The Terps were ranked No. 18 in this week’s Associated Press top-25 poll.
Maryland men’s basketball was ranked No. 18 in this week’s Associated Press top-25 poll, the organization released Monday.
The Terps were the unofficial No. 27-ranked team in the country last week and have been on the verge of being ranked for most of the season. They finally broke through this week, though, earning a spot in the top-25 for the first time since Feb. 27, 2023. This was also Maryland’s highest ranking since Dec. 5, 2022.
Maryland’s recognition came in the midst of a four-game winning streak, in which the Terps took down then-No. 17 Illinois and Indiana on the road, as well as Nebraska at home. Their season accumulated into last week’s win over then-No. 17 Wisconsin, though, solidifying the Terps’ spot in the top-25 this week.
While Maryland has been solid all year, some performances left fans wondering how good the Terps truly are.
Competitive losses to then-No. 15 Marquette and then-No. 8 Purdue, along with a blowout win over Ohio State, revealed some of Maryland’s potential, but consecutive losses to Washington and then-No. 9 Oregon on the road created more doubt.
Maryland could clearly compete with the nation’s best, but whether it could actually beat them remained unanswered. Additionally, the Terps started the season 0-3 in away games, a point of weakness throughout head coach Kevin Willard’s three seasons at Maryland. Following their loss at Oregon, Willard’s Terps were 6-17 on the road.
More holes were poked in Maryland’s legitimacy less than a week later, when the Terps dropped an overtime thriller at Northwestern, 76-74. The loss further questioned the team’s ability to win close games, as Maryland was 2-5 in games decided by six points or fewer to that point this season.
Much of Terps fans’ skepticism dates back to last year. Maryland transformed from a NCAA Tournament team in 2022-23 to one of the worst in the Big Ten, despite returning most of its key pieces and adding four-star recruit DeShawn Harris-Smith.
But the Terps’ current winning streak has answered every question. They outlasted Nebraska, 69-66 — despite blowing a significant second-half lead — took down Illinois — although its second-best player was sidelined — fought off Indiana and beat then-No. 17 Wisconsin — a ranked win that cannot be discredited.
Fans’ trust has not been easy to reclaim, but Wednesday’s win over the Badgers and Monday’s ranking were perfect signifiers of the team’s legitimacy.