After Maryland basketball's B1G road sweep, that question again: Will the Terps be ranked in the AP Poll?
Because last season was a lost one like the one two years before it, moderate steps forward feel more important than they did when the Terps were regularly ranked. That's why every time they get on a run, the same question echoes: will they be ranked?
Because last season was a lost one for Maryland men's basketball like the one two years before it, moderate steps forward feel more important than they did when the Terps were regularly ranked. That's why every time they get on a run, the same question echoes: will they be in the top 25? Landing on the lower shelf of the AP Poll isn't exactly banner-worthy, especially at a program with such a rich history, but it would be a small step back to national relevancy after an ongoing near-two-year absence from the rankings.
After their dramatic 79-78-win Sunday at Indiana, the question returns. What are the chances Maryland will be ranked in the new poll on Monday?
The Terps were nowhere near the top 25 last week, landing 15th among others receiving votes, so 40th unofficially. But this is an unusual scenario. Every team ranked between No. 11 and No. 19 suffered at least one loss since last week. And Maryland's wins were high-profile, not just because Illinois was ranked No. 17, but because they were high-profile games. That one was a night-time headliner Thursday night on FS1, and their win at Indiana aired on CBS before the NFL conference championships.
Most don't keep daily tabs on every rank-able team, especially beat writers and teams not in their region or the conference they cover. So games like those provide more juice than, say, a Tuesday night game on BTN when there are dozens of other games on TV. Beating a top 20 team by 21 points also catches attention.
CBS Sports' Kyle Boone projected the Terps to be ranked 19th.
"A last-second shot helped Maryland topple Indiana in Bloomington on Sunday, giving the Terps their fifth win in their last six outings. Their 91-70 road win over Illinois on Thursday registered as a true stunner, even if it came against a shorthanded Illini team," he wrote.
Andy Katz continues to wave the Maryland flag. He wrote on X:
"Hey, @AP_Top25 voters, time to rank @TerrapinHoops. Maryland is back in my top 25 in our @MarchMadnessMBB Power 37 on Monday. Terps should be in the AP Top 25, too!!!
Not everyone expects them to be ranked. Even Willard-friendly FOX Sportswriter John Fanta didn't insert them into his top 25.
If Maryland does enter the poll, it would be its first appearance since it was No. 21 on Feb. 27, 2023, ending a two-month absence late in Willard's first season. His team had reeled off that surprising, Jahmir Young-powered 8-0 start to climb as high as No. 13, but fell out of the poll after a three-game losing streak, back-to-back three-point losses against Wisconsin and Tennessee followed by that gruesome home-court blowout against UCLA.
If they don't land in the top 25, a home win over Wisconsin on Wednesday would get it done; it would be their sixth win in seven games, and they wouldn't lose again before the following poll because they can't lose a game before the next poll. They don't play again until their game at Ohio State eight days later.
