Starting off on the right foot:

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Playing two tomorrow to get ahead of the weather on Sunday.

vs. Ball State at 11 am

vs. Mercyhurst at 7 pm.

Um, is this true? Long way to go.......
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NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) - 3
Ken Pomeroy - 4
Bart Torvik - 4
Evan Miyakawa - 3
Erik Haslam - 2 (Haslametrics ratings include an emphasis on recent results)
Joe Lunardi (ESPN) - 5

Maryland Basketball Recruiting Scoop: A big-time mystery man from far away​

Despite several needs for next season's roster, Kevin Willard didn't chase many players in the 2025 high school class. Maryland basketball's recruiting class has just one commit. Willard is planning to hit the portal hard, but could that lack of interest also mean he's working on at least one prospect from overseas?​

Despite several needs for next season's roster, Kevin Willard didn't chase many players in the 2025 high school class. Maryland basketball's recruiting class has just one commit, point guard Christian Jeffrey. Willard is planning to hit the transfer portal hard after the season, but could that lack of interest in high school prospects also mean he's been working on at least one prospect from overseas?

Maryland has been pursuing Lithuanian wing Dovidas Buika, sources told InsideMDSports. Discussions have been ongoing and it sounds like the Terps should have a realistic shot, but it's still early for the 6-6 18-year-old. Given his playing style and measurables, he seems like a replacement for Selton Miguel, who's eligibility will expire after this season.

247Sports' Dushawn London wrote:​

"Dovydas Buika is a prospect to know for college basketball fans. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard currently plays for BC Zalgiris Kaunas Youth team in Lithuania and is open to coming over and playing in the NCAA ... Buika averaged 14.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup and is a prospect who high major programs are keeping tabs on."

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Buika began his career with BC Žalgiris Kaunas' junior team, one of Lithuania's most prestigious basketball academies. During the 2022-2023 season, he competed for Žalgiris II in the Lithuanian National Basketball League (NKL), the country's second-tier league, posting averages of 9.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, shooting 41.8% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range.

He represented Lithuania in the 2023 FIBA U16 European Championship, where he played a key role in his team's fourth-place finish, averaging 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game.

Buika's upward trajectory continued into the 2024-2025 season, averaging 15.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He'll likely be prized by a number of major programs.

More from London:

As for his college process, Buika is not in a rush to make any college decisions. While he will be a highly recruited prospect, he will not make any serious college moves this spring and will take his time.
"Everything should come this summer after the national team and we'll see where it goes from there," he said.
When Buika does look into the process, play style and a strong role will play a major role in his decision process. "I'm looking for a team that fits my play style and gets me some minutes so I can play. I want to be able to express myself on the court so I want a team that lets me get the ball, have freedom, and run a lot."

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A few minutes from tip between the Terps and Trojans. Another chance to build that conference resume and hopefully land a double bye in the B1G tourney.

Usual starters for the Terps tonight:

Ja’Kobi Gillespie
Rodney Rice
Selton Miguel
Julian Reese
Derik Queen

Can be seen on FS1.

Chatter for the Indiana job? This has to be as real as Lox to the Jets.

Will Derik Queen win Big Ten Freshman of the Year? How many Terps on all-conference teams? Experts weigh in​

It's been a while since Maryland basketball had so many players worthy of all-Big Ten discussion. Which players will make the cut and will Derik Queen win rookie of the year? Here's what the experts said.​

It's been a while since Maryland basketball had so many players worthy of all-Big Ten discussion. All five starters have starred at times, all average 12 points per game or more. One of them, Ja'Kobi Gillespie, sits in the all-American range of some analytics, ranking as the No. 11 offensive player in the country per EvanMiya. Another, Derik Queen, has been one of the most sensational freshmen in the country.

