The Maryland Terrapins didn’t play in Monday night’s men’s basketball championship game, but a day-after tradition already has next year’s team looking pretty good.
Every year on the morning after the national title game, sports websites post a “way too early” look at their top 25 teams heading into the next season.
Multiple national outlets that cover college basketball have Maryland as a top five team next season. Jason McIntyre of the Big Lead was the highest on the Terps, placing them second on his list. Three outlets — ESPN, SB Nation and Yahoo Sports — placed Maryland at fifth, the lowest of the websites surveyed.
The return of star freshman guard Melo Trimble and the additions of five-star recruit Diamond Stone and Georgia Tech transfer Robert Carter are among the reasons why Maryland is predicted to be one of the best teams in the country next year, and the team to beat in the Big Ten.
Also of note to Maryland fans, 2014 champion Duke consistently places below the Terrapins in next year’s early projections, averaging a place outside of the top 10. The closest competitors in the Big Ten — Michigan State, Indiana and Wisconsin — also consistently appear outside of the top 10.