College Basketball Rankings 2015-16: Bleacher Report's Week 14 Top 25
With Oklahoma losing to Kansas State on Saturday night and North Carolina suffering two losses this week, the opportunity arose for Maryland to climb to No. 1 in Bleacher Report's Top 25 for Week 14 of the 2015-16 college basketball season.
As seems to be the story every week, 13 of the teams in last week's Top 25 suffered at least one loss, and four were beaten twice in the past seven days.
As a result of the continued carnage, the conference standings have gotten pretty bizarre. Baylor dropped from first place in the Big 12 to a tie for fifth, LSU is suddenly leading the SEC, and Louisville is in first place in the ACC, even though it can't participate in the 2016 NCAA tournament.
At this point, though, it doesn't even seem crazy anymore. We've been living in a state of flux for so long that the weirdest thing about this past week was when all nine ranked teams in action Wednesday actually won.
With that mind, here are our updated Top 25 rankings—significantly different from a week ago, and significantly different from what they'll be in seven days.
Teams Dropped from Week 13 Rankings: Baylor (14), Providence (18), Indiana (22), Saint Mary's (23), VCU (24)
Others Considered: Duke, Seton Hall, Stony Brook, Notre Dame, LSU, Gonzaga
Our experts participate in weekly voting for B/R's Top 25. Once a vote is cast for a specific team, it's assigned a value—25 points for the No. 1 team in the rankings, 24 points for the second spot and so on. The point totals are then added up to create the Top 25.
Nos. 25-21: Valparaiso-Kentucky
1 of 17
25. Valparaiso
Record: 20-4
Previous rank: Not ranked
Owners of the country's most efficient defense, Valparaiso has won 10 of its last 11 games by a double-digit margin. The Crusaders aren't just the class of the Horizon League; they're looking like the best minor conference team in all the land. Whichever poor squad draws this team in the NCAA tournament is in for a rude awakening.
24. South Carolina
Record: 20-3
Previous rank: Not ranked
The Gamecocks did one heck of a job of salvaging what could have been an awful week by winning at Texas A&M to avenge a 13-point loss to Georgia. Not only was it by far their most impressive win of the season, but it was also the first time their offense really showed up for a road game. That one should pay serious dividends on Selection Sunday.
23. Dayton
Record: 19-3
Previous rank: Not ranked
Credit to the Flyers, they have bounced back nicely since that atrocious loss to La Salle in early January and are now tied with VCU for first place in the A-10 standings.
They have held their last four opponents to a very Virginia-like 48.8 points per game, and Dyshawn Pierre has now scored in double figures in nine straight games after being suspended for the first semester. Archie Miller and company are once again a serious sleeper candidate for an Elite Eight run.
22. SMU
Record: 20-2
Previous rank: 11
After an 18-0 start to the season, SMU lost two out of the next three to Temple and Houston—neither of which is much more on the NCAA tournament radar than the ineligible Mustangs. Normally one of the country's best rebounding teams, they were destroyed on the glass by the Cougars.
We'll see if they can get back on track this week with home games against Tulsa and Gonzaga, but the Mustangs have really opened the door for Connecticut to swoop in and claim the AAC title.
21. Kentucky
Record: 17-6
Previous rank: 15
Jamal Murray and Tyler Ulis combined for 94 points against Tennessee and Florida this week, but the Wildcats dealt poorly with foul trouble and played horrific defense in losing to the Volunteers—their fifth loss of the season to a team that is currently unranked.
They bounced back nicely by stomping the Gators into the ground, but it was pretty disappointing to watch them blow that game against Tennessee right when it was looking like they were finally putting it all together. Road games against South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt on each of the next three Saturdays should give us a pretty good indication of what the Wildcats will ultimately bring to the NCAA tournament.
Nos. 20-16: Wichita State-Texas A&M
2 of 17
20. Wichita State
Record: 17-6
Previous rank: 16
I started putting my ballot together late Saturday night—after most of the games were finished, but before Wichita State's game against Illinois State had been decided. Had the Shockers won that game, they probably would have jumped four spots to No. 12.
Instead, they dropped four spots to No. 20 and have us questioning whether their resume will be strong enough to dance if they slip up in the MVC tournament. Let's just say it would be in their best interest to go ahead and erase all doubt by claiming the Arch Madness title.