A third, Julian Reese, has been Mr. Consistent, leading the Big Ten in double-doubles and ranking in the top six in rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots. And the other two, Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel, have been the team's best players at times. On the flip side, though, the numbers game is a killer after the conference added four new teams before this season. That makes it more than 25 percent more difficult to earn all-conference honors than in the past.

There are 10 first and second-team spots for more than 230 Big Ten players. Maybe second team is the new first team?

"It was hard to do when there were only 11 or 14 teams. Now it is nearly impossible to take 18 teams and drill down to three five-man units without missing a ton of otherwise deserving players. Somebody (a lot of somebodies) is going to get snubbed," longtime Ohio State beat writer Steve Helwagen said.

With only five games left in Maryland's Big Ten schedule, that vote isn't far off. To get a sense of where Maryland's newly dubbed Crab Five might land in the All-Big Ten voting, I asked a bunch of teams beat writers and others who follow the conference closely where they'd place them on the all-conference teams, and whether Queen is the conference's rookie of the year. Here's what they said:

FOX Sports' John Fanta on the rookie of the year​

"Derik Queen is my rookie of the year because his feel for the game is beyond his years, and he touches the game in every way for Maryland. I think he's truly the best freshman in the league and certainly the one who brings the most value to the table. "I would put Derik on the first team -- because it's only 5 guys, it's hard. Gillespie and Reese deserve second-team consideration -- I'd put Reese on the second team!"
Maryland Basketball Scoop: Interesting situation developing at one spot

Illinois beat writer Jeremy Werner on the rookie of the year race​

"I think this is clearly the best freshman class I've seen in the Big Ten. Queen would've won it in a landslide last year, but there are three likely top six picks in this class who have all been really good for their teams. Queen would've won in a landslide last season as would've five or six other freshmen from this class. He's deserving of the honor. Still, while Rutgers lack of winning hurts that duo, it's hard to ignore Dylan Harper, who is clearly one of the best players in college basketball, and Kasparas Jakucionis had a strong case before Illinois started struggling. Queen certainly has a strong argument as the most impactful player on a winning team. I think it'll come down to Harper and Queen."

Big Ten beat writer on which two of the Big Three will have the best chances ...​

"Any of Maryland's top four scorers — Queen, Gillespie, Reese and Rice — deserve some level of All-Big Ten consideration in my view but given the depth of the league and the limited number of spots on the teams, Queen and Gillespie are the two that I think have the best shot, given what I've watched this season. Queen has been one of the better Bigs in the league that I've seen this year, and the fact that he's doing it as a freshman makes it all the more impressive. Gillespie has risen to the moment in leveling up from Belmont. He's been excellent at times in a league where you can find a lot of good guards. I think in a vacuum, both Queen and Gillespie have solid cases in terms of their performance and value, but the spots are going to fill up quickly, and there are players who deserve to be ahead of them."

And on the rookie of the year race​

" In terms of watching players live this season, Bailey is probably the best freshman and one of the best players I've seen with my own eyes in the Big Ten this winter. I get it with him. The top 5 NBA Draft buzz is real. But it would be fair to ding him for team performance when talking about this award. If Maryland plays its way into a top 4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and Queen continues to play at a high level, he might have the best case if you're marrying what a player's individual success means to his team success. Maybe there's some co-Freshman of the Year situation like with Mgbako and Freeman last year, but it feels like Bailey or Harper gets the nod outright."

Helwagen on rookie of the year​

"It will be tight between Bailey, Harper and Queen for the freshman or rookie of the year. Harper has had the ball in his hands a lot and produced pretty well. The stats are fairly even between Bailey and Queen. Will Bailey and Harper split the Rutgers vote? That could work to Queen's benefit. Plus, he's one of the key players on a contending team. I think I would give him my nod."

Fanta on who should make first team​

Big Ten beat writer on the freshmen​

"At least one deserves to make the third team. Queen's case for Freshman of the Year is a good one. He's been great, especially during this recent stretch. I think the debate between Queen, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey and Kasparas Jakucionis is fun, and there's a couple ways you can look at it. Given Maryland's success this season, there's an argument that Queen has been more valuable to the Terps compared to Illinois' inconsistency and Rutgers' struggles."

