Terrapin Station
Fansided

Maryland Basketball: Terps move up to No. 17 in AP poll

By Chris Bengel

Jan 28, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Gophers head coach Richard Pitino reacts to a call in the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Gophers head coach Richard Pitino reacts to a call in the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Maryland basketball was rewarded for a big week on Monday afternoon.

In the latest Associated Press poll, the Terrapins moved up five spots to No. 17 after a wild week in the college basketball world.

Maryland, who has been ranked the past two weeks, had a week in which they beat Rutgers on Tuesday and Minnesota on Saturday.

The Terps beat the Golden Gophers 85-78 with a huge performance from freshman Justin Jackson. Jackson scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a narrow win.

Maryland currently sits in first place in the Big Ten with a 7-1 conference mark. Wisconsin is just behind Maryland with seven Big Ten wins as well and was ranked No. 10 in Monday’s AP poll.

The Terps are one of four Big Ten teams that appear in this week’s poll. Purdue (No. 23) and Northwestern (No. 25) were also ranked in addition to Maryland and Wisconsin.

Maryland has been one of the most battle-tested teams in the entire country. The Terps are currently riding a six-game winning streak and have won 11 games by single digits.

The Terps are about to enter one of their most difficult stretches of the season.

Four of the next six games are on the road. Maryland will travel to Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin over this upcoming period.

Melo Trimble has been the driving force behind Maryland’s success. The junior guard is averaging 17.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists and was named as one of 10 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award on Monday.

The award honors the top point guard in the country.

Next: Jonathan Doerer decommits from Maryland

The Terps certainly have a tough stretch ahead, but they’re gaining more respect each week. If they can continue to climb, Maryland is likely to gain a very high seed when the NCAA Tournament rolls around in March.