The University of Maryland Men's basketball team will square off against Alabama in their opening game at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, a preseason tournament that will take place from November 17-20. The rebuilding Terrapins will be facing an Alabama team that narrowly missed the NCAA tournament last year after finishing 12-4 in the SEC and winning the conference's western division.
Alabama ended up advancing to the finals of the National Invitational Tournament, where they lost to Wichita State, who will also play in the Tip-Off. With each squad on the same side of the bracket, there is a strong possibility that they will meet again. If not, Maryland will end up playing Wichita State, pitting the Terrapins head coach Mark Turgeon against the program he led from 1999 to 2007, a run that included an NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2006.
Wichita State will play Colorado in their opening game, with the winners to face each other in the next round.