Helwagen on Reese and Maryland​

"Julian Reese has been outstanding for Maryland as well. He deserves credit for setting Queen up any number of times and producing near double-double numbers in his own right. He's not going to get the credit he deserves [in the voting].
"Overall, I think Maryland has Sweet 16 potential, maybe Elite Eight. The starting five is just about as good as anybody. Do they avoid injuries and foul trouble? Do they get any bench help? Those factors may determine their end result."

More comments​

Fanta: "Kevin showing his strengths right now. His best teams get better as the year goes on. He's done a nice job."
Werner: "Queen will definitely be on one of the top two All-Big Ten teams. Gillespie and Reese in consideration for Sscond and third team."
Helwagen: "I saw one projection that had Gillespie and Queen as second team picks and I can definitely see that. They have been outstanding for one of the surprise top teams in the league."

There were 25-30 past players and coaches in attendance at Sunday's game. They were brought out onto the floor and lined up while the PA announces read off some meaningless PR statement. Then all filed off, because of course the fans in attendance wanted to see the dance team.

How about next time, you bring them out and introduce each one and let them get the recognition and applause that each one of them deserve. And if that takes up most of Halftime, fine. You could barely see who was who, no recognition. Nothing. What a wasted opportunity for the players and the fans. Be better. Be smarter.

Move over Fab Five, Maryland's "Crab Five" nickname is spreading fast​

First appearing 13 years ago, the nickname is back for a starting five that has received a ton of buzz.​

The Maryland fanbase has a men's basketball team to be proud of. Now, there's a viral nickname the starting five – one of the best in the nation – has earned, too.

The starting five of Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Rodney Rice, Selton Miguel, Julian Reese and Derik Queen has been tabbed "The Crab Five" by Terps fans. It is, of course, a play on words from Michigan's "Fab Five" in 1991, and also a recall to Maryland's 2012 recruiting class, the first true class that Mark Turgeon brought to College Park ahead of his second of 10-plus years at the helm.

The Crab Five moniker has reached the staff, with director of player personnel Ricky Harris and associate head coach David Cox each posting the nickname on X.


Jake Layman, Shaquille Cleare, Charles Mitchell and Seth Allen were all part of the 2012 recruiting class and were freshmen on the 2012-13 squad. Sam Cassell Jr. was initially supposed to be part of the group but never played for the Terps. Damonte Dodd was listed as part of the class but ultimately did not arrive in College Park until the 2013-14 season. Layman and Dodd had respective four-year careers for the Terps, while Cleare, Mitchell and Allen were all part of the 2014 transfer exodus before Maryland's breakout first season in the Big Ten that saw Melo Trimble and Dez Wells star together.

This year's starters each had a unique path to College Park. Gillespie, Rice and Miguel are all first-year Terps after respectively transferring from Belmont, Virginia Tech and South Florida. Gillespie is from Greenville, Tennessee, Rice went to high school just down the road from the XFINITY Center at DeMatha Catholic, and Miguel is from Angola, though his cousin Bruno Fernando is a Maryland fan favorite. Queen is a Baltimore native and Maryland's second-highest rated recruit in the 247Sports era. Reese, also a Baltimore native, is a true Terps senior and stuck it out through coaching changes and transfer portal rumors.

All five starters are averaging at least 12 points per game: Queen at 16.0, Gillespie at 14.7, Reese at 13.8, Rice at 13.4 and Miguel at 12.0. The entire starting unit scored in double figures in each of the Terps' wins last week – at Nebraska on Thursday and against Iowa at home on Sunday. All five starters have scored in double figures five times this season, tied with Kentucky for the most among major conference teams, per Jason Yellin. All five starters scored at least 15 points against Iowa, only the second time that has happened in college basketball this season and the first time it has happened in a Big Ten game in the last 20 years, according to Jared Berson.

