Time is running out on Jake Layman’s college career. The Terrapins men’s basketball senior’s final game in a Terps uniform could come as soon as Friday if the Terps falter in their opening game in the NCAA Tournament.

This isn’t just Layman’s last chance to make a splash in college, though, the 6-foot-9 forward said Tuesday. This might be the best chance any of his teammates have of advancing deep into the tournament. The Terps’ entire starting lineup could be gone after this season as they graduate or pursue NBA careers.

That collection of talent — the Terps have two projected first-round picks and Layman could be drafted as well — resulted in lofty preseason expectations. The Terps were No. 3 in the preseason Associated Press rankings but have struggled down the stretch, losing five of their last eight games.

But Layman hasn’t wavered in his belief that the Terps have the ability to do something special. Like coach Mark Turgeon, he believes the Terps can win a national championship. So Layman and senior Rasheed Sulaimon have tried to emphasize to their younger teammates the rarity of the Terps’ situation. This might be the best team the Terps assembled for the foreseeable future. They can’t let that ability go to waste.

“The guys on this team might not play with as much talent as we’ve had ever again,” Layman said. “So we’ve got to take advantage of that.”

The No. 5-seed Terps open the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Spokane, Washington, against No. 12-seed South Dakota State. A potential road to the Final Four could include a Sweet 16 matchup with the No. 1 overall seed, Kansas.

After last year’s exit in the Round of 32, Layman knows how quickly a season can end. So he’s urging his younger teammates to focus in practice.

“This is it,” Layman said. “I want to have no regrets going forward.”

Layman is the only player who has played for Turgeon for the past four seasons. He was part of a run to the NIT semifinals as a freshman. The following year, he suffered through a 17-win campaign and remained committed to the program despite a mass exodus of five key contributors.

Last season, Layman reaped the reward for staying as the Terps advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. While the Terps lost in the first weekend, they stockpiled talent over the summer.

Guard Melo Trimble and Layman decided to forgo the NBA draft and return to college. Five-star center Diamond Stone committed to the Terps; they snagged a graduate transfer in Sulaimon, and transfer Robert Carter Jr. became eligible to play after sitting out a year due to NCAA rules.

While the Terps assembled a juggernaut, it will be short-lived. Along with the two starting seniors, Trimble and Stone are expected to turn to pro. Carter, a redshirt junior, could decide to leave school, as well.

So with the future uncertain, the Terps are focusing on the present.

“It’s our last tournament together so we want to enjoy every moment that we have together,” Trimble said.

With the end approaching, Turgeon noticed a different Layman during the Big Ten Tournament this past weekend. In a semifinal matchup against Michigan State, Layman was given a technical early in the game after he got tangled up under the basket.

“Jake showed the other day in the Michigan state game he doesn’t want his career to end, the way he competed,” Turgeon said.

In the past four years, Layman has spent countless hours in Xfinity Center. He’s toiled, sweated and shined under banners commemorating the Terps’ 2002 national championship.

So with his college career winding down, Layman has one more chance to add another banner to the rafters.

“We want to leave a legacy,” Layman said. “That’s our mindset going forward.”