Vasquez

greivis vasquez finishes his college career as one of the ten best in 2010

On March 30, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Ian

Greivis, looking very point guardy.

Greivis Vasquez, the beloved senior leader of your 2010 Maryland Terrapins basketball team, was named to the Second Team AP All-American squad yesterday. According to UMTerps.com, he’s the first Terp to be named to an All-American team since Juan Dixon was a first teamer in 2002. The First Team selections read like a lottery pick list, so I think the selection committee got it right with Greivis getting Second Team honors.

If you look at the three AP All-American teams, the list is dominated by Cousy Award Finalists. Speaking of the Cousy Award, Vasquez was also selected as one of six finalists for the award which is given each year to the best PG in the country. The winner will be announced on Thursday during the Final Four broadcast. Here is a list of the other Cousy Award finalists: Sherron Collins – Kansas; Scottie Reynolds – Villanova; Jon Scheyer – Duke; Evan Turner – Ohio State; John Wall – Kentucky.

Wall seems like the front runner for that award, but it is still great to see Greivis on the list. Vasquez obviously had a solid senior season, but what stands out to me is that he upped his game as the year went on. Greivis averaged 19.6PTS/6AST/5RB per game in 2010, and his scoring average increased to 22PTS/GM against ACC opponents.

I’m not sure how much impact these awards, or his tournament play, will have on Greivis’s NBA Draft prospects. There is little doubt that he can put the ball in the hoop at the pro level, especially because he has excelled in international games playing for Venezuela. There are doubts as to whether or not he can defend pro point guards. Hopefully that concern won’t matter much since nobody plays defense for the first three quarters of a NBA game anyway (unless it’s the playoffs).

Luckily for Greivis, the teams with the highest picks are generally the teams that are least expected to make the playoffs on a regular basis, so he may find a home somewhere in the first round yet. Vasquez may not go too far from College Park. I heard the Wizards might have an opening at the point guard position after this year. They tend to go for the local guys, and they’ve never shown too much concern for playing defense in the past.

Either way you shake it, Greivis finished this year as one of the ten best college players in the country. It was a fitting end to a great college career. I look forward to seeing him play in the NBA and for his native land in the 2012 Olympics.

Vayo con dios, Greivis.

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Greivis Vasquez’s Road to the NBA

On March 25, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

What’s the punctuation rule there? Is it “Vasquez’” or is it “Vasquez’s”? How about Vasquezeses.

Anyway, if you look at the mock drafts, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of agreement on where (or even whether) Greivis Vasquez will be drafted come June 14. DraftExpress has the Minnesota Timberwolves taking him 16th in the second round, while NBADraft.net has him going 11 spots higher with the #32 pick, but also to the T-Wolves. (DraftExpress has a big “DOES NOT YET ACCOUNT FOR TEAM NEEDS” disclaimer at the top of its page. Huh. But besides that, it’s a rock-solid mock-up! In other news, I heard they were projecting the Lions to draft seven wide receivers.)

The L.A. Times doesn’t have Vasquez going in round one either, but does list him as being “right there,” for whatever that means. This mockup has him going to the Bullets with the last pick in the first round. This guy has him going 17th to Miami (and Milbourne going to Phoenix with the very last pick!). This one doesn’t have him being drafted at all.

You get the idea. There’s a lot of variance here. A lot of uncertainty. Various write-ups suggest he’s not a natural fit for the NBA. He’s tall for a guard and very versatile, but doesn’t have the athleticism or “quick first step” to slash on NBA defenders. He’s a good scorer, but not a terrific shooter. He’s a great passer with outstanding court vision, but commits too many turnovers. He’s a hard worker on defense, but again lacks the lateral quickness to be a stopper. Every compliment paid is closely followed by an “if” or a “but.” It’s like a dysfunctional family Christmas.

Still, the guy’s a good player. He produced at a high level in the ACC. That is not nothing. He can and will play in the NBA. Mark it down.