The Crab Five has given Terps fans plenty to be excited about, and there is plenty of time for them to create more moments at the end of February and into March.

​

Called up by the Bulls

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The BTN basketball crew dropped the F-words on Maryland​

"But this starting five, this is enough for me to go on and get it – they can get to a Final Four, in my opinion."​

The Maryland men's basketball team is receiving as much buzz as anyone in the Big Ten, and rightfully so.

The 20th-ranked Terps (20-6, 10-5 Big Ten) have been playing incredible basketball of late, winning their last three games, seven of their last eight games and nine of their last 11 games. Kevin Willard has a surefire NCAA Tournament team in College Park, and now it is just a matter of where the Terps finish in the Big Ten and how deep of a run they can make in March. They even dropped those F-words every Maryland fan's been waiting for decades: "Final Four."

"This starting five, this is enough for me to go on and get it – they can get to a Final Four, in my opinion," Rapheal Davis said.

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Davis and Dave Revsine were in studio for Monday's "B1G Today" show on Big Ten Network, and they were raving about the Terps.

"Michigan is rolling, so is Maryland," Revsine said. "They outscored Iowa by 30 points in the second half. You win a game by 26 that you were losing at halftime. And we talk about Derik Queen and Julian Reese, as well we should. It is a great frontcourt. But, man, their guards are good. To go three-for-three in the portal, that, to me, is what's so exceptional. To get three guys who need to start for you, and to hit grand slams with each one of them, that's tough. It's tough evaluation."

Davis had plenty of praise for Maryland's guards as well, putting the trio against any backcourt in the country.

"Unbelievable," Davis said. "Yeah, you look at Rodney Rice, the guy didn't even play last season. So Coach Willard did an awesome job in the transfer portal. I look at these three guards, and what I love so much about them, all three of them do something different on the offensive end, but all three of them can guard any position on the defensive end, around the perimeter. Ja'Kobi Gillespie was big-time [against Iowa]: 26 points, seven assists, five rebounds. John Beilein likes to talk about having a computer point guard, and that's exactly what Ja'Kobi Gillespie is. When you need a basket, he's going to give you one. When you need someone to get involved, he can give them the basketball.

"He's not afraid of those big-time moments. Rodney Rice is an absolute bucket. Can fill the bucket up with points. He can get out in transition. He can knock down the three. He's great in the mid-range. Rodney Rice goes on a personal 8-0 run against the Hawkeyes in the second half. And then Selton Miguel, he got the party started in the ballgame yesterday. You look at it, 17 points, five assists, 5 of 9 from the three-point line – just a dead-eye shooter. As a combination: 61 points, 16 assists, and they make 12 threes. And these guys guard. This is not just one of the best backcourts in the conference, but one of the best three-man backcourts in the country. They can all beat you. They can all have big games. But when they play like this as a collective, they are really tough to beat."

Maryland faces an uphill battle to actually snag a share of the league title. The Terps are three games behind first-place Michigan in the loss column, two behind Michigan State and one behind both Purdue and Wisconsin. The Terps still have opportunities against the league's best ahead, though, with games against both Michigan and Michigan State remaining.

"I've talked to a couple coaches this year who have said Maryland may be the best team in the league," Revsine said.

Does Davis agree?

"Oh yeah, I think so," Davis said. "Best backcourt in the country, best frontcourt in the country. They can beat you on a glass. They guard defensively. Derik Queen is a stud as a freshman, an NBA player. Think about it. Julian Reese, last season was maybe their second option. He had to have good games for them to win. Now, he's their fifth option offensively. He's their clean-up guy. So, when you have an All-Big Ten-caliber center as your fifth option, boy, these dudes are tough. I think [Jordan] Geronimo will give them something going forward. You get Tafara Gapare back, giving them a little bit.

