Maryland basketball has escaped its toughest stretch of the season. In a five-game span that included four road contests and four meetings with ranked foes, the No. 24 Terps emerged 3-2. On Tuesday, they knocked off No. 21 Iowa for their first road win over a ranked team in 11 years (which is a long, long time).
Now it’s time for the closing stretch of the regular season, which on paper looks much more favorable. Three of Maryland’s last four games are at home, and only one is against a ranked opponent. The Terps are currently in position to land a top-four seed and double bye in the Big Ten tournament, but with Wisconsin just half a game back, they don’t have much breathing room.