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Maryland basketball returned to the Associated Press top 25 for the first time since the first week of the season, slotting No. 25 overall.
The Terps knocked off Indiana at home and Illinois on the road in the past week, good enough to vault them into first place in the Big Ten. The team stands at 16-2 on the season, matching their record 18 games through last season and is 4-1 in conference play.
Despite its strong record, Maryland hasn’t cracked the rankings in previous weeks because its wins have been unconvincing. But five games into conference play, the Terps are still eking out victories (aside from a loss to Nebraska) while other teams have faltered. The Terps’ win over Indiana put them on the map again, and a road win at Michigan the week before is a good resume supplement.
Maryland has just one game in the coming week, against a struggling 11-8 Iowa team that lost to Northwestern by 35 points on Sunday.
Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Purdue ranks No. 21 and Wisconsin ranks No. 17.