The Maryland men's basketball team moved up three spots to No. 12 in this week's Associated Press writers' poll, the highest ranking for the Terps since Nov. 29, 2004.
The Terps (12-1), who have won five straight games, open their first Big Ten season Tuesday at Michigan State (9-4). The Spartans, who came into the season ranked 18th, dropped out of the poll last week after losing at home to Texas Southern.
Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said the Big Ten opener is different than the team's previous road game -- a victory at Oklahoma State on Dec. 21 -- because "one, it's the first Big Ten game, and it's Michigan State, who's probably been the premier team in the league over the years since Tom [Izzo]'s been there. It gives it a little more meaning."
Turgeon said he scheduled the road game in Stillwater, Okla., to get ready for the Big Ten.
"Play a big conference school on the road, kind of get a feel for it," Turgeon said. "Hopefully that game will help us prepare for this game. Here we go. We've been talking about it for 2 1/2 years it feels like, and now we're finally getting to play a Big Ten game."
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has been impressed at what he has seen from the Terps, who were picked to finish in the bottom half of the Big Ten.
"Mark's a good coach, and he's done a good job there. They've got a little more out of their veterans than you think, and their young guys have complemented them. Layman has been very good. I think the guy who's done a hell of a job is [Richaud] Pack. [Melo] Trimble is definitely running this thing," Izzo said.
"[Jared] Nickens has been a good addition. Those two guys as freshmen have really helped them. They're getting something out of the [Michal] Cekovsky kid. [Damonte] Dodd is a solid player. [Jake] Layman, [Dez] Wells and Trimble are exceptional players. When Wells got hurt, you needed one of your veterans to step up and Layman has."
Former Maryland coach Gary Williams, who coached in the Big Ten at Ohio State before returning to his alma mater, said Monday that he likes what he sees from the Terps.
"Right now, they're very good at taking advantage of matchup situations, they're very difficult to guard with a guy like Wells, with a guy like Layman and, obviously, Trimble has played as well as any freshman point [guard] in the country. I don't think there's much of an argument against that."