Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
To paraphrase the wildly annoying Sacramento Kings announcer Grant Napear, if you don't like the Ken Pomeroy ratings, then you don't like college basketball.
Therefore, this item caught my eye. Pomeroy's ratings list Maryland as the 10th-best team in the country. That's right, Maryland. The same Maryland team that's ranked 42nd in the AP Top 25 and has a loss to William and Mary this season.
What could explain their high ranking? One explanation is that, besides William and Mary, most of their losses have been close ones against good teams (Wisconsin, Cincinnati and Villanova on a neutral court, Clemson and Wake Forest on the road, the latter in overtime). Another is that Maryland's offensive efficiency (points/100 possessions) is a sterling 115.4, 17th in the nation, while their defense is a not-too-shabby 88.8, 22nd in the country. Finally, Maryland has struggled in close games this year (they're 2-5 in games decided by 10 points or less), and close games tend to come down to factors best described as "luck."
Regardless, in a wide open ACC, we should be paying more attention to the Terps. And that's not just because everyone hates their star player.
Photo via Mister Irrelevant.
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