19. Arizona
Record: 19-5
Previous rank: Not ranked
He didn't play particularly well, but Allonzo Trier returned to action Saturday for the first time since breaking his hand against USC in early January.
Not only was that a big win for the Wildcats, but they also picked up a road sweep of the Washington schools to remain within shouting distance of Oregon for the Pac-12 title. There's a big week coming up with chances to avenge earlier losses to UCLA and USC.
18. Iowa State
Record: 17-6
Previous rank: 12
Once thought to be one of the country's most impenetrable arenas, Hilton Coliseum sprung another leak this week in the form of a home loss to West Virginia. The Cyclones even held a 15-point lead in the first half before giving it all back.
WVU abused the frontcourt duo of Georges Niang and Jameel McKay, forcing a combined 12 turnovers by those two players. Their week got even worse when McKay was suspended indefinitely on Friday for a violation of team rules. They were able to beat Oklahoma State without him, but an already paper-thin rotation likely won't be able to tread water for very long without him.
17. USC
Record: 18-5
Previous rank: 25
The Trojans only played one game this week, and they put the screws to UCLA for the second time this season. It took a while for everyone to catch on/buy in, but USC has one of the most electric backcourt duos in the nation. Jordan McLaughlin and Julian Jacobs combined for 26 points, 15 assists and five steals in the win over their crosstown rivals.
16. Texas A&M
Record: 18-5
Previous rank: 9
The Aggies earned a couple of mulligans by opening the season with a 17-2 record, but they have now lost three consecutive SEC games—and not one of those losses came against Kentucky, LSU or Florida. They were blown out at Vanderbilt this week before coming up short at home against South Carolina in one heck of a three-point shooting contest. (They shot a combined 24-of-46 from downtown.)
All of a sudden, the team we all crowned in late January as the overwhelming favorite to win the SEC is mired in a three-way tie for second place. If Texas A&M doesn't win its road games against Alabama and LSU this week, it can effectively kiss that SEC crown buh-bye.
15. Purdue Boilermakers
3 of 17
Record: 19-5 (28 points)
Previous rank: 19
Results since last poll: at Maryland (L 61-72)
Games before next poll: vs. Michigan State; at Michigan
Purdue played one game this week, lost by a double-digit margin and moved up four spots in our poll.
Welcome to your Week 14 Top 25.
Really, though, Purdue played extremely well on the road against arguably the country's best team at the moment.
A.J. Hammons was a beast in the paint, recording his second consecutive double-double. In total, six Boilermakers scored at least eight points, and they did a great job of holding both Melo Trimble and Jake Layman in check. Despite shooting a combined 3-of-25 from three-point range, they held a four-point lead over the Terrapins with six minutes remaining.
They just weren't able to seal the deal, as Maryland made what felt like a hundred straight free throws down the stretch.
There's no category on the tournament resume for moral victories, but this certainly felt like one. Save for their throttling of Rutgers, the Boilermakers had been struggling away from home for the past two months. Perhaps this performance will instill them with the confidence necessary to win upcoming road games against Michigan and Indiana—as well as marquee home games against Michigan State and Maryland.
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14. Texas Longhorns
4 of 17
Record: 16-7 (36 points)
Previous rank: Not ranked
Results since last poll: at Baylor (W 67-59); vs. Texas Tech (W 69-59)
Games before next poll: at Oklahoma; at Iowa State
Someone break up the Texas Longhorns!
They got out to a rough start in Big 12 play with road losses to Texas Tech and TCU, but they have won seven of their last eight—and the lone loss during that stretch was a road game against Kansas in which they held a five-point halftime lead before the Jayhawks awoke from their slumber.
Among Texas' victories in the past month are road wins over West Virginia and Baylor and home wins over Iowa State and Vanderbilt. And let's not forget that statement win over North Carolina in mid-December.
The Longhorns have had their slip-ups this season, but they have proved on multiple occasions they have the goods to beat just about anyone. And after a week in which it feels horribly irresponsible to buy stock in any teams outside the Top 10, Texas is really starting to feel like one of those teams in the next tier that could do some serious damage in the tournament.
Can the Longhorns rekindle some of that magic for the next 21 days? Before the end of February, they'll play both of their games against Oklahoma, a road game against Iowa State and home games against West Virginia, Baylor and Kansas. That's one heck of a gauntlet, but look for Shaka Smart and company to score a few more noteworthy upsets during that time.
