After this note from Maryland SID Natalia Ciccone, I emailed her back to ask some more specific questions -- namely, whether she could provide any more specifics on what's going on, and whether it's really "routine" for the NCAA to interview players about their recruitment for non-investigatory purposes.

She emailed back yesterday:

I've given you the official response. The only thing I can add is that inquiries happen in all sports every year -- including soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, basketball, etc. Because you haven't heard of it happening in women's basketball, doesn't mean anything. There's a lot of things that happen in collegiate athletics that goes on, but because it's not football or men's basketball, no one cares.

I've tried asking other sources whether such interviews are indeed "routine," but I haven't gotten a clear response yet. One SID at a big school told me that he's never heard of it happening. An assistant AD at another small school, however, said he's heard that it's "fairly common."

Putting that specific question aside... there is something curious going on, and it keeps getting curiouser.

The rumors about Maryland and Coach Frese are bouncing all over the women's basketball world, and we can expect the reverberation to accelerate this weekend when everyone gathers in Boston.

It appears that we either have (1) a top-tier program that has committed some significant recruiting violations, or (2) a top-tier program that has become the target of a nasty smear campaign carried out by other top-tier programs. (Adding to the drama: it may be that one of the accusing/smearing programs is playing the accused program in the Final Four this Sunday.)

Either way, it's a big story, and either way, it's a nasty story.

I really don't know which is true. The only responsible course right now is to reserve judgment (and keep investigating).