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Big Ten Tournament first-round preview: Maryland men’s basketball vs. Rutgers

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Big Ten Tournament first-round preview: Maryland men’s basketball vs. Rutgers


Maryland men’s basketball begins postseason play Wednesday in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. As bottom-four teams in the conference, the No. 12-seeded Terps and No. 13-seeded Scarlet Knights will compete in one of the two first-round games.

Game information

When: Wednesday, March 13, 6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Target Center — Minneapolis, Minnesota

Streaming: Peacock

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How did they get here?

No. 12-seed Maryland Terrapins (15-16, 7-13 Big Ten)

Maryland entered the season with heightened expectations compared to years past. Second-year head coach Kevin Willard returned three of five starters from last season’s team which reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Maryland got off to a tumultuous start to the season, losing both of its games in the Asheville Championship, which it was favored to win. Its rocky start to the season was only a sign of things to come. The Terps would soon be blown out by Villanova and Indiana.

The Terps stumbled their way through Big Ten play, constantly fighting from behind in the standings. Sitting in 12th place before their regular-season finale at Penn State, they had an opportunity to move up a spot, but were decimated by Penn State.

No. 13-seed Rutgers Scarlet Knights (15-16, 7-13 Big Ten)

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Finishing near the middle of the Big Ten last year, Rutgers’ expectations were tampered heading into this season after the losses of Cam Spencer and Caleb McConnell. The Scarlet Knights’ hallmark win of the season came against then-No. 11 Wisconsin in a 22-point beating.

Rutgers was also positioned late to improve its seeding, but dropped its last three regular-season games to secure the second-to-last seed in the conference tournament, ahead of only Michigan.

What happened last time

Maryland and Rutgers faced twice during the regular season, with the teams splitting those games.

The first matchup, played on Feb. 6, was a tightly contested match throughout. Neither team led ever led by double digits, and a missed Donta Scott three with eight seconds remaining secured a 56-53 win for the Scarlet Knights.

The second game was far more lopsided, with the Terps easily winning, 63-46. It was a true team effort, with four players scoring at least 10 points.

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Three things to watch

1. A true 50/50 game. While the Terps are the higher seed, Maryland and Rutgers have the same overall and conference record. With Wednesday’s game being played at a neutral site, neither team holds a clear advantage.

2. Second-half collapses. Over its last two games, Maryland has been outscored by a combined 27 points in the second half. Against Indiana, the Terps led by 10 at halftime and 16 in the second half, but fumbled the game away. Against Penn State, they trailed by just four at halftime, yet Penn State pulled away.

3. Reese’s status. Forward Julian Reese was sidelined Sunday against Penn State after tweaking his ankle in practice last week. While Willard alluded to his absence being precautionary, the Terps will need their star forward, who averaged 19.5 points and nine rebounds per game against Rutgers in the regular season.

The road ahead

The winner of Wednesday night’s game will face No. 5-seed Wisconsin in the second round. The game will start at approximately 1:30 p.m. ET.

Maryland narrowly lost to the Badgers, 74-70, in their lone clash in the regular season, while Rutgers lost to Wisconsin by double digits in both of their meetings.

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Maryland

Ex-Maryland teacher sentenced to 30 years for having sex with student — but will only spend one year behind bars

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Ex-Maryland teacher sentenced to 30 years for having sex with student — but will only spend one year behind bars


A disgraced Maryland teacher who had sex with a teenage student nearly two-dozen times was slapped with a 30-year prison sentence – but will only serve one year behind bars for the crime. 

Melissa Marie Curtis, 32, was handed the three-decade sentence with all but 12 months suspended for engaging in sexual acts with the 14-year-old while she was a teacher at Montgomery Village Middle School in 2015, Fox 5 DC reported.

Curtis — who was 22 at the time — had sexual intercourse with the minor more than 20 times between January and May 2015 — with illicit trysts occurring within the school, her car and several residences, including her mother’s home in Montgomery County, according to court documents obtained by the outlet.

