Big Ten Basketball: Updated way-too-early rankings after the NBA Draft

In four years as a member of the Big Ten, Maryland has averaged 11.5 wins in conference play.  Even though last season was a bit of a down year for the program with eight Big Ten wins, it is important to remember just how young that team was. For reference, their top four scorers were all underclassmen. Only one of those, Kevin Huerter (14.8 points), declared early and left the school for the NBA. Although this is a big blow for head coach Mark Turgeon, the remaining trio of players as well as a dynamic recruiting class should more than make up his departure.

First and foremost, rising junior Anthony Cowan is returning to reprise his role as the leading scorer on the team. While shooting relatively efficiently from the floor, Cowan flashed his all-around game last year while averaging 15.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He will once again need to be the go-to-guy on offense but that is no longer a difficult thing for him. Cowan has grown as a player and a leader over the past two years and he can carry the Terps to victories. However, he does not have to do so alone.

Talented rising sophomore Bruno Fernando will help with that. One of the most tenacious players in the conference, Fernando is incredibly talented but also has a ridiculous motor. He averaged 10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in just 22.4 minutes per game last season as a high-energy big. With more opportunities now that Michal Cekovsky has graduated, Fernando will emerge as one of the best players in the conference. Another rising sophomore, Darryl Morsell (8.7 points) also had an under-the-radar freshman campaign.

This trio will lead the way for Maryland but a talented incoming recruiting class doesn’t hurt either. The Terps’ 2018 recruiting class is ranked at No. 7 in the nation. This group of incoming freshmen features the No. 3 center as well as the No. 7 and 9 guards in the class.