But it sounds like he has some work to do to improve or lock in his draft status. So what are those steps? For starters, he could make the Sweet 16. But to me, that doesn’t seem like a distinct possibility anymore. I’m no Chad Bilas or anything…just saying is all. Joking aside, though, he did play extremely well in the tourney, averaging 21 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 7 dimes to only 2.5 turnovers, all while showing some serious clutch.

So what happens moving forward? Well, thing number one is the May 19-23 NBA pre-draft camp, which is the NBA’s version of the NFL combine. This used to be a series of five-on-five scrimmages, but is now more for various measurements, strength and speed drills, and so on, just like in football. But as with the Senior Bowl and various other pigskin equivalents, there are events where scouts can view prospects in a competitive environment, with the granddaddy being the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, held April 7-10. Assuming Vasquez is invited, a strong showing here will be absolutely critical, especially given that a player of average atheleticism isn’t exactly going to shine in a combine format.

Basically, there are a lot of chips on the table in Portsmouth this year for Vasquez (and maybe Milbourne, too). They’ve got another week and a half to rest and recover, and then it’s down to the Virginia wetlands to fight for their professional lives.

Tagged with: Basketball • Landon Milbourne • Terps in the pros • Vasquez

A Preview of Maryland-Houston First-Round NCAA Matchup

On March 18, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

In T-minus two hours and fourteen minutes (games start at 12:20 p.m. today), March Madness will officially be underway. Spring is here, the tournament’s starting, and it’s the best time of the year, baby. Screw it, meet me at the airport. We’re going to Vegas. I know a place there that will give us money if we win at card games!!!

Although the games start presently, the really important game — the Maryland one — doesn’t start until 9:40 tomorrow. The good news: you won’t miss it because you have to work (assuming you work the day shift). The bad news: well, that’s a long way away. So here are some suggestions for staying occupied in the meantime:

Throw a one-person ticker tape parade for yourself with the remnants of your FUBAR bracket. Let’s face it: if there was ever a year in which the-administrative-assistant-who-makes-picks-based-on-team-mascots-and-where-her-grandkids-went-to-school is going to win, this is that year. In fact, start a new office pool for who’s going to win the office pool, and then put all your money on Gladys.
Any leftover Guinness in your fridge?
Go outside. It’s beautiful outside right now, you pasty desk jockey. Why don’t you go out there? I promise it won’t kill you, you lazy Internet-addicted fuckstick.
Building on suggestion number three, I haven’t done any yard work in like two years. Could you come over? Sorry I called you a fuckstick before.
Watch some American Idol reruns. Crystal Bowersox is kind of hot, in like an Altamont kind of way.
Read this preview of Maryland’s first-round matchup with the Houston Cougars.

So there you go. Plenty to chew on there. Plenty to ponder. Okay, take it easy then! Go Terps!

Oh, right, the preview. So by now, you’re all aware of face-stomping Houston guard Aubrey Coleman. You’re also aware that he was, by a fairly substantial margin, the nation’s leading scorer. The 6′4″ Coleman, who transferred last offseason from Southwest Mississippi Community College, has a lot of street in his game, preferring to slash for layups and mid-range jumpers. This is going to be a difficult, and very interesting, defensive assignment for Greivis Vasquez. I’d like to see Bowie get a shot at him as well.

Either way, Coleman is a killer. But at the same time, he can go cold, and he can also do other things…he demonstrated both these things in winning the Conference USA title game. From what I’ve read, he’s a borderline NBA draft pick at the moment, and a good showing here would improve his stock. You can bet he knows that.

He also thrives in the high-octane system of head coach Tom Penders. Remember him? He coached four pretty unmemorable seasons at nearby George Washington from 1998-2001 (think SirValiant Brown).

According to this recent Post article, Penders was on the hot seat at Houston, too, until their improbable conference title run. So props to them. At 19-15, they’re just delighted to be here.

The team does have other pieces. Senior Guard Kelvin Lewis is their Eric Hayes — solid player, good three-point shooter, and a steady floor leader. Forward Maurice McNeill is their primary post presence and top rebounder.

Still, it clearly begins and ends with Coleman. At 6′9″, Maurice is big, but not prohibitively so. Coleman is the team’s second-leading rebounder. So hopefully — hopefully — the Terps can control the boards with no problem.

