Maryland Rises to No. 2 in AP Basketball Poll

It took a bit of charity from some old rivals, but Maryland basketball is now one spot away from its first No. 1 ranking ever.

The Terps are ranked No. 2 in this week's Associated Press Poll, moving up one spot thanks to formerly top-ranked North Carolina's loss to Northern Iowa -- an upset that ended any hopes of the Dec. 1 Maryland-UNC game unfolding as a showdown between No. 1 and No. 2; the Tar Heels fell to No. 8 after their loss.

It's the highest ranking since March 5, 2002 -- the end of the regular season before the Terps began their NCAA championship run -- for Maryland, which received six first-place votes. Top-ranked Kentucky got the other 49 votes for the No. 1 spot.

Maryland has been ranked second more than twice as many times as any other school never to have reached the No. 1 spot. Mark Turgeon's team left College Park Sunday for the Cancun Challenge, where they'll open play against Illinois State at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The event will serve as a final Tar Heels tune-up for Maryland, which edged a feisty Georgetown team and then needed a frantic rally to top Rider last week.

AP Top 10
1. Kentucky
2.Maryland
3.Michigan State
4. Iowa State
5. Kansas
6. Duke
7. Oklahoma
8. Villanova
9. North Carolina
10. Gonzaga