COLLEGE PARK — Will the unbeaten Maryland men's basketball team be ranked for the first time in five years when the polls are released Monday?
Here's a better question: should the Terps be in the top 25 after upsetting No. 13 Iowa State in Kansas City, then surviving less-than-impressive home wins over Monmouth and VMI?
The last time Maryland was ranked was in the 2009-10 final poll, after losing to Michigan State on a last-second shot in the NCAA tournament's Round of 32.
Off to its best start in eight years, Maryland (7-0) received three votes in the Associated Press poll last week. There were 19 teams that failed to crack the top 25 who received more votes than the Terps.
That said, Mark Turgeon's team is deserving of a Top 25 spot this week because of its impressive win over the Cyclones in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic championship game.
Not only should four teams already in the Top 25 either move down or out after they suffered one or more loss since the last poll was released -- none of the other six unbeaten teams outside the Top 25 have a win over a ranked team.
Maryland's uninspired showing Friday against Monmouth (a 61-56 win) probably won't be held against the Terps because it came on the same day that it was announced leading scorer Dez Wells will be out a month with a fractured wrist.
It probably helped Maryland's cause that the Terps were able to put up a respectable outcome (95-77) Sunday over VMI after trailing late in the first half.
Again, it is a team learning to play without Wells and possibly Evan Smotrycz, who "tweaked" the ankle on the same foot he broke in the preseason.
It was interesting to hear the reaction of two Maryland freshmen after Sunday's win over VMI when they were asked about whether the Terps should be ranked.
"We think we should be and deserve it. We played hard," freshman point guard Melo Trimble said. "We beat Iowa State, Arizona State and also, Monmouth, and today [VMI]. Those are tough games."
Said shooting guard Dion Wiley, "I'm not worried about the rankings, as long as we continue to win."