When the Terps are on offense, they can and should make Coleman work. Vasquez has a couple inches on Coleman and should be able to get his shot. Now, re-read that sentence and replace “Vasquez” with “Jordan Williams” and “Coleman” with “McNeill.” In general, given that they ranked first in C-USA in steals, I’m guessing Houston plays a frenetic, gambling style of defense. Given that they were second-to-last in in scoring defense and dead last in FG percentage defense and rebounding defense, I’m guessing this style yields mixed results.

Bottom line: Some people saw Coleman lead an exciting conference tourney run and now want to pick the upset based on that momentum and, let’s face it, Maryland’s recent underachievement in the tourney. But I this is simply a case of one team being better than another. That said, Houston is going to attack. If Maryland comes out with any ACC tourney hangover, we’ll know quickly. Here’s hoping they’ve been getting their rest and drinking plenty of Gatorade. If they have, this should be an easy win.

Now what ever happened to that leftover Guinness we were discussing?

Prediction: Houston 65, Maryland 83

(Photo credit: www.uhcougars.com)

Tagged with: Aubrey Coleman • Basketball • Eric Hayes • Houston Cougars • March Madness • postseasons • Tom Penders • Vasquez

Greivis Vasquez Legacy at Maryland Depends On Final Tourney Run

On March 17, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

There is no denying that Greivis Vasquez will leave a legacy for the Maryland Terrapins. Go ahead and tuck that statement away in your “duh” folder. But what kind of legacy will it be? THAT is the question. And it is a question that only the big lights…the big stage…the big tamale…THE BIG DANCE…can answer. This tournament, she can be a many-spendored maiden, but also a cruel and shiftless hag. If Vasquez hopes to attain a legacy among the very very best, she is a maiden he will have to tame. Stats and regular-season belt notches aren’t gonna do it alone.

The numbers and accolades are there. Everyone knows that. Let’s briefly run them down again, just because it’s fun to do and impressive to see when they’re all listed out. Greivis Vasquez is now 10 points behind Len Bias for second on Maryland’s all-time scoring list. First ACC player in history with 2,000 points, 600 rebounds, and 700 assists. ACC Player of the Year, first-team All-American, Wooden Award finalist. To tread some even ruttier ground, he matured as a person as well as a player to become the clear leader of a team that overacheived in his final season. No one disputes any of that. I do not dispute that. You do not dispute that. The American people do not dispute that.

But now we must discuss his postseason record, which is a bit less sparkling.

Because I refuse to compare any other past, current, or future player to Juan Dixon or Len Bias, let’s use the great Steve Blake as a point of comparison. His stats and accolades aren’t quite as gaudy as Greivis Vasquez’s, although he holds the school assists record and sits fourth and fifth on the ACC and NCAA all-time lists, respectively, and was first-team All-ACC his senior season. But legacy-wise, Blake, I feel, is on slightly more solid footing than Vasquez at the moment. Not only did Blake win one national championship and reach two Final Fours, but he made the tournament all four years. This, of course, includes a 2002-2003 senior year in which Blake and Drew “The Specialist” Nicholas led the Terps to a Sweet 16 berth on will, guts, and luck. I liked that season’s team almost as much as the two that preceded it.

Vasquez is in a different situation. He has made the big tourney three of his four seasons, and amassed a 2-2 record there. His tourney stats are actually darn good — 15 points per game on 47 percent shooting, four rebounds, four assists — so it’s not an individual performance issue. And granted, Greivis is a victim of circumstances here to some extent, as he didn’t get to come up with a Dixon or a Baxter. Does this mean that Blake’s legacy is largely the result of team accomplishments rather than individual ones, whereas Vasquez’s legacy is, to this point, the opposite? Yes. Does this make the comparison unfair? Well, yes. But is it the reality of legacies? Yes. When you look back on Vasquez — or any player — what are you gonna think about first, numbers or postseason success? Right. That’s American sports culture. Maybe just American culture period. No one cares about the trip. Just tell me what you brought me!