Melissa Marie Curtis, 32, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with all but 12 months suspended. Montgomery County Police Department

The convicted perv also gave the eighth-grader alcohol and marijuana, the Montgomery County Police Department said.

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Prosecutors said the pair were often left alone together after the young teen volunteered for an after-school program Curtis headed, according to court docs.

Police launched their investigation in October 2023 when the victim came forward with the abuse allegations.

Curtis, of Upper Marlboro, was a teacher for approximately two years and had also taught at Lakelands Park Middle School, cops said.

The sicko teacher turned herself in to police on Nov. 7, 2023, and was charged with sexual abuse of a minor and multiple counts of third- and fourth-degree sexual offenses. 


The sexual activity occurred on school grounds, her car and several residences while she was 22 and the victim 14.
The sexual activity occurred on school grounds, her car and several residences while she was 22 and the victim was 14. Montgomery County Public Schools

She pleaded guilty June 20 to three counts of third-degree sex offenses in June, Fox 5 DC reported.

The sexual predator is required to register as a sex offender for 25 years and will be barred from having any unsupervised contact with minors other than her own children. 

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The judge also sentenced Curtis to serve five years of probation.



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Iowa Hawkeyes Make Horrible Decision Ahead of Maryland Game

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Iowa Hawkeyes Make Horrible Decision Ahead of Maryland Game


Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes are set to face off against the Maryland Terrapins this weekend in their second to last regular season game of the year.

Ahead of this week’s game, Iowa holds a 6-4 record. They have had a couple of very disappointing losses over their last four outings. Losing to Maryland would simply compound upon what has already been a rough all-around stretch of games.

Unfortunately, heading into this week’s matchup, the Hawkeyes have made a horrible decision.

As most fans know, quarterback Brendan Sullivan has been lost for the season due to injury. That led to a new starting quarterback being need this week.

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Ferentz and Iowa opted to turn back to Cade McNamara as their starting quarterback.

That decision is a bad one. McNamara has played poorly all season long and fans were desperately hoping for a change away from him long before the decision was actually made.

Why is the decision to revert back to starting McNamara a big mistake?

Jackson Stratton, the team’s sophomore quarterback, has shown the ability to throw the football well in very limited time. He also has a legitimate chance to be the team’s starter for the next two years.

Going back to McNamara does absolutely nothing for the program. He will be leaving following the 2024 season and has shown nothing on the field to warrant playing time. Seeing what the Hawkeyes have in Stratton is a major need and getting him valuable playing time could help him succeed in 2025.

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Stratton has received very little playing time. Last week, he completed three of his six pass attempts against UCLA for 28 yards. On the ground, he chipped in a 14-yard run.

Those numbers should have made Iowa give him a chance. At the very least, they could confirm or deny that he’s capable of being the starter next season.

Giving the starting job back to McNamara only guarantees one thing. Fans are about to see more missed passes, frustrating decisions, and a lack of an ability to move the football through the air.



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Maryland burn ban: Dry weather fuels fire along Potomac River

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Maryland burn ban: Dry weather fuels fire along Potomac River


Dozens of firefighters utilized boats and a helicopter while battling a Monday morning blaze along the Potomac River.

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Officials said someone in Virginia initially spotted the smoke, which was coming from a large, rotted tree on Rocky Island in Montgomery County near Great Falls. 

Photo via Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO)

They aren’t sure how the fire started but said the large response was in part due to dry conditions, with low humidity and wind.

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“It took hours and hours for them to cut it up and put the fire completely out,” said Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service Public Information Officer Pete Piringer, who added that those same conditions are why a statewide burn ban remains in effect in Maryland.

Piringer also said that just in Montgomery County, firefighters have responded to about 150 outside fires since October 1.

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“Fires spread very quickly when the conditions are like this,” he explained.

As a result, officials are urging the public to remain vigilant, saying that when it comes to fire danger, the region’s recent rain has helped – but it’s still not enough.



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