In the first Big Ten men’s basketball game of the 2022-23 season, No. 22 Maryland started off with a bang, winning its eighth straight game to start the season in a 71-66 victory over No. 16 Illinois. Not only did Friday mark the Terps’ first win over a ranked opponent and begin their conference campaign on the right note, it also provided some legitimacy to Maryland’s ranking and proved that it has the potential to compete with the top teams in the league in year one under Kevin Willard.
With optimism about the direction of the team and program skyrocketing among Terps fans, here are three takeaways from the game.