Maryland Sports

Baltimore Sun reporters Don Markus and Jeff Barker and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. Given the 2014 schedule announced Thursday by the Big Ten, how tough will Maryland's road back to respectability become? Don Markus: Maryland's $52 million exit fee from the Atlantic Coast Conference after next season seems exorbitant, but its indoctrination into the Big Ten is pretty steep in its own right. Everyone knew the Terps would be stepping up in class in football by switching leagues.

Baltimore Sun reporters Jeff Barker and Don Markus and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. What is the central issue in the legal skirmishes between Maryland and the Atlantic Coast Conference as the school prepares to join the Big Ten next year? Jeff Barker: There's an issue of jurisdiction. The ACC says North Carolina - not Maryland - is the proper venue to air the dispute. Maryland disagrees. There are suits ongoing in both states.

Baltimore Sun reporters Jeff Barker and Don Markus and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. Is Maryland better off developing Roddy Peters and Seth Allen as its point guards rather than bringing in Antonio Barton for one season? Don Markus: A lot of college coaches, Mark Turgeon included, want to take advantage of the NCAA's fairly recent legislation that allows players who have graduated from one school to finish their careers at another as long as they can find a graduate program that doesn't exist at the first school.

Baltimore Sun reporters Don Markus and Jeff Barker and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. Given the 2014 schedule announced Thursday by the Big Ten, how tough will Maryland's road back to respectability become? Don Markus: Maryland's $52 million exit fee from the Atlantic Coast Conference after next season seems exorbitant, but its indoctrination into the Big Ten is pretty steep in its own right. Everyone knew the Terps would be stepping up in class in football by switching leagues.

Baltimore Sun reporters Jeff Barker and Don Markus and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. What was your reaction to Maryland basketball guard Terrell Stoglin leaving the team after a one-year suspension, and where does this leave the program? Jeff Barker: I felt sad for Terrell and what he had done to himself.  Somebody commented to me that he's a kid who couldn't get out of his own way, and that's about right.

As the Maryland basketball beat writer for The Sun for more than a decade, I always enjoyed making multiple trips to the state of North Carolina every winter. I saw Len Bias single-handedly give North Carolina its first defeat in a then brand-new Dean Dome. I witnessed the obnoxious Duke students at Cameron Indoor Stadium chanting “CBA ... CBA ... CBA ...”  in the direction of future NBA player Walt Williams.  I had a front-row seat for more than a few great ACC tournament games.

Baltimore Sun reporter Don Markus and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. Will Alex Len's injury impact his draft status? Don Markus: Len, who will be out four to six months after undergoing surgery to stabilize his left ankle, is definitely going to be a lottery pick in next month's NBA draft. Most mock drafts have the 7-1 center going anywhere from No. 5 to No. 11, but a lot will have to do with the outcome of the bouncing balls that determine the order of the lottery.

Baltimore Sun reporters Jeff Barker and Don Markus and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. Is Maryland better off developing Roddy Peters and Seth Allen as its point guards rather than bringing in Antonio Barton for one season? Don Markus: A lot of college coaches, Mark Turgeon included, want to take advantage of the NCAA's fairly recent legislation that allows players who have graduated from one school to finish their careers at another as long as they can find a graduate program that doesn't exist at the first school.

  Baltimore Sun reporter Don Markus and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. Is the Atlantic Coast Conference being vindictive with Maryland regarding its basketball schedule for its final season? Don Markus: After seeing that the Terps have to go play at Duke and North Carolina, without a return game from either the Blue Devils or Tar Heels, my reaction was it was a, uh, going-away gift for leaving for the Big Ten in 2014.

  Baltimore Sun reporter Don Markus, intern and Diamondback co-sports editor Josh Vitale, and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. Should Mark Turgeon go after Antonio Barton to play point guard next season for the Terps? Don Markus: Having already written that Pe'Shon Howard might have been a suitable stop-gap before Roddy Peters is ready to take over at the point, I think it is fair to say that Barton would be a more than suitable replacement as Maryland's transition point guard going into the 2013-14 season.

  Baltimore Sun reporter Jeff Barker, intern and Diamondback co-sports editor Josh Vitale, and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. Were you surprised that junior point guard Pe'Shon Howard plans to transfer? Jeff Barker: No. It's too bad it didn't work out better for him - he's a smart, sensitive guy. But it wasn't surprising. The marriage between Maryland and “Hollywood P” wasn't working this season. How do we know?

Baltimore Sun reporters Jeff Barker and Don Markus and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. Is Alex Len definitely leaving for the NBA and has his status gone up after he finished the season strong in the NIT? Don Markus: While the sophomore from the Ukraine has not given any indication of what he plans to do, Mark Turgeon and the Maryland coaching staff have assumed all season that this would be Len's last in College Park.

Baltimore Sun reporters Jeff Barker and Don Markus and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. Now that Maryland has reached the semifinals of the NIT, what are its chances of winning it all? Don Markus: I know from a standpoint of trying to avenge a couple of disappointing losses, the Terps were probably looking forward to the chance of playing fellow ACC member Virginia for a third time. But as much as Maryland knowing intimately how to attack the Cavaliers, Virginia probably had the advantage since it won both regular -season games.

Baltimore Sun reporters Jeff Barker and Don Markus and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. Maryland's nonconference schedule was so light. Will it be any tougher next season? Jeff Barker: Coach Mark Turgeon wants a schedule commensurate with his team's ability. Next year's schedule should reflect that it will be his third year at Maryland, and that the team wants and needs to make strides. The Terps didn't play a true “preseason” tournament this season.