13. Miami Hurricanes
5 of 17
Record: 18-4 (40 points)
Previous rank: 20
Results since last poll: vs. Notre Dame (W 79-70); at Georgia Tech (W 75-68)
Games before next poll: vs. Pittsburgh; at Florida State
Georgia Tech held Angel Rodriguez scoreless Sunday afternoon, and the Miami Hurricanes still managed to win a difficult road game.
That's a real testament to how many options this team has.
Sheldon McClellan—as he has for most of the season—led the way with 22 points on just nine field-goal attempts, but Davon Reed, Tonye Jekiri, Kamari Murphy, Ja'Quan Newton and Anthony Lawrence each contributed in a big way as well.
It was more of the same in the win over Notre Dame. Newton has been an incredible asset off the bench all year long, but Lawrence was an important factor this week. The freshman wing didn't even play in the win over Duke two weeks ago, but he logged 21 minutes in each game this week and had a game-high 18 points against the Fighting Irish.
With so many guys who can beat you in so many ways, the Hurricanes are one of the toughest teams to shut down. I'd still like to see them show more dominance on the road before penciling them into the Elite Eight, but they clearly have the talent to get there.
12. Louisville Cardinals
6 of 17
Record: 19-4 (41 points)
Previous rank: 17
Results since last poll: vs. North Carolina (W 71-65); vs. Boston College (W 79-47)
Games before next poll: at Duke; at Notre Dame
On the court, Louisville had one of the five most impressive weeks in the country. Not only did the Cardinals score a huge win over No. 2 North Carolina, but they also absolutely obliterated Boston College to gain a share of first place in the ACC standings.
Off the hardwood, though, they had one of the worst weeks any team has experienced this season, as it was announced Friday that they are self-imposing a postseason ban, effective immediately.
As was the sentiment expressed by perhaps every writer across the board, it was a horribly unfair decision, particularly for the two guys (Damion Lee and Trey Lewis) who transferred into the program this season specifically to drastically enhance their chances of playing in the NCAA tournament before they graduate. They deserved better. So did the seniors at Syracuse last year and at SMU this year. In-season self-imposed bans need to be eliminated, for the sake of everyone.
But while Louisville is tragically ineligible to participate in the NCAA tournament, this team can still win the ACC regular-season championship and deserves to be ranked among the nation's elite until it plays its way out of that standing.
Perhaps the Cardinals will rally around this and go on a tear to finish the season? After all, SMU opened the season with 18 consecutive wins after finding out it wouldn't be allowed to play in the postseason.
11. West Virginia Mountaineers
7 of 17
Record: 19-4 (45 points)
Previous rank: 21
Results since last poll: at Iowa State (W 81-76); vs. Baylor (W 80-69)
Games before next poll: at Kansas; vs. TCU
No teams make any sense this season, but West Virginia is particularly impossible to wrap one's head around.
In early January, the Mountaineers looked like a legitimate title contender. In the second half of January, they played like a team that didn't even want to go to the NIT, hitting what seemed to be a breaking point in a 17-point loss to Florida in their first game without Jonathan Holton.
But they flipped the script again at the start of February, rallying back from an early 15-point deficit for an improbable road win over Iowa State before comfortably taking care of business against a very good Baylor team.
Devin Williams was an absolute monster (17 points, 18 rebounds) against the Cyclones, and the backcourt trio of Jevon Carter, Jaysean Paige and Daxter Miles Jr. simply ran circles around the Bears. Hard to believe they were playing without one of their most impactful teammates.
We'll see if they can keep it up for Tuesday's road game against Kansas, but the Mountaineers looked the part of a Final Four team this week.
10. Oregon Ducks
8 of 17
Record: 20-4 (47 points)
Previous rank: 13
Results since last poll: vs. Colorado (W 76-56); vs. Utah (W 76-66)
Games before next poll: at California; at Stanford
Is there a better player fewer people are talking about than Dillon Brooks?
Foul trouble kept him from doing much against Colorado earlier in the week, but Oregon's sophomore wing exploded for 30 points, nine assists and six rebounds in Sunday's win over Utah. Over his last nine games, he has averaged 19.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists, helping pace Oregon to first place in the Pac-12 standings.
As Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweeted after Sunday's game, "Dillon Brooks is playing like an All-American, and Oregon is playing as well as any team in America."
He's no one-man show, though. Chris Boucher and Elgin Cook have been phenomenal as frontcourt starters, and Jordan Bell and Dwayne Benjamin have been every bit as good off the bench. And Tyler Dorsey has been arguably the country's best freshman point guard.
