrapins return 11 letterwinners and four starters from what was statistically the youngest team in the nation in 2003-04. ACC Tournament MVP John Gilchrist, who led the Terps in scoring, assists and steals a season ago, has been named to the preseason Naismith, Wooden and Rupp National Player of the Year Award Watch Lists and Dick Vitale's All Rolls Royce Team. Sharpshooter and tenacious defender Chris McCray returns to round out one of the nation's top backcourts, while versatile Nik Caner-Medley and powerful big man Travis Garrison return in the post.

Those four Terps, in addition to sophomore forward Ekene Ibekwe, have been scoring in double-figures throughout the preseason. McCray has led the team with a 15.5 points per game average.

The Terps open their regular-season schedule on Friday against Jackson State at 8 p.m. The game will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet.

Both magazine's preseason rankings follow.

ESPN THE MAGAZINE/DICK VITALE'S SENSATIONAL SIXTEEN
1.  North Carolina
2.  Kansas
3.  Kentucky
4.  Wake Forest
5.  Georgia Tech
6.  Michigan State
7.  MARYLAND
8.  Arizona
9.  Duke
10. Texas
11. Syracuse
12. Connecticut
13. Illinois
14. Oklahoma State
15. Notre Dame
16. Pittsburgh

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S PRESEASON TOP 20
1.  North Carolina
2.  Oklahoma State
3.  Wake Forest
4.  Kansas
5.  Georgia Tech
6.  Syracuse
7.  Connecticut
8.  Kentucky
9.  Illinois
10. MARYLAND
11. Duke
12. Louisville
13. Pitt
14. Michigan State
15. Arizona
16. Mississippi State
17. Washington
18. Texas
19. Charlotte
20. Alabama