Maryland men’s basketball (16-5) matched last year’s win total with 10 games left in its regular season, which includes a Wednesday night clash with No. 17 Wisconsin. Unlike last season, when the Terps spent March Madness watching from home, coach Kevin Willard’s team is poised to return to the NCAA Tournament this season.

The Terps are also playing some of their best basketball of the season, winning consecutive road games last week to climb into fifth place in the Big Ten with a 6-4 record. Randallstown native and St. Frances graduate Julian Reese starred in the two road wins, scoring 41 points and adding 27 rebounds and five blocks over the two-game span.

“The senior big man was instrumental in Maryland’s massive road sweep at Illinois and Indiana,” NCAA.com contributor Andy Katz wrote in a weekly roundup, naming Reese the March Madness National Player of the Week. “The Terps won at Illinois 91-70 behind Reese’s 27 points and 17 boards. The Terps exploited Illinois’ vacuum in the middle with Tomislav Ivisic out with mono. Reese joined forces with freshman Derik Queen to control the middle. But Reese didn’t wilt against the Indiana big men combo of Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau. Reese scored 14 and 10 in the paint.

“Sure, guards Rodney Rice, Selton Miguel and Jacobi Gillespie scored a combined 56 points. But the Terps don’t win if the middle wasn’t won by Reese and Queen. Reese’s leadership throughout the road weekend has transformed the Terps into a Big Ten top-three contender.”

As of Tuesday, most bracket projections put the Terps in the NCAA Tournament field. Their seeding varies, although they’re closer to the bubble than they are a top seed. Here’s a look at how a few “bracketologists” view Maryland’s NCAA Tournament standing before Wednesday’s clash with the Badgers:

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi

Lunardi, who helped popularize “bracketology,” gives Maryland a No. 7 seed in his latest projection. ESPN’s resident “bracketologist” puts the Terps in the West Region, facing San Diego State in the first round. The winner would likely face second-seeded Tennessee in the next round of Lunardi’s hypothetical tournament.

ESPN’s most recent bracket, which was released Tuesday morning, puts nine Big Ten teams in the field. Only the Southeastern Conference (13) has more projected teams in the event.

Wisconsin has a No. 5 seed in the projection, although the Terps could close the gap with the Badgers by winning Wednesday. Purdue, a projected No. 2 seed, has the best seed of any Big Ten program in Lunardi’s bracket.

CBS’ Jerry Palm

Palm gives the Terps a No. 10 seed in the East Region, facing Arizona to open its tournament. Maryland would face the winner of Florida-Norfolk State in the next round, should it advance in the hypothetical.

CBS’ bracket prediction for the Terps is slightly lower than most, as Maryland is often a single-digit seed in other projections. Maryland doesn’t have a “Quad 3 or 4” loss this year, as determined by the NET rankings. The Terps are viewed as a top 25 team by KenPom’s advanced metrics, and they’re narrowly outside the latest AP Top 25 as well.

If the season ended today, the Terps would likely be in the field and would have a decent shot of nabbing a single-digit seed.

FOX Sports’ Mike DeCourcy

DeCourcy gives the Terps a No. 7 seed in the East Region, pitting them against San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament’s opening round. DeCourcy has the winner of that matchup potentially facing No. 2 seed Florida in the next round.

The Gators are 18-2 and ranked No. 5 in the latest AP poll, with their only losses coming against No. 12 Kentucky and Missouri. They’ve played the Terps just four times in program history, going 2-2. Maryland won the most recent meeting, 70-68, on Dec. 12, 2021.

How can Maryland improve its seeding?

Maryland’s remaining schedule is favorable, with KenPom favoring the Terps in eight of their final 10 regular-season games. Taking advantage of two home games against ranked opponents will be important for seeding, as the Terps don’t have an abundance of signature wins. Last week’s road win at No. 18 Illinois looks like the team’s best win on paper.

The Terps host Wisconsin on Wednesday, with the Badgers checking in at No. 17 in the latest AP poll. Advanced metrics view Wisconsin favorably — the Badgers are 15th in KenPom — putting extra stock into the game.

On Feb. 26, Maryland will welcome No. 7 Michigan State to the Xfinity Center. The Spartans are currently 17-2 and lead the Big Ten with an 8-0 league record. They’re in the mix to land a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, giving the Terps a prime opportunity for a signature win over a Final Four threat.

The Terps also have a March 5 road game at Michigan (14-5) that could boost the team’s body of work. Lunardi projects the Wolverines as a No. 5 seed.

A good stretch through the season’s first 21 games has Maryland positioned to make the NCAA Tournament. A hot stretch in the final 10 could go a long way toward bolstering their seeding.

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin.