Maryland men at No. 31 in points in AP basketball poll

Despite a better performance in the NCAA tournament last season than in recent years, the Big Ten did not get a lot of respect from voters in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll released Monday. Surprisingly, Maryland might have received a little more from voters outside the league than it did from those who cover the Big Ten. Three Big Ten teams were selected, with the Terps at No. 31 among points received. Michigan State ranked higher than any other Big Ten team at No. 10. Michigan was ranked No. 19, and Purdue was ranked No. 24. Maryland will get to play Virginia, which enters the season as the No. 5 team in the nation, on Nov. 28 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at Xfinity Center in College Park. The Terps will also face 2018 Final Four Cinderella Loyola of Chicago, which came in at No. 26 with 162 votes, on Dec. 8 at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore. COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Towson (6-1, 4-0 Colonial Athletic Association) earned its highest ranking of the season, jumping to No. 10 in both the STATS Football Championship Subdivision Top 25 poll and the AFCA Top 25 poll after beating Albany, 56-28, last week for its fifth straight victory. ... Navy’s game at Cincinnati on Nov. 3 will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and be televised nationally on ESPNU. ... Maryland will host Michigan State on Nov. 3 at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium in a game that will kick at noon and air on ESPN2. NHL: The Washington Capitals signed forward Kody Clark to a three-year entry-level contract. Clark’s contract will carry an average annual value of $870,000. The Capitals selected Clark with the 47th overall pick (second round) in the 2018 NHL draft. —