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| Melo Trimble |
Power Rankings
1. Maryland Terrapins- 28-7 in 2014-2015 Returning Starters: 2 X-Factor: G Rasheed Sulaimon
It was an interesting year in College Park, Maryland a year ago. The Terrapins entered the year with pretty modest expectations and with fourth-year head coach Mark Turgeon on the hot seat. Instead, the Terps put together a miraculous year, winning 28 games, finishing off second in their debut season in the Big Ten, and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Now, it appears Maryland won't sneak up on people, as they are being picked by many to win the Big Ten, for good reason. Star guard Melo Trimble returns after a huge first season with the Terrapins. Trimble averaged 16.2 points per game and also led Maryland in assists a year ago, earning All-Big Ten honors. He will be joined by another proven veteran, forward Jake Layman, who passed on the NBA for his senior season with Maryland. Layman is an intriguing player; his shooting ability helps Maryland space the floor, but he has also proven adept at banging down low. It will significantly help the Terrapins' frontcourt that they have two huge names coming in. The first of them has to be center Diamond Stone, a consensus five-star recruit. At 6'10", 250 pounds, Stone is fantastic at clearing out space in the paint. He still is raw and will need adjustment to the flow of the collegiate game, but he could actually dominate. Also coming in is fellow big man Robert Carter, a transfer from Georgia Tech, who also possesses great size and bulk. Though, even with those two, perhaps the biggest addition of the offseason for Maryland was guard Rasheed Sulaimon. Sulaimon had a successful start to his career at Duke, but his minutes soon trailed off and off-the-court problems contributed to his dismissal. Sulaimon is a proven shooter and scorer but it will be interesting to see what role he plays. Will he be a help for a team that has realistic National Championship expectations or will he merely be a distraction that could derail this team? Even with such a big wild card, this Maryland team is sure to have some big moments this year. They have the star power and depth of a true Final Four squad, and with the Big Ten hit hard with graduation, they are the clear favorite in the conference.
National Rank: 3
2. Indiana Hoosiers- 20-14 in 2014-2015 Returning Starters: 4 X-Factor: G James Blackmon Jr.
Just a few months ago, Indiana's future was shrouded in mystery. The Hoosiers were coming off a disappointing year without an NCAA Tournament, and had already had a disappointing end to the 2012-2013 campaign, losing in the Sweet 16. Head coach Tom Crean, deemed the "savior" of the program was losing popularity fast, and many questioned the 2014-2015 squad as being much of an improvement. Instead, the youthful Hoosiers were a revelation, winning 20 games and despite a cold stretch to end the year, they made the NCAA Tournament. Now, that extremely young team is a year older, and primed to put together a big season. Senior point guard Yogi Ferrell should lead the offense after putting together a strong 2014. Ferrell isn't the biggest guard on the court but he is a tough, hard-nosed competitor. He will be joined in the backcourt by sophomore James Blackmon Jr., who is fresh off an offseason knee injury. It will be interesting to see if that hinders his explosiveness at all, but Blackmon should still be a go-to scorer after putting up 15.7 points per game a year ago. Up front, the rising Troy Williams returns for his junior season, and should join the Hoosiers' big recruit, center Thomas Bryant. Williams isn't the most polished player but he took significant steps last season, while Bryant has all the tools to be an absolutely dominant big man. Senior Max Bielfeldt arrives from Michigan as a steady veteran reserve. Overall, the talent on Indiana is overwhelming, and the team has some veterans to lean on. If all goes according to plan, they very well could be playing all the way to the Final Four.
National Rank: 11
National Rank: 11
