The start of February marks the halfway point for conference play in the Big Ten. The championship race is heating up and one team could be a dark horse to win it all; Maryland. The Terps have played extremely well over the past two weeks and have gained some momentum to finish the season’s second half.
Maryland Basketball: Are the Terps a Big Ten Dark Horse?
The Schedule
The biggest reason why the Terps could challenge for the Big Ten title is their schedule. Half of the team’s remaining opponents are in the bottom half of the conference. After a brutal stretch of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, this will be a welcome sight for Maryland. Also, the team’s toughest opponent, Michigan State, is a home game. The Spartans are currently top of the conference so having this game in College Park is very helpful for the Terps.
The Team
Now having an easy schedule certainly helps, but it doesn’t matter if your team is not good enough. The Terps are certainly good enough because they can win in multiple ways. First, you have a dynamic front court with Julian Reese and Derik Queen. These two make up one of the top 5 big men duos in the country and have continued to play better as the season goes on. This was shown in full force when the two combined for over 50 points on the road vs Illinois.
However, they aren’t just good down low, Ja’Kobi Gillespie is one of the best shooters in the conference and the team’s three-point shooting as a whole has improved drastically since last season. In addition to Gillespie, transfer guards Selton Miguel and Rodney Rice have each been better than expected. Miguel has been a very good three-point shooter and Rice has shown the ability to shoot and get to the rim. Overall, the guard play and shooting has been much improved.
The final piece of this puzzle is team defense. Kevin Willard has long been known for his incredible defense and this year is no different. According to Kenpom, the Terps have the 23rd-best defense in the country. They play a very effective press and have been great at forcing turnovers. Maryl truly is a complete team this year.
Will The Terps Win The Big Ten?
As things stand, Maryland is in a great position to win the conference. Their finish to the conference schedule is perfect. Additionally, the two biggest threats, Purdue and Michigan State have difficult schedules coming up. If the ball bounces the right way and the Terps continue to play well, a Big Ten championship is within reach.
