Terps drop to No. 8 in AP poll before showdown with Iowa

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A rough week that included a 74-65 loss at Michigan State didn’t hurt Maryland too badly in the polls.

Mark Turgeon’s Terrapins (17-3) fell only one spot to No. 8 in the latest AP Top 25 poll released on Monday despite a closer-than-expected home win over Northwestern and the defeat at the hands of the Spartans. Though standing in the top 10 all season, Maryland has yet to secure a win over a ranked opponent, leaving some to wonder just how great the Terps really are despite an abundance of talent on paper.

Defensive rebounding has been a major concern, particularly over the last two contests with Northwestern securing 16 offensive boards and Michigan State grabbing 17 on the offensive end to hand the Terps their third loss of the season.

Maryland will have a chance to secure its first victory of the season over a top 25 opponent against Iowa in College Park on Thursday night. The Hawkeyes have been one of the biggest surprises in the country and have climbed all the way to No. 3 in the AP poll with a perfect 7-0 mark in the Big Ten.

Following the win over the Terps to snap a three-game losing streak, Michigan State dropped one spot from No. 11 to 12th in the nation.

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