Preview, how to watch No. 20 Maryland basketball vs. USC​

It's the first meeting between the Terps and the Trojans in over 34 years.​

A three-game homestand for the 20th-ranked Maryland men's basketball team continues Thursday night.

The Terps (20-6, 10-5 Big Ten) welcome USC (14-11, 6-8) to the XFINITY Center for the first meeting between the programs as Big Ten foes. Maryland leads the all-time series over the Trojans, 3-0, though they have not played since Nov. 28, 1990, a 72-59 win in College Park. Hall of Famer George Raveling, a Maryland assistant from 1969-72, was then the head coach of USC.

Maryland has won three games in a row, seven of their last eight games and nine of their last 11 games. The Terps are up to 12th in the NET and 14th at KenPom, and they are doing it with one of the nation's best starting five – now also known as "The Crab Five": Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Rodney Rice, Selton Miguel, Julian Reese and Derik Queen.

USC, led by Eric Musselman in his first year in Los Angeles, has lost three of its last four games. It is coming off a 69-66 home loss to Minnesota this past Saturday.

Here's everything you need to know about how to watch, follow and listen to the matchup.

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20 at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland

TV: FOX Sports 1 – Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), Phil Martelli (analyst)

Streaming: FOX Sports

Radio: Maryland Sports Radio Network, 105.7FM (Baltimore), 980AM (D.C.) – Johnny Holliday (play-by-play), Chris Knoche (analyst), Walt Williams (analyst), Tom Marchitto (engineer)

Live Stats: Link

KenPom Line: Maryland -11

Thursday is a Quadrant 2 game for Maryland and a Quadrant 1 opportunity for USC. The Trojans currently are not in the NCAA Tournament picture. They have a 3-8 record in Quadrant 1, a 2-1 record in Quadrant 2, a 3-2 record in Quadrant 3 and a 6-0 record in Quadrant 4. USC is No. 65 in the NET, No. 56 at KenPom and No. 47 at BartTorvik.

The Trojans are 50th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and 83rd nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom. They are a solid three-point shooting team (36.3%, 61st nationally) and a solid three-point defending team (30.9%, 39th nationally).

USC is led by one of the best transfers and one of the best freshmen in the conference. Desmond Claude, the 6-foot-6 junior guard who transferred from Xavier, is averaging 16 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He is shooting 50.2% from the field and 34.9% from three. During Big Ten play, Claude ranks second in the conference in percentage of possessions. Wesley Yates III, a 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman guard who redshirted at Washington last year, is averaging 12.8 points and shooting 47.9% from the field and 42.4% from three. Yates is shooting 50.9% from three (27-for-53) in conference play, the second-best mark in the Big Ten.

"Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest thing is, you look at – Desmond Claude is one of the best players in this conference," Maryland head coach Kevin Willard said in a 105.7 The Fan radio appearance Tuesday. "I mean, he's averaging 18 points a game. And they have a freshman that – I mean, I think I have the best freshman in the country – but Wesley Yates is a young guard that is just playing at, doing things in this conference that as a guard that you shouldn't be able to do. So defensively, they defend the three extremely well. They're long. Muss plays that positionless basketball, one through five they switch. So, we're going to have to defend the three, and we're going to have to get out in transition."

Boise State transfer guard Chibuzo Agbo, Northern Colorado transfer Saint Thomas and UMass transfer Josh Cohen fill out the Trojans' all-transfer starting five. Agbo, 6-foot-7, is USC's third-leading scorer at 12.1 points per game. He also averages 4.6 rebounds per game and shoots 40.5% from the field and 38.9% from three. The 6-foot-7 Thomas is averaging 9.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Cohen, 6-foot-10, averages 7.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game and shoots 64.4% from two.

