Big Ten Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2021-22 season

By Adam Childs | Apr 24, 2021

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 17: Matt McQuaid #20 of the Michigan State Spartans cuts down the net after beating the Michigan Wolverines 65-60 in the championship game of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at United Center on March 17, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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Big Ten Basketball Aaron Wiggins Maryland Terrapins (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

439. . . . Terrapins . 5. team

Maryland has probably had the most impressive offseason of any school in the Big Ten. They have pulled in former Georgetown center Qudus Wahab, former Rhode Island guard, and scorer Fatts Russel, and most recently got Utah guard Ian Martinez. These are huge additions for a Terrapins squad that could be losing their top two players in Aaron Wiggins and Eric Ayala.

Both Wiggins and Ayala have declared for the NBA draft but could return. If they return Maryland will be on the shortlist of favorites in the Big Ten next year. Without them, they are still very good.

The Terrapins played above expectations last year, but ran into the buzzsaw of Alabama in the second round of the NCAA tournament, If Mark Turgeon, who received a contract extension this offseason also, can build off this past season the Terrapins should turn a lot of heads.

Maryland could very easily be ahead of Michigan State, but we trust Tom Izzo just a bit more than Turgeon right now. The transfers are great gets for the Terrapins, but we need to see how they gel with the system and team before we anoint them a favorite.

Don’t be surprised if the Terrapins are near the top of the BIg Ten next year, but it wouldn’t surprise us either if the transfers have trouble getting the chemistry going and they fall to the middle of the pack.

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