After the Maryland men's basketball team had one of its most complete performances of the season at Northwestern Feb. 15, the Terps' next game was at Wisconsin Feb. 19. They entered the game with a sparkling 22-4 record, and they led by six at halftime, mostly thanks to star junior guard Melo Trimble.
But the second half at Wisconsin, along with Maryland's next two games -- contests against Minnesota Feb. 22 and Iowa Feb. 25 at Xfinity Center -- would foreshadow what was to come during postseason play. The Terps were outscored by 17 points during the second half at Wisconsin and lost junior center Michal Cekovsky to a fractured left ankle. They gave up a season-high 89 points to Minnesota, including 55 in the second half, and looked tired. They struggled to crack Iowa's 2-3 zone defense, which took away the pick-and-roll game.
Suddenly, a team that started 22-4 was on a three-game losing streak and playing its worst ball of the season at a less-than-ideal time.
