Is it time to start taking the Terps seriously?
College Park, MD- The Terps currently sit a Wednesday night win away from dethroning the Wisconsin Badgers, and claiming the top spot in a Big 10 conference that appears to be shaping up quite peculiarly.
In a conference where almost no one predicted them to be first, the Terrapins have shown experts why they have the potential to wreak havoc come March 14th.
The Terps, despite winning their first 7 games, were only winning by an average of a shade over 10 points. If it wasn't for an absolute blowout against St. Mary's, they would have only won 6 games by an average of 4 points a game. This effort was subpar considering they played American University, Towson, and Stony Brook; schools not notoriously known for their overly competitive basketball programs.
If you were to ask me how I felt about the Terrapins season through 22 games, I would've said I was on edge.
Despite sitting at a near flawless 20-2 record over this stretch, they faced less than optimal competition and hadn't faced one ranked opponent yet. Maryland had looked very impressive through spurts of games, but had not played a complete well-rounded game against a team that could pose a legitimate threat.
Dare I say that Maryland's most complete game didn't come during a win?
12 days ago, the Terrapins played host to the Purdue Boilermakers in what would be a pivotal Big 10 showdown. Purdue came in ranked at #23 while UMD was clinging on to the #17 spot. In a game that was decided by minute errors and highlighted by bucket trading, Purdue ultimately prevailed as they hit a pair of free throws with 2.1 seconds left to hang on to the win, 73-72.
UMD responded to this heartbreaker by losing their first road game of the season to Penn State, 70-64.
Suddenly, a blanket of concern now enveloped the Terps fan base as they had lost 2 games in a row for the first time this season.
However, their schedule left them no time to be sour as OSU and NWU were knocking on the doorstep. UMD answered the Penn State loss by taking 2 wins against both of these Big 10 opponents and were now poised to take what they believe was rightfully theirs; the Big 10 title. After an outstanding 32 point effort against NWU to prove to everyone he can lead this team, Melo Trimble has his eyes set on the Wisconsin Badgers.
UMD seems to be hitting their stride at just the right time as mid March is quickly approaching. With a win on Sunday against the first place Badgers, Maryland could take control of the conference.
In a college sports world where winning is all that matters, maybe a loss or two has pulled the Terps out of their shell.