The Ducks aren't the team that any of us expected to win the Pac-12—in the preseason, everyone was arguing over whether Arizona or California would claim the title—but that doesn't make them any less of a threat to win it all this year. This might be Dana Altman's finest masterpiece to date, which is really saying something.
9. North Carolina Tar Heels
9 of 17
Record: 19-4 (51 points)
Previous rank: 2
Results since last poll: at Louisville (L 65-71); at Notre Dame (L 76-80)
Games before next poll: at Boston College; vs. Pittsburgh
We're pretty much contractually obligated to significantly penalize the North Carolina Tar Heels for suffering two losses in one week, but I'm not all that concerned about them.
With 30 seconds remaining, North Carolina was down just two points on the road against a Louisville team in desperate need of a marquee win to bolster its tournament resume (which has since been removed from consideration). Kennedy Meeks struggled mightily, and Damion Lee was unstoppable, but the Tar Heels still had a pretty decent chance to win in the end.
Likewise, they trailed by just one point with 30 seconds remaining at Notre Dame in a game the Fighting Irish needed to win to cement their status on the right side of the bubble. Sure, the Tar Heels had a nightmare of a time on the defensive end of the court—forcing just two Notre Dame turnovers in the entire game is pretty damning—but they were facing the nation's most efficient offense.
Two-loss weeks are always bad, but this one wasn't ugly by any means. If they hadn't shot a combined 0-of-7 from the field in the final 30 seconds of those games, we might be talking about the unanimous No. 1 team in the country holding a three-game cushion in the ACC standings. Instead, UNC twice stubbed its toe on the road against a quality conference opponent.
Ho-hum.
If anything, the loss to Notre Dame was actually a blessing in disguise because "Good Marcus Paige" (21 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three-point range) finally showed up for the first time in more than a month. As a trade-off, Justin Jackson disappeared, and Brice Johnson shot a brutal 6-of-16 from the field, but if Paige is finally ready to lead the way, look out.
8. Virginia Cavaliers
10 of 17
Record: 19-4 (55 points)
Previous rank: 10
Results since last poll: vs. Boston College (W 61-47); at Pittsburgh (W 64-50)
Games before next poll: vs. Virginia Tech; at Duke
Well, it took about 10 weeks, but Virginia's elite defense finally arrived.
The Cavaliers have held four opponents to 50 or fewer points this season—the season opener against Morgan State and their last three games. They held 15 opponents to less than 50 last season. Three of those teams failed to even score 30. And it looks like they're getting back to those defensive roots.
Shutting down Boston College's offense is barely worthy of a participation ribbon, but holding Louisville to 47 at the KFC Yum Center and subsequently holding Pittsburgh to 50 at the Oakland Zoo is pretty darn impressive.
Just 10 days ago, we were wondering why this team couldn't win on the road—they had losses to George Washington, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Florida State in addition to close calls against Ohio State and Wake Forest. Now, they're suddenly unbeatable no matter where they play.
"They're playing, in my opinion, the right way, the way that gives us the best chance to be as good as we can," head coach Tony Bennett said after the game, according to Ava Wallace of the Washington Post.
And 10 days ago, it looked like the ACC was North Carolina's to lose. But the Tar Heels have pretty much done exactly that with losses to Louisville and Notre Dame this week. If Virginia wins out, it would claim its third consecutive ACC regular-season championship.
7. Kansas Jayhawks
11 of 17
Record: 19-4 (57 points)
Previous rank: 6
Results since last poll: vs. Kansas State (W 77-59); at TCU (W 75-56)
Games before next poll: vs. West Virginia; at Oklahoma
When will we ever learn?
With Oklahoma sitting pretty on top of the world and Kansas already saddled with three conference losses less than halfway through the Big 12 season, it seemed inevitable that the streak of 11 consecutive regular-season conference championships was going to come to an end.
But then Kansas picked up a motivational win over Kentucky before destroying Kansas State and TCU. Meanwhile, the Sooners fell at the hands of Kansas State to open the door to the Big 12 title.
Now, if the Jayhawks are able to sweep West Virginia and Oklahoma next week—anything but a foregone conclusion, but absolutely feasible—they'll be right back in their familiar position atop the Big 12 standings.
