NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Seton Hall soars, Auburn drops

Maryland split its two games this week by dropping a road game to Wisconsin by two before returning home and taking down Purdue. Not an altogether bad week by the Terps as they remain relatively steady in my rankings. I am a major believer in teams that boast excellent guard play and defend at a high level. Maryland brings both of those to the table with Anthony Cowan running the show and the fifth-best defensive in the nation (by adjusted efficiency rating).

With that said, though, I refuse to completely buy into Maryland until it finds a way to win on the road. It is already mid-January and the Terps are yet to secure a true road win as they are 0-4 in those opportunities. While each of those losses came against tough competition, Maryland eventually needs to win one of those games before it is safe to believe in them.

Two more opportunities approach during this coming week as Maryland will travel to face Northwestern and Indiana. Take one or two, and Maryland will remain in the Top 25. Drop both of them, though, and it will be difficult to remain a believer.

Maryland appears to be flying a bit under-the-radar as a team that has largely met expectations this season. The Terps might not be a Top 5 team like some anticipated but they are still a solid team capable of knocking off anyone in the country…at home. Their ceiling appears to be a bit lower than others due to their inability to win in hostile environments so far this season. That needs to change.