So far in this young season, the Terrapins men’s basketball team is on a roll. After finishing their 2015 non-conference schedule 11-1, with a loss at North Carolina the only blemish, the Terps finally start Big Ten play against Penn State this Wednesday.

While this season has already been more exciting than most in recent memory for Maryland fans, it’s about to get way more interesting. Here’s why:

No more cupcakes (except for maybe a few cupcakes)

Five of Maryland’s victories this season have come over teams ranked 200th or worse by KenPom, which ranks the Terps’ non-conference schedule 230th in the nation. While victories over Georgetown and UConn were exciting at the time, those teams now reside at No. 74 and No. 30 in KenPom’s rankings. In conference play, Maryland will get to play some more teams that are, well, actually good. While there will still be games against teams like Rutgers (No. 250), fans can now say goodbye to matchups against mid-major no-names (except for a random game against Bowie State in February).

While the Big Ten may not be the thunderdome it has been the past few years, it’ll still provide the Terps with some real competition. In addition to AP No. 1 Michigan State, Maryland’s Big Ten schedule includes three more teams that are ranked in KenPom’s top 25. These games will give everyone a chance to see where the team stands in the world of big-time college basketball.

Star Players

Quick, name a player on Marshall, Princeton or Maryland Eastern Shore. Can’t remember anyone? You’re not alone. Part of what made Maryland’s loss to UNC such an exciting game was the battle that took place between Marcus Paige and Melo Trimble. So far, that’s the closest Maryland has come to seeing some star power. Big Ten teams have NBA prospects whose names fans actually know. Mount St. Mary’s and Cleveland State? Not so much. These next few months will give fans a chance to see some of the better players in the country, like Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine and Michigan’s Caris LeVert.

Tests for big men, especially Diamond Stone

The Terps have played a couple teams in non-conference play that don’t have any players taller than Jared Nickens. That’s made life pretty easy for Maryland’s big men. In conference play, the Terps will have to deal with Purdue’s three-headed monster of A.J. Hammons, Isaac Haas and Caleb Swanigan down low, as well as other seven-footers like Northwestern’s Alex Olah and Iowa’s Adam Woodbury. These matchups will be especially crucial in the development of freshman center Diamond Stone, who is currently averaging 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.

More fun home games

The buzz around this program has been undeniably awesome this year, but fans can only get so pumped for a game against a team Maryland has a 99 percent chance of beating. Better opponents mean better atmospheres and more chances to do things like this:

Also, the start of conference play means we’re closer to seeing the Terps in the NCAA tournament, where they’ll have as good a chance as ever to make a deep run.