Perry Ellis had 42 points on just 25 field-goal attempts this week, but it was the defense that really propelled them to victory, holding both the Wildcats and the Horned Frogs to less than 60 points. They forced 23 Kansas State turnovers and absolutely manhandled TCU on the glass en route to a plus-21 rebounding margin.
6. Xavier Musketeers
12 of 17
Record: 21-2 (60 points)
Previous rank: 5
Results since last poll: vs. St. John's (W 90-83); vs. Marquette (W 90-82)
Games before next poll: at Creighton; at Butler
I want to believe in Xavier.
I really do.
Trevon Bluiett and Edmond Sumner are extremely talented and fun to watch, and few big men give 110 percent as well or as often as Jalen Reynolds and James Farr. The Musketeers are also one of just three teams in the country with fewer than three losses, despite playing 13 games against teams in the RPI Top 100, so they're obviously doing something right.
And yet, I'm terrified of trusting them in the NCAA tournament because they just gave up 165 combined points this week at home against the two least efficient offenses in the Big East. For both the Red Storm and the Golden Eagles, it was the most points they have scored in conference play this season. To do so on the road against one of the 10 best teams in the country is a red flag for said high-ranking team.
Granted, Xavier scored 90 points in each of those wins and has averaged 81.7 points per game since the ugly loss to Villanova at the end of December, but where's the defense that held Alabama to 45 points and limited Dayton to just 61 in a 77-possession blowout back in November? How did that same team allow Marquette to score 82 points while committing 20 turnovers?
Maybe the Musketeers just took those home games for granted and were instead focused on their brutal finish to the season (at Creighton, at Butler, vs. Providence, at Georgetown, vs. Villanova, at Seton Hall, vs. Creighton), but they need to defend better over the next four weeks if they expect to stay in contention for a No. 1 seed.
5. Michigan State Spartans
13 of 17
Record: 20-4 (62 points)
Previous rank: 8
Results since last poll: at Michigan (W 89-73)
Games before next poll: at Purdue; vs. Indiana
As the Michigan State Spartans stumbled through consecutive losses to Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska, it was hard not to notice Bryn Forbes was the missing ingredient. The senior shooting guard was a big factor early in the season and really became MSU's guiding light while Denzel Valentine was recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery.
But Forbes was an absolute ghost during that losing streak, shooting a combined 3-of-15 from downtown. Getting him back on track was the obvious solution to Sparty's woes.
So, if you're wondering why Michigan State has started playing like a title contender over the past two-plus weeks, look no further than Forbes' three-point shooting. He has made 21 of his last 31 attempts (67.7 percent), including going 8-of-10 against the Wolverines on Saturday.
Here's a scary thought for the rest of the nation: Michigan State committed 19 turnovers and still won by 16 points on the road against a likely NCAA tournament team.
The Spartans don't need Forbes to shoot 80 percent to win, though. They're 15-0 when he makes three or more three-pointers. As long as he doesn't disappear again during the tournament—and as long as Tom Izzo is still coaching—they just might be the toughest team to beat.
4. Villanova Wildcats
14 of 17
Record: 20-3 (68 points)
Previous rank: 5
Results since last poll: vs. Creighton (W 83-58); at Providence (W 72-60)
Games before next poll: at DePaul; vs. St. John's
In a season that has been nothing short of wildly unpredictable, it kind of makes sense that one of the top candidates for the No. 1 ranking would be one very few are willing to trust after disturbingly early exits in back-to-back NCAA tournaments. Despite earning a No. 2 seed in 2014 and a No. 1 seed this past March, Villanova has not been to the Sweet 16 since 2009.
Yet, here we are in early February with the Wildcats serving as the only first-place team in a major conference that anyone realistically predicted before the season began.
And maybe Josh Hart will get more love in the National Player of the Year conversation now that he's playing for what will probably be the country's No. 1 team in the AP poll on Monday.
A super-sub in the previous two seasons, Hart has capitalized on his insertion into this year's starting lineup by scoring in double figures in all 23 games. The junior wing has also averaged 9.3 rebounds per game over his last nine, including his 13-rebound performance in the payback win over Providence on Saturday.
The unsung hero of the past three games, though, has been Darryl Reynolds.
Until 10 days ago, Reynolds had never played more than 22 minutes in a game in his career, but the junior big man who typically only comes in when Daniel Ochefu needs a break has averaged 32.0 minutes, 10.7 rebounds and 9.0 points over the last three games with Ochefu sidelined by a concussion.
