College basketball rankings, Week 7: Maryland’s one spot away from AP top 25

Maryland basketball received 27 votes in last week’s Associated Press top 25, and came ever closer this week. The Terps finished one spot outside the latest top 25, out on Monday. They racked up 40 votes, the most of any team that didn’t make the cut.

The poll’s top five didn’t change. Villanova kept the top spot, with UCLA, Kansas, Baylor and Duke following suit.

The Terps last played Tuesday, beating Charlotte in Baltimore.

Elsewhere around the Big Ten, things stayed exactly as they were last week. Wisconsin stayed at No. 14 after whitewashing Florida A&M, 90-37. Purdue similarly destroyed Western Illinois and Norfolk State, and stayed at No. 15. Indiana is still at No. 16 after comfortably beating Austin Peay and Delaware State.

Maryland is ranked No. 64 by KenPom, a ranking that’s been slowly sinking after starting the season at No. 48. The Terps are 12-1, but six teams they’ve played don’t even crack KenPom’s top 200. They’ll get some chances against better teams once conference play starts.

The Terps start Big Ten play Tuesday against Illinois. The Illini (10-3) are KenPom’s No. 66 team in the country.