The Maryland men’s basketball team is rolling.
The Terps thrashed Syracuse, 87-60, in Brooklyn on Saturday to improve to 10-2 on the season. Maryland, which led by as many as 38 points with 7:30 left, climbed to No. 11 at KenPom. The Terps have been analytical darlings, also ranking No. 8 in the NET, No. 12 at BartTorvik and No. 14 in the ESPN BPI.
While the Terps are highly respected in the computer rankings, could they be ranked for the first time this season come Monday? It is tough to say.
Though Maryland is 10-2, it lacks a true signature win. Maryland is 1-2 in Quadrant One games, destroying Ohio State, 83-59, at home and losing close games to Marquette (78-74 in College Park) and to Purdue (83-78 in West Lafayette). The Terps have a Quadrant Two one over Villanova, a Quadrant Three win over Syracuse and seven Quadrant Four blowout victories over low-major opponents.
Maryland received 24 points in the Dec. 16 AP poll, making it the unofficial No. 35 team in the country. A win over 5-6 Syracuse does not move too many needles, but the fashion in which it was done was impressive. Whether it will be enough to get the Terps in the national rankings will be known Monday afternoon.
Regardless, with the resumption of Big Ten play near, Maryland will have opportunities to add signature wins to its resume. If the winning continues, the Terps will not only be ranked – but they could be seen as a legitimate contender in the Big Ten. Here’s a look at Maryland’s next five games.
vs. Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday
KenPom rank: 358
Maryland wraps up its nonconference schedule with a home game against one of the worst teams in the country. UMES is 4-11 with four wins against non-Division I opponents. The Hawks have played four high-major opponents on the road: a 102-63 loss to Vanderbilt on Nov. 4, an 87-40 loss to Illinois on Nov. 23, a 109-35 loss to Arkansas on Nov. 25 and a 99-45 loss to UConn on Nov. 30. KenPom tabs the Terps as 34-point favorites.
at Washington on Jan. 2
KenPom rank: 91
Making their first-ever Big Ten West Coast trip, the Terps are shaping up to be sizable road favorites over the Huskies. Washington (8-3, 0-2 Big Ten) has tune-ups before Seattle and NJIT before hosting Maryland. Head coach Danny Sprinkle is in his first year at the helm. The Huskies have solid neutral-court wins over Colorado State and Santa Clara. They lost to UCLA by 11 on the road and to USC by 24 at home to open Big Ten play. Maryland will look to take care of business in this road Quadrant Two game before a gigantic opportunity three days later.
at Oregon on Jan. 5
KenPom rank:14
Maryland will almost certainly find itself an underdog in Eugene against Oregon (11-1, 1-1 Big Ten). The Ducks’ lone blemish is a buzzer-beating loss to UCLA at home. Oregon already has four Quadrant One wins, beating Texas A&M, San Diego State and Alabama in Las Vegas to win the Players Era Festival and winning at Oregon State. This will be a tall task for the Terps. If Maryland can leave the West Coast with a sweep and a 13-2 record, the national buzz will be legitimate.
vs. UCLA on Jan. 10
KenPom rank: 16
The home game against UCLA (10-2, 2-0 Big Ten) will be Maryland’s first marquee home game in nearly two months. Though the students are on winter break, the fanbase should be ready to roll as the Terps welcome a big-time opponent to College Park for the first time since the Marquette game on Nov. 15. The Bruins have Quadrant One wins at Oregon and against Arizona in Phoenix; they lost to New Mexico (a Quadrant Two loss) in Henderson, Nevada, and to North Carolina in New York. Mick Cronin and Kevin Willard are very good friends, and this will be the third straight season the teams face off.
vs. Minnesota on Jan. 13
KenPom rank: 116
Minnesota (7-5, 0-2 Big Ten) is off to a rough start in Year Four of the Ben Johnson era. The Golden Gophers seemingly took a step forward last year, going 19-15 and winning a game in the NIT. But Minnesota is 0-3 in Quadrant One and Two combined thus far, and it has two Quadrant Three losses – to Wichita State and Wake Forest in Orlando. This will be a Quadrant Three, can’t-lose game for Maryland inside the XFINITY Center.
Before you go …
— Save $20 on your SeatGeek purchase of tickets to Maryland games or any major events with code “IMS” at checkout!
— Get the latest Terps news delivered to your inbox FREE! Sign up for our email newsletter here and stay informed on Maryland basketball, football, recruiting and every other Terps storyline.
— Support Maryland basketball’s recruiting and player-retention efforts by joining TurtleNIL!
— Follow IMS on Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok and Instagram.
— Don’t miss any of our new video Terps content: Subscribe to InsideMDSports on YouTube and hit the notification bell so you know when new videos drop.
– Need a go-to Terps podcast? Listen to IMS Radio here, watch earlier episodes here and don’t forget to subscribe to IMS Radio on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon Music | TuneIn | Apple Podcasts