Bowling Green transfer forward Rashaun Agee, 6-foot-8, and Yale transfer forward Matt Knowling, 6-foot-6, played significant minutes off the bench for the Trojans in the loss to Minnesota. Agee averages 3.6 points per game and Knowling averages 3.2. Penn transfer guard Clark Slajchert and 6-foot-8 freshman forward Jalen Shelley respectively played two minutes and one minute against the Golden Gophers. Isaiah Elohim, Kevin Patton Jr. and Bryce Pope – whom Maryland was interested in out of the transfer portal – have all played sporadic minutes off the bench this season.

While it has been a rollercoaster of a season for USC, the Trojans have been capable of pulling off big wins, such as their victory at Illinois on Jan. 11 and their home win over Michigan State on Feb. 1. Willard noted how Maryland needs to be alert of their positionless style of basketball. Maryland is a big favorite for a reason, though, and the Terps should expect to continue to play well at home in front of the XFINITY Center crowd.

​

Maryland Basketball Scoop: Interesting situation developing at one spot​

There was some new movement this week at Xfinity Center, pointing toward an intriguing offseason in a key area for the Terps with a potential major addition, questions about returning stars and some uncertainty. Here's the latest exclusive IMS scoop.​

There was some new movement this week at Xfinity Center, pointing toward an intriguing offseason in a key area for the Terps with a potential major addition, questions about returning stars and some uncertainty. Here's the latest exclusive IMS scoop. (Not a VIP? New subscribers, get your first month for $1 or 30% off your first year HERE).

I'm hearing veteran reserve guards Jahari Long and Chance Stephens returned to the court this week, adding to Maryland's guard depth in practice and taking the next step in restarting the reserve guards' careers.

Long has been out all year recovering from that serious knee injury he suffered nearly a year ago, late in that season-ending blowout loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament. The 6-5 Houston native, who averaged 4.7 points, 1.4 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game last season, is a fifth-year senior, but hasn't played all season and isn't likely to play. The question about Long who's a fifth-year senior but has a year of eligibility remaining, is whether he'll be playing for Maryland next year.

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It sounds like no decision has been made yet. Long has a more size and physical presence is more of a distributor than the player currently in his old role, Jay Young.

Young is more athletic and is having a career year from three, shooting 40%, albeit on a relatively small sample size (30 attempts) and has given Maryland needed energy on a number of occasions, but his production and playing time have waned as Big Ten play has reached the home stretch (48 miutes, two total points in the past seven games). He also appears to have a year of eligibility left, but it's hard to see Willard keeping both on the roster. Then again, with rosters likely moving to 15, it's possible.

Long might want to transfer somewhere he can play heavy minutes, though he's close with Willard, having played for him at Seton Hall and followed him to College Park. Next year's backcourt could get crowded assuming Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice return. They should be back, though other schools are already trying to poach both of them with big money offers.

Assuming Rice and Gillespie return, that's your starting backcourt. From there, though, it gets questionable. DeShawn Harris-Smith could consider transferring somewhere where he can make a bigger impact. Long and Young's futures are unknown. Freshman Chris Jeffrey will join his former teammate, Malachi Palmer, who's expected to stay and in whom Willard sees a lot of potential. Then there's Chance Mallory, the No. 1 available point guard. Sources have maintained he's seriously considering Maryland after watching his friend and former AAU teammate, Derik Queen, thrive as a freshman. And with Selton Miguel out of eligibility, they'll likely need a 3-point shooter from the portal.

Stephens didn't play at all last season after transferring from Loyola Marymount after suffering a major knee injury in the offseason. Already smallish defensively for the Big Ten, the injury appeared to sap some of his quickness. He's an elite shooter when unguarded but hasn't had a chance to provide he can hit shots or defend at this level. There's no word yet on his plans either.

But with the Terps surging and beginning to be mentioned as a potential Final Four contender, all of that can future planning wait a month or so.

​

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We're about 15 minutes from tipoff between the Terps and Hawkeyes in CP.