The good news for Greivis is that a good tourney run in his last and best season as a Terp would wash away the disappointment of previous seasons. There’s no excuses this year, no dead wood or insurmountable weaknesses on the team, no drama. Just a good team, led by a great player, playing ball. It has all lined up for Greivis Vasquez, and now he just has to execute.

Maryland hasn’t made the Sweet 16 since 2003. (Remember when Terp fans used to complain about never getting PAST the Sweet 16? I know…spoiled jerks. None of us did that, right? Right.) By winning two ball games in the dance, Vasquez could get us back to the second weekend of the tourney and leave triumphantly. And it’s doable. Despite some predictions to the contrary, Houston should be easily had. Michigan State is great, and their grind-you-down pickup truck style is dangerous for a Ferrari team like Maryland, but they’re not exactly the 1993 Bulls either. These are not easy games, but they are winnable. We can make the Sweet 16.

Imagine if Greivis could carry the team even farther. As it stands, he’s exactly 120 points behind Juan Dixon on the all-time scoring list. That’s 20 points a game for six games.

But back to Earth now. If Vasquez’s Maryland Terps lose in the first or second round, he’ll be remembered fondly as a great player and one of the most “colorful” Terps of all time. We’ll look back, and we’ll smile. If he gets the team farther, and helps to reestablish them as a force to be reckoned with in March, we’ll look back with a different set of emotions. I want that different set, and, I’m guessing, so does he.

Tagged with: Basketball • March Madness • postseasons • Vasquez

ACC Tournament: Georgia Tech Upends Maryland, Upset Bug Spreads

On March 12, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

Welp. So much for the road to the ACC title. Thanks for the jinx, Stu.

These conference tournaments are strange, strange animals. No other setting lends itself more readily to games like tonight’s, with one team thrashing for its life like a drowning victim while the other team drifts by in an inflatable duck. In the second half, Maryland discarded the duck to fight back from 16 down to get within a basket, but Georgia Tech managed to overcome their panic this time and pull it out somehow, 69-64.

In winning, Tech punches its dance card for next week’s tournament. Maryland succumbs to the same upset bug that infected Wake Forest, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Florida State. Credit where it’s due: the Jackets came to play. Plenty of people speculated that GT was quitting on their coach. Didn’t happen. They outrebounded Maryland 38-28. They shot a ridiculous 67 percent from three. Iman Shumpert played brilliant defense on Greivis Vasquez, culminating with a quick-handed strip that prevented the ACC player of the year (6-21 shooting on the night) from getting off the potentially game-winning shot. Add in 14 points and four assists, and Shumpert’s your Paris Hilton Honorary No-Brainer Player of the Game.

Still, it’s not like Georgia Tech suddenly became a different team. It was the same song and dance for GT…world beaters one minute, you-know-what beaters the next. After watching Derrick Favors, Gani Lawal, and Zach Peacock dominate the boards in the first ten minutes, then watching their only player over 6′7″ get in early foul trouble, Maryland seemed to essentially cede the painted ground in favor or more ball pressure. Six scant minutes into the second half, Georgia Tech had committed 10 turnovers. It’s not hard to understand the frustration GT fans have with head coach Paul Hewitt. The Jackets lost the ability to cleanly inbound the basketball, and it took a REALLY long time for them to regain that ability. I think in a way, some GT fans were almost hoping for a loss here so there would be a clear-cut reason to fire Hewitt and start fresh. But it won’t be that simple. Not to say they fans aren’t happy for the win, but…you get what I’m saying.

As for Maryland, they still look good for a fifth or sixth seed. And hey, look on the bright side. This is probably the least-stressful ACC tourney we’ve had in quite a while, and I’ll take it, even with the upset. After all, I’ve got dinner plans this weekend.

(Photo credit: The Baltimore Sun)

Tagged with: Basketball • Derrick Favors • Georgia Tech • Iman Shumpert • postseasons • Vasquez

Dickie V Completes College Basketball Awards Season, Me

On March 10, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

/Brings out Dickie V computer-generated language extruder — he’s been dead for 20 years, you know — and presses play:

Yeesssss, time once again to reveal my Dickie V All-Solid Gold Team, baby! It’s awesome, baby! It’s amazing to see so many awesome young guys contributing. In such a positive way. It’s awesome, baby!

