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College Basketball Power Rankings: Week 12

By Nathaniel Reeves

Mar 26, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self reacts to a play against the Villanova Wildcats during the first half of the south regional final of the NCAA Tournament at KFC YUM!. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 26, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self reacts to a play against the Villanova Wildcats during the first half of the south regional final of the NCAA Tournament at KFC YUM!. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 10, 2017; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Melo Trimble (2) dribbles up the court during the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Xfinity Center. Maryland Terrapins defeated Indiana Hoosiers 75-72. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 10, 2017; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Melo Trimble (2) dribbles up the court during the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Xfinity Center. Maryland Terrapins defeated Indiana Hoosiers 75-72. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

21. Maryland Terrapins

Maryland’s chances of making a shock title run in the chaotic Big Ten after losing four starters a year ago are becoming more likely by the day, as the Terrapins picked up another road win in their lone game of the week.

The Terrapins earned an 84-76 victory at Iowa to improve to 17-2 overall and 5-1 in the Big Ten, tying them with Wisconsin for first place in the conference. While the Hawkeyes have struggled overall this year, they beat Purdue a week before, and Maryland deserves plenty of credit for picking up victories at Michigan, Illinois and Iowa already.

While Maryland has been kept out of the rankings for much of the season due to a soft schedule, its neutral court victory over Kansas State is looking better by the day. Losses to Pittsburgh and Nebraska are head-scratchers, but the Terrapins keep picking up solid road wins and look good enough to be a factor in the Big Ten race.

Melo Trimble provides the offense, but Maryland’s success has stemmed from the defensive end, where they rank 32nd in adjusted efficiency per KenPom. Guard Jaylen Brantley has provided an extra scoring spark over the last two games, while freshman Anthony Cowan and Justin Jackson are also producing.

There’s enough depth here for Maryland to be considered a top 25 team, which is a surprise given how much it lost from last year. The Terrapins will host Rutgers on Tuesday before hitting the road for a tricky road game at Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.