Don’t look now, but the Maryland Terrapins are starting to become one of the most dangerous teams in the Big Ten conference. On Wednesday night, the Terps extended their winning streak to four games, defeating No. 17 Wisconsin at home by a score of 76-68. It was Maryland’s second Top 25 win over the last four games, pushing the Terps to fourth place within the Big Ten conference – trailing only Michigan, Purdue, and Michigan State.

RELATED: Maryland knocks off No. 17 Wisconsin, continues rise within Big Ten

It wasn’t all that long ago that questions were lingering about head coach Kevin Willard and his inability to win on the road, leading to speculation that he could be on his way out. But the mood surrounding the program has completely changed over the last two weeks, and Willard’s Terrapin squad is beginning to display the types of qualities that championship teams are made of.

Maryland didn’t get off to a hot start against Wisconsin on Wednesday night. In fact, the Terps came out looking extremely sluggish in the first half, suffering a three-minute scoring drought and allowing the Badgers to build a seven point lead. With the energy in the Xfinity Center starting to disappear, the Terps found a way to lock in and fight their way back, taking a one-point lead into halftime. Wisconsin didn’t go away in the second half, and Maryland would once again have to claw its way back into the game. And just like the first half, the Terrapins responded by going on an 11-0 run to take back the lead and ultimately secure the victory.

It wasn’t always pretty and it didn’t come easy, but the Terps simply wouldn’t be denied.

While the road matchup against No. 17 Illinois was a blowout victory for Maryland, three of the Terps last four wins haven’t come easily. Against Nebraska, it was Maryland’s guards who helped carry the team to a three-point victory. Ja’kobi Gillespie, Rodney Rice, and Selton Miguel all combined for 50 of the Terps 69 points. On the road against Illinois, it was the big men who were leading the way, as Derik Queen and Julian Reese combined for 52 points. On the road against Indiana, four of Maryland’s starting five finished in double-figures en route to a 79-78 victory. And last night against Wisconsin, it was a complete team effort as all five-starters finished in double-figures.

Whether it’s the late game heroics of Gillespie and Rice, or it’s Reese and Queen dominating down on the block, Maryland’s ability to attack in a number of different ways is becoming problematic for opposing teams. With so many capable weapons on the floor, it’s easy to see why Maryland is starting to ascend as one of the top teams within the Big Ten conference. And if the Terps can continue this momentum through the regular season and into March, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Maryland make a deep run in tournament play.

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