With most teams having played either five or six league games at this point in the Big Ten schedule, this is a good point to take a look at which teams are capable of winning the conference title. Maryland and Wisconsin are the only teams with just one conference loss, followed by five teams (including Michigan State, Northwestern and Purdue) with two Big Ten losses apiece. And it wouldn’t be wise to count out a team like Indiana (2-3 Big Ten) either as it pertains to the race.

While there hasn’t been a team that has separated itself from the pack, and if the first three weeks are any indication that won’t be happening any time soon, multiple teams have shown themselves capable of contending.

So with that being the case, why not Maryland? 

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

Maryland’s currently 4-1 in the Big Ten, with their lone defeat coming at home against Nebraska. It’s been said many times over that the best way to contend for a conference title is to avoid dropping a game at home. But a team can make up for that by getting a win on the road themselves, which is what the Terrapins have managed to do against both Michigan and Illinois. 

The Fighting Illini may not be a Big Ten contender, but with that game being the first in a  stretch in which Maryland will play four of five games away from College Park the win was an important one. Next up is a trip to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes, who have already knocked off Purdue at home and boast the league’s leading scorer in Peter Jok (third-leading scorer in conference games). This is where Maryland’s defense, which is ranked 38th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency per Ken Pomeroy’s numbers, will be key.

In Big Ten games opponents are shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from three against Maryland, solid numbers, and maintaining those standards will be key Thursday night. With the talent Maryland has on the wings, most notably Kevin Huerter and Justin Jackson, they have the pieces needed to make things difficult on Jok as the Hawkeyes will look to go to their leading scorer early and often. Anthony Cowan has shown the ability to get after opposing point guards defensively, and the more he can do to make Iowa freshman Jordan Bohannon uncomfortable the better. 

That will be easier said than done, as Bohannon’s turned the ball over just 11 times in conference play and ranks seventh in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.9). Maryland’s gotten the job done defensively by forcing opponents to make challenged shots as opposed to taking the ball away, and they’ll need that to continue to be the case as they continue this current stretch of games away from home. 

As for the offense, while Melo Trimble remains “the man” and will be given the ball in key situations, others have stepped forward and revealed themselves to be worthy of Mark Turgeon’s trust on that end of the floor. It goes without saying that the freshman class has more than lived up to the preseason expectations, and Damonte Dodd has managed to earn the Terps some extra possessions with his offensive rebounding ability (second in the Big Ten in offensive rebounds). 

And while nine three-point attempts over five games isn’t the largest sample size, the fact that Jared Nickens has made six of those and looked more confident in doing so has to be viewed as a positive. 

But how far along is Maryland when it comes to potentially winning the Big Ten and making waves nationally? The current five-game stretch, which ends with games at Minnesota and Ohio State, will provide some answers. And while the Terps remain somewhat overlooked nationally, there’s no denying the fact that they’ve made strides.

Raphielle Johnson
Raphielle Johnson

BSL Analyst

Raphielle’s been writing about college sports for more than a decade, making the move to college basketball alone in 2013. Beginning his work with the former website CollegeHoops.net in 2003, Raphielle spent 3 years writing for NBCSports.com beginning 2013, covering CBB and the Olympics. In 2016, Raphielle joined Heavy.com. If there’s a game on, there’s a strong likelihood that he’s watching it.

X