It seems silly to ask. There are several reasons: Maryland was atop the ACC standings before Sunday night's loss at Clemson. The Terps are the eighth-most efficient team in the country; they score almost 1.14 points per possession and have raised that number in conference. And they have senior leadership and stardom, rare NCAA tournament luxuries, thanks to point guard Greivis Vasquez. The Terps don't feel like a bubble team, do they?

A look at their record reveals otherwise: The Terps are 1-4 against the RPI top 50 and have no real quality wins to speak of. It's possible Maryland's best road win is at Indiana on Dec. 1, and let's just say the committee isn't going to be handing out lollipops for beating Indiana. The truth is that Maryland hasn't been tested. Or, more accurately, every time the Terps have had a reasonable test they've failed. They beat the teams they're supposed to beat and lose to the teams to which they're supposed to lose to. So why does it feel like we know nothing about them?

I'm not the only one here; the Maryland fans at Testudo Times have similar concerns:

So, no, the sky is not falling. At the same time, the ugly truth of the matter is that this team rests squarely on the bubble after the loss, and I do think you have to take something out of this loss. [...] Here's the thing: Maryland doesn't have any incriminating losses. Nor do they have any particularly encouraging wins, outside of the home win against FSU. We really don't know just how good or bad this team is yet. That's partially what makes the upcoming FSU game so important.

Maryland is an efficient team. The numbers say good things about the Terps. Now it's time to match those numbers with a few résumé-building wins. It would be a shame if a team this good, with a coach this hard-working, didn't make the most of the opportunity. Maryland is at risk of doing just that.