Why did these players make my All-Solid Gold Team? Three words: super, scintillating, sensational. They’re PTPers, baby! High risers! The creme de la creme. Numero uno in college basketball. The best of the best. Solid. Gold. Hey! Hey! My first team has seven guys on it! We’re playing in the Dickie V league! Seven on super scintillating seven! I love these guys! It’s awesome, baby! Hey! Hey! Is that a car? I’m gonna chase it, baby! Where’s it going? It’s unbelievable!

/hurriedly stops Dickie V computer program

So here’s his first team:

ALL-SOLID GOLD FIRST TEAM
John Wall, Kentucky
Jon Scheyer, Duke
Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky
Evan Turner, Ohio State
Wes Johnson, Syracuse

Dickie V’s analysis: “Jon Scheyer and Greivis Vasquez have been the premier PTPers in the ACC.” Yes. Scheyer over James Anderson, huh? Wow. It’s almost as if Dickie V — now stay with me — wants to find reasons to praise Duke. I’m just throwing it out there. It’s like a, a, what’s the word I’m looking for, BIAS. It is almost as if he is biased.

But in any case, with this honor the Greivis Vasquez trophy case is now officially closed. I look forward to seeing the All-Solid Gold Dickie V Head next year at Comcast Center.

Tagged with: awards • Basketball • Dookie V • The Media • Vasquez

Greivis Vasquez, Gary Williams Win ACC Season Awards, Jordan Williams Finishes Second in Rookie Voting

On March 9, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp. Or what’s a heaven for?”
– Robert Browning

“Two out of three ain’t bad.”
– Meatloaf

I thought these quotes, from two titans of English letters, were a perfect way to lead the post. Yes, that decision to minor in English has already paid for itself.

The awards are in. One day after making the All-ACC and All-America first teams, Greivis Vasqeuz has been named ACC Player of the Year. Vasquez earned 39 votes in the balloting, Jon Scheyer got 12 votes, and Malcolm Delaney got two. No Carolina bias there.

Vasquez is breathing some rarefied air now, as he’s only the fifth Terp to win the award, behind Juan Dixon, Len Bias (1985 and 1986), Albert King (1980), and Joe Smith (1995). So go ahead and etch his likeness into Mount Terpmore, and I shall genuflect before it. For truly is Greivis Vasquez one of the greatest Maryland ballers of all time.

In somewhat far less surprising but no less terrific news, Gary Williams has been named ACC Coach of the Year for the second time.

These are the first such honors for Maryland since the 2001-2002 championship season. Dixon won POY that year and Gary got COY.

Think about that for a second.

Serious kudos also go out to Jordan Williams, who finished second in the ACC Rookie of the Year vote behind Georgia Tech phenom Derrick Favors. As previously noted, Jordan’s a winner here just for being in the ROY conversation with that monster.

So the sweep has eluded us. But no matter. These are all huge accomplishments.

Let’s see if they can get four out of five when the ACC tourney kicks off this weekend. Here’s hoping these are just the first great memories from this postseason.

Tagged with: awards • Basketball • Gary Williams • Jordan Williams • Vasquez

Can Maryland Sweep the ACC Basketball Awards Season?

On March 8, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

As you know, Maryland is your regular season ACC co-champ. But with March just underway, and with last night’s Oscars still fresh in our minds (btw, Hurt Locker=overrated), we’re just getting the trophy case warmed up. There are several other ACC awards–team and individual–up for grabs this week. And this year’s awards season may be extra exciting. Perhaps even, dare I say, history making. Because the Terps may be poised to pull off the clean sweep.

The ACC’s major individual awards are player of the year, coach of the year, and rookie of the year. Agreed? Great. The major team honors, of course, are regular season and tournament champs. Winning all five of these awards would be an unprecedented accomplishment. Before ROY was established in 1976, North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Duke all swept the ACC tourney, COY, and POY. But since ‘76, the brooms have remained in the closet. Several teams have gotten within one; the last team to do so was the 1999-2000 Blue Devils, who were thwarted by Joe Forte(!) nabbing ROY.

