Is anyone else as amazed as I am at how little mention Maryland is getting on a national level? They're second in th ACC in the standings, one game behind Duke, who is ranked fifth in the country. Maryland has 20 wins, among the most in the conference. But for some reason, they're not even ranked in the polls, and I can't figure out why. Maybe because the ACC has been regarded as being down this year, which I can't figure out either. Every team in the ACC has an overall record above .500, and most people think the ACC is sending six or seven teams to the NCAA Tournament. I don't care that there is only one team ranked in the top 25 in the polls. Come NCAA Tournament time, that doesn't matter. And if they can beat Virginia Tech Saturday, then they should be ranked easily, because Virginia Tech has yet to lose at home this year. And the icing on the cake would be beating Duke next week. Mayland is a veteran team, and are not phased by games like this.
But despite that, there's not much mention for Maryland. Maybe that will change soon. Duke will play in College Park March 3, and I happen to think Maryland will win that game, and some of that has to do with that being senior day. The Terps have yet to lose at home in ACC play, and have only lost once at home this year (to William & Mary). It goes to show that the Comcast Center is quite a home court advantage for the Terps.
Maryland's success isn't just because of Greivis Vasquez, my preseason pick for ACC Player of the Year. Sure, he's putting up his usual numbers (18.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists), but guys like Landon Milbourne, Eric Hayes, and especially Sean Mosley, have stepped up their game for the Terps this season. And Jordan Williams is having a very nice freshman season. And just last week, we saw Cliff Tucker hit a game winning shot to beat Georgia Tech.
Soon enough, I think we will hear more from Maryland. Their lack of notoriety on the national scene makes the a prime sleeper candidate, not just when it comes to the ACC Tournament, but also the NCAA Tournament.
