Sept. 9, 2011

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland women's basketball team is slotted at the No. 11 spot in the Sporting News 2011-12 preseason poll. The Terps return four of five starters from last year's team that finished the season 24-8 overall and fourth in the ACC regular season.

Maryland is one of five ACC teams in the Sporting News preseason top 25 rankings. Duke came in at No. 6, with Miami slotted at No. 10. Florida State came in at No. 14 and North Carolina was slotted at No. 17.

Eighty percent of the Terps' offensive scoring punch returns to the roster. Maryland, who was one of the nation's leading rebounding teams, returns 81 percent of its rebounding.

The Terrapins will look to sophomore Alyssa Thomas and senior Lynetta Kizer to lead them in both scoring and rebounding. They led the Terps in both categories last season and were both named to the All-ACC Second Team.

Thomas was named the ACC's Rookie of the Year in March and Kizer earned a gold medal over the summer at the World University Games in China with USA Basketball.

Redshirt freshman forward Whitney Bays and freshman guard Brene Moseley are two new additions to the team that will look to contribute.

Kizer, Anjale Barrett and Kim Rodgers comprise the Terps' senior class. Both Barrett and Rodgers are fifth-year seniors and all three were members of Maryland's 2009 ACC regular season and tournament championship team.

SPORTING NEWS PRESEASON TOP 25
1. Notre Dame
2. Baylor
3. UConn
4. Tennessee
5. Stanford
6. Duke
7. Texas A&M
8. Georgetown
9. Louisville
10. Miami
11. MARYLAND
12. Penn State
13. Purdue
14. Florida State
15. Georgia
16. Oklahoma
17. North Carolina
18. Kentucky
19. St. John's
20. Texas
21. USC
22. UCLA
23. Michigan State
24. LSU
25. Texas Tech