Comcast Center

COLLEGE PARK - It was growing late in the first half and Maryland trailed Niagara by six points. The sparse, fidgety Comcast Center crowd had to be wondering when and if the Terps would check in mentally for their National Invitation Tournament opener. Led by Nick Faust, second-seeded Maryland woke up and used its press and fast break effectively in a second-half surge to rout seventh-seeded Niagara, 86-70, and advance to the second round before an announced 4,053. Faust (City)

When Mark Turgeon decided to leave Texas A&M for Maryland last May, this is what he envisioned at Comcast Center: a hyped-up, sellout crowd arriving early and providing a palpable buzz that would put his team's opponent at a decided disadvantage. With the exception of one home game in November -- an ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup with Illinois -- the Terps could have been playing in any arena where the expectations are as low as the decibel level. That is likely to change tonight, when Turgeon will get a taste of what Comcast Center had been for most of its nine seasons under his predecessor.

- Mark Turgeon doesn't relish the spotlight - he'd just as soon skip being introduced to crowds - but fortunately for the students at Friday night's Maryland Madness, the Terps men's basketball players don't share their coach's reserve. Turgeon's players - particularly the highly-touted freshmen - were happy to dance and preen and flex and dunk before several thousand fans at the annual preseason pep rally at Comcast Center. For the fans, it marked the first appearance of a spirited freshman class considered among Maryland's best since the one following the 2002 national championship season.

With the Class 2A playoffs quickly approaching, Randallstown senior guard Ahmaad Wilson looks to lead the Rams on an extended postseason run. Having reached the state semifinals while playing at Owings Mills as a sophomore in 2011, Wilson knows what it takes to get to Comcast Center. He's excited about the possibility of a return trip to College Park with No. 11 Randallstown. Wilson fit in immediately after transferring to the school this year. A team leader, he's averaging 16.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals for the Rams.

COLLEGE PARK - The Maryland women's basketball grabbed the No. 7 seed in the Philadelphia regional and hosts 10th-seeded UW-Green Bay (27-3) in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday. Other first-round games being held at Comcast Center are: No. 5 DePaul (25-4) vs. No. 12 Virginia Tech (17-11), second-seeded Ohio State (28-4) vs. No. 15 Holy Cross (20-10) and No. 4 Penn State (19-10) vs. No. 13 Liberty (24-6). "We're so proud of the fact that we're able to host and bring in all these quality teams," said Maryland head coach Brenda Frese.

Courtside seats are long gone. The rafters are full. People even have dibs on chairs yet to be installed. The University of Maryland's new basketball arena is still empty, but a few fans are finding there's no place to sit. In the wake of a national championship and two straight trips to the Final Four, the University of Maryland is scrambling to accommodate a horde of followers as it prepares to open the 17,100-seat Comcast Center. Season tickets have run out; demand overwhelmed supply.

Welcome back to Morning Shootaround, a regular feature this season the day after Maryland basketball games. While we can't bring you into the Terps' locker room after games -- reporters haven't been allowed in there since the last couple of years under Gary Williams -- we will recap what was said in the news conference afterward by Maryland coach Mark Turgeon and his players. We will give some of our own insight into what transpired on the court during the previous day's game and what the Terps will be working on at practice looking ahead to their next game.

When he's not on the basketball court, Edmondson senior guard Darius Walker is more laid back than loud. But there was one exception recently when he simply couldn't help himself. It came last Thursday at Randallstown, when he helped lead the No. 5 Red Storm past the host Rams, 73-63, to capture the Class 2A North regional championship. After falling in the regional title game in the past four years, the Red Storm had just advanced to the state semifinals at Comcast Center and it was something to yell about.

Exhibition opponent: EA Sports All-Stars Site: Comcast Center, College Park When:Tuesday, 8 p.m. TV/Radio:Comcast SportsNet/WBAL (1090 AM)

Virginia at Maryland 8 p.m. [chs. 54, 20] See if a game at the friendly confines of Comcast Center will help the Terrapins men's basketball team end a two-game losing streak.