But this week, the Terps have a decent chance to get it done, although it won’t be easy, especially because voters are involved. Let’s analyze their chances, starting with the highest probability of success:

Regular Season Title

Check. Doesn’t get much more high-probability than this.

Coach of the Year

The official ACC preseason media poll had Maryland finishing fifth. They finished tied for first. No one had them even sniffing the national top 25. As of today, they are in the top 20. The team was shaky early but righted the ship and tore through the ACC. Their offense has improved. Their defense has massively improved. Under Williams’ tutelage, top player Greivis Vasquez has vanquished various demons to flourish in his senior season. Jordan Williams went from afterthought to ROY candidate (more on him below). If you have a better option for ACC coach of the year, I’m dying to hear it.

Player of the Year

Grevis Vasquez. This case has been made many times in many places, so I won’t rehash it. Just look at the numbers, think about how strongly Vasquez and Maryland finished, and it’s clear. Barring a Roy Jones flashback, Vasquez is your 2009-2010 ACC Player of the Year.

ACC Tournament Championship

Unless my name is Helen Mirren, which it’s not (although she’s hot, just to give some credit where it’s due, if not especially relevant), Georgia Tech will be Maryland’s second-round matchup. The Yellow Jackets are surely still “stinging,” if you will, from their “buzz”er beater loss to the Terps, and could use another win to get a stronger position in the NCAA tournament. If the Terps win that one, they’ll likely get either Florida State or Clemson. Interestingly, both teams have won five of their last seven and are projected as eight seeds in the dance. The Noles are probably a better matchup for the Terps. The final opponent is going to be Duke. It just is. So a tough row to hoe, but not prohibitively so. This site gives Maryland a 19.4 percent chance of winning. Sounds about right.

Rookie of the Year

The toughest leg of the gauntlet. Credit Jordan Williams, though, for making this a two-man race, especially considering the other man, Derrick Favors, was on several preseason watch lists for national as well as ACC honors and is an NBA lottery lock whenever he comes out. Williams, by comparison, has played his way into the conversation by gradually evolving into an inside force. In other words, one has underacheived a bit, and one has overacheived. (Not to mention that one of their teams finished 13-3 in the conference and one team finished 7-9.) To be fair, though, the stats don’t lie, and Favors has a clear (although not necessarily definitive) edge. Favors scores 11.9 ppg, while Williams gets 9.3. Favors is third in the ACC with 8.4 rebounds per game; Williams is fourth with 8.3. Favors has two blocks per game while Williams has one. In their only head-to-head matchup this season, Favors won the individual battle with a monstrous 21 and 18; Williams finished with a respectable 9 and 12, and, of course, his team won the game. So Favors clearly has the numbers advantage, but Williams is an interesting dark horse because he has overacheived and his team has fared much better.

So there you have it. As always, only time…will tell. But it seems that Maryland has the best shot to sweep the ACC awards season as any team in recent memory.

(FYI, this article is also posted on Bleacher Report.)

(Photo credit: AP via USA Today)

Tagged with: awards • Basketball • Gary Williams • Jordan Williams • postseasons • Vasquez

A Maryland-Virginia Basketball Recap in Ten Easily Digestible Bullet Points

On March 6, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

Let’s be honest. Maryland didn’t have any business winning this game. But the good news is, neither did Virginia. Maybe that’s what made this game so interesting. And by “interesting,” I mean “boring.”

But Maryland pulled it out, 74-68. Just another game permutation this group found a way to solve. That’s why they’re ACC regular season co-champions. To the points:

Play of the game: UVA coach Tony Bennett getting teed up while arguing a foul call with 38 seconds left, helping the Terps extend a one-point lead to five. This sums it all up.
Player of the game: There’s a senior – Greivis Vasquez? – who really stood out for me today. 23 points, 5 assists, 4 steals and 13 points in the final six minutes. The ACC player of the year just keeps on riding.
Although the teams ended up with respectable shooting numbers, there were plenty of scoring droughts in this one. In fact, you might say that, until the last eight minutes or so, the whole