Maryland basketball will start the season ranked in the AP Top 25 for the second straight season. One year after being ranked No. 3 in this poll, the Terps squeeze in at No. 25.
The Terps received 144 points on Monday, 34 more votes than Cincinnati, who was left off the rankings. Just to give you a sense of Maryland’s placement in the rankings: Duke, who received a majority of the first place votes, earned 1,612 points. Maryland dropped from the 18th spot in the final AP Poll to end last season. They are currently ranked 21st in the Coaches Poll after finishing last season at 12.
Maryland’s position here should not come as a surprise. Many other preseason rankings have Maryland’s continual drop from the top 20. Many analysts are down on this Turgeon squad because they are young and unproven, as compared to a veteran squad the team had last season.
Four other Big Ten schools were ranked, and all of them in the Top 15: Wisconsin (9), Indiana (11), Michigan State (12) and Purdue (15).
The defending champion Villanova Wildcats come in at No. 4, while the runner-up North Carolina Tar Heels earned the No. 6 spot.
Maryland’s first exhibition is on Saturday against Catawba, and its first regular season matchup is the following week against American University in College Park.