Hawkeyes have been hit by the injury bug. Senior guard Drew Thelwell will miss his 2nd straight game. He's averaging 10.5 ppg, 3.0 asst and 1.8 steals. That's a big piece missing for them. And of course their leading scorer, Owen Freeman, is out for the year.

This is one the Terps need and should get, especially given Iowa's injury issues.

I thought I read that the Terps picked up a 2025 football commit yesterday. A long snapper from DeMatha?

This is a good read. Terps getting a lot more love from KenPom than they do on this board

Hope you can find hopeful news.

A refreshed look at Maryland basketball's resume, analytics and Big Ten standings post-Iowa win​

The Terps, a consensus top 15 team per the predictive metrics, are on a roll.​

The Maryland men's basketball team's recent stretch has solidified the Terps as an NCAA Tournament lock, with potential to climb into a high seed.

Though a weak nonconference schedule (No. 328 per the NET and No. 362 per KenPom) and a slow start to the New Year had people questioning where Maryland stands in the national picture, it has been rolling over the past month-plus.

The Terps (20-6, 10-5 Big Ten) have won three straight games, seven of their last eight games and nine of their last 11 contests. Maryland has stacked plenty of quality wins that will help their seed line.

Maryland is 6-5 in Quadrant 1. The victories include a 76-68 home win over Wisconsin, a 91-70 road win over Illinois, a 79-61 home win over UCLA, an 83-59 home win over Ohio State, an 83-75 road win over Nebraska and a 79-78 road win over Indiana. Maryland has two more Quadrant 1 regular-season opportunities remaining – against Michigan State at home on Feb. 26 and at Michigan on March 5 – as well as the Big Ten Tournament.

The Terps are also 3-1 in Quadrant 2, including a 69-66 home win over Nebraska, a 76-75 neutral site win over Villanova, Sunday's 101-75 home win over Iowa and a 75-69 loss at Washington. They have three more Quadrant 2 regular-season games remaining – at Penn State on March 1 and at home against USC on Thursday and Northwestern on March 8. The Quadrant 2 wins certainly are not signature wins, but they help provide substance to the resume.

Maryland is 3-0 in Quadrant 3 and 8-0 in Quadrant 4 with no such games remaining.

In predictive team-sheet metrics, Maryland is a consensus top 15 team. The Terps are 14th in the NET, KenPom and BartTorvik and 15th in the ESPN Basketball Power Index. The hot streak has improved Maryland's resume-based team-sheet metrics; the Terps are 21st in strength of record, 22nd in wins above bubble and 28th in KPI.

Maryland is fighting for a top four finish and double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament, and it is technically still alive to grab a share of the conference regular-season title. Here's a look at the top of the conference after the weekend of action.

Michigan 12-2

Michigan State 11-3

Purdue 11-4

Wisconsin 10-4

Maryland 10-5

UCLA 10-5

Illinois 9-7

Maryland still has games remaining against the top two teams in the conference standings. If it were to come down to a two-way tie with any of the top teams, Maryland would own the tiebreaker over UCLA and Wisconsin after head-to-head wins. Purdue would have the tiebreaker over the Terps after beating them in December. Maryland would also have the tiebreaker over Illinois after its win in Champaign in January.

The odds of a tie with multiple teams could happen as well. Here's how those tiebreakers would, via the official Big Ten website.

1. Results of head-to-head competition during the regular season.

• a. When comparing records against the tied teams, teams will be seeded based on winning percentage head-to-head among the group, even if the number of games played against the team or group are unequal (i.e., 2-0 is better than 3-1, but 2-0 is not better than 1-0 or 0-0). If all teams among the group are separated based on winning percentage, all ties are broken. Ties shall be considered separated when a team(s) emerges from the top, middle or bottom of the group and is awarded a seed(s).
• b. Once a seed is awarded, all remaining tied teams shall restart the tiebreak process at the first criteria (e.g. if there is a four-team tie, one team is 4-0, another is 3-1 and the last two are 2-2 among the group, the two teams that are 2-2 move to step a (head-to-head) and the teams that are 4-0 and 3-1 assume the next two available highest seeds).