Reynolds had 19 points and 10 rebounds with two blocks against Providence and should continue to be an important piece of the puzzle moving forward.
2. (tie) Oklahoma Sooners
15 of 17
Record: 19-3 (69 points)
Previous rank: 1
Results since last poll: vs. TCU (W 95-72); at Kansas State (L 69-80)
Games before next poll: vs. Texas; vs. Kansas
They were able to survive hard-fought road losses to Kansas and Iowa State without slipping in the polls, but the Oklahoma Sooners had to pay some sort of price for losing to Kansas State this past weekend.
It wasn't a terrible loss by any means. Kansas State is a pretty solid team that hasn't lost to a team outside the RPI Top 25 yet this season. The Sooners had their worst collective three-point performance of the season, and the Wildcats had one of their best. Wesley Iwundu had the best game of his college career.
These things happen on the road in conference play, and they don't change the fact Oklahoma is arguably still the favorite to win the national championship.
That said, you simply can't lose to a nine-loss team and hope to maintain your standing at No. 1 in the polls. Even in a week where the No. 2 team suffered multiple losses, there were too many other teams ready, willing and able to jump up and claim the top spot.
Buddy Hield is still the overwhelming favorite for the Wooden Award, according to Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports. He'll just have to do his thing for the No. 2 team instead of the No. 1 team.
2. (tie) Iowa Hawkeyes
16 of 17
Record: 19-4 (69 points)
Previous rank: 3
Results since last poll: vs. Penn State (W 73-49); at Illinois (W 77-65)
Games before next poll: at Indiana; vs. Minnesota
After comfortably taking care of business against Penn State and Illinois, the Iowa Hawkeyes have now won 12 of their last 13 games, and their only loss during that stretch of nearly two months was a road game against our new No. 1 team.
That's a great run through one of the nation's best conferences. And if they win at Indiana on Thursday, there's a pretty decent chance the Hawkeyes will become the first one-loss Big Ten champion since Ohio State in 2007.
Per usual, Jarrod Uthoff had another strong week. Between the two wins, he recorded 32 points, 15 rebounds, six blocks, two assists and nary a turnover. In fact, Uthoff—the player who is tied for sixth in the Big Ten in usage percentage, according to Sports-Reference.com—has committed a grand total of two turnovers in his last 329 minutes.
That's insane. I appreciate that he's not a point guard or point forward, so his likelihood of committing turnovers isn't nearly as high as that of a Melo Trimble or Denzel Valentine. Still, to average better than 15 field-goal attempts per game for 10 games while almost never dribbling the ball off a foot or getting whistled for an offensive foul or a travel is extremely impressive.
But that's what makes this team so great. It's loaded with veteran experience and doesn't commit fouls or turnovers. If the Hawkeyes were just a bit better at protecting the defensive glass, they'd be putting up numbers in the "fundamentals" categories that are almost identical to what Wisconsin did under Bo Ryan for the past decade.
1. Maryland Terrapins
17 of 17
Record: 21-3 (74 points)
Previous rank: 6
Results since last poll: at Nebraska (W 70-65); vs. Purdue (W 72-61)
Games before next poll: vs. Bowie State; vs. Wisconsin
Once completely devoid of quality wins, the Maryland Terrapins now have victories over Iowa and Purdue on a tournament resume that is starting to finally look worthy of consideration for a No. 1 seed.
Regardless of where they ultimately land in the bracket, though, this will be arguably the most dangerous team in the field.
When Maryland was struggling to win home games against Rider, Penn State and Northwestern, it was beyond frustrating. As one of the preseason favorites for the national championship, the Terrapins should have been able to destroy those lesser-than teams.
Instead, prevailing in close calls over and over again is likely to pay dividends in the long run. With seven minutes remaining against Iowa, they trailed by one. Likewise, they were down three to Nebraska with seven minutes remaining on Wednesday, down one to Ohio State with six minutes left in last weekend's road game and down by four with six minutes on the clock against Purdue on Saturday.
They won each of those games by a margin of at least five points.
At some point in seemingly every game, Maryland's offense goes through an extended dry spell. But this team simply knows how to win close games, and it's almost impossible to win a title without a few close calls along the way. The Terrapins might be best suited to weather those storms.
Stats are courtesy of KenPom.com, unless noted otherwise.
Kerry Miller covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @kerrancejames.
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