2. If the remaining teams are still tied, then each tied team's record shall be compared to the team occupying the highest position in the final regular-season standings, continuing down through the standings until one team gains an advantage.

• a. When arriving at another pair of tied teams while comparing records, use each team's record against the collective tied teams as a group (prior to their own tiebreaking procedures), rather than the performance against the individual tied teams.
• b. When comparing records against a single team or group of teams, the higher winning percentage shall prevail, even if the number of games played against the team or group are unequal (i.e., 2-0 is better than 3-1, but 2-0 is not better than 1-0 or 0-0).

3. Won-loss percentage of Division I opponents.
4. Highest NET ranking of the teams. NET rankings that are released on the last Friday of the regular season will be utilized.

Click to expand...

B​

Maryland Basketball Scoop: Euro Recruiting? | Two From B-More | NBA Sniffing Around​

Could one Terp be on the NBA's doorstep? Who would replace him? Will Kevin Willard be venturing overseas for his next addition? Plus, Maryland has made Baltimore a priority in recent years, including two of the team's current stars. A couple of guys there are high on their watch list.​

Could one Terps be on the NBA's doorstep? Who would replace him? Will Kevin Willard be venturing overseas for his next addition?

Plus, Maryland basketball has made Baltimore a recruiting priority in recent years, including two of the team's current stars, Julian Reese and Derik Queen. It's too early to guess who the next Terps star from Baltimore might be, but a couple of guys are high on their watch list.

I'm hearing Maryland is close to offering Billy Stanfield III, a 2028 forward at Calvert Hall College High School, attended their win over Rutgers last Sunday at Xfinity Center.


"I loved Maryland. It was a great atmosphere. I loved the play that was going on, especially how scrappy they were because I'm a two-way player. It was a great environment," he said. "I like how they're hard coaches, but they're going to let you play and let you boogie."

Stanfield, 6-6 and 180 pounds, is regarded as one of the top freshmen in the state. He plays for Team Durant on the EYBL circuit.

"I can play both sides of the floor. I can play on the wing, I can score. I'm coachable. I'm 6-6," he said.

"I watched a little bit of Maryland growing up," he said, adding that he's receiving interest from Syracuse, Georgetown Arkansas, LSU, Oregon and Notre Dame. West Virginia offered this week.

Can he see himself in College Park down the road?

"For sure," he said. "It's home. I love it."

Maryland also looks close to offering his fellow 2028 standout, Braxton Bogard, a big man at Archbishop Spalding. The 6-8 forward has impressive athleticism and could be a big-time national prospect in his class. Maryland's been on fire there in football recruiting. Now the basketball staff will try to transfer that success.

The caveat of watching Derik Queen starring this season has been knowing he's 99 percent sure to leave after the season for the NBA. Maryland will also lose Julian Reese, so some have been surprised that Kevin Willard didn't recruit a high school big man in the 2025 class. But that doesn't mean he's pushing it all off until the portal. I'm hearing Maryland has been working on some international prospects in the frontcourt. No names yet, but it won't be surprising if they go to Europe for a frontcourt addition after the season.

It remains quiet on Chance Mallory. The nation's top uncommitted point guard hasn't spoken much since he reopened his recruitment following Tony Bennett's retirement. But it sounds like Maryland remains a serious contender.

"Maryland has a better chance than people think," a source said.

If Ja'Kobi Gillespie opts for the draft, Mallory could be a strong Maryland lean because of the opportunity for immediate playing time. There's no indication of what Gillespie will do, but it's not a crazy thought given how well he's played this season. NBA scouts coming by to watch Derik Queen have been impressed by Gillespie.

Md women #21. Latest AP poll.

Not much in Rivals on him, DE from FL (we all know what you are going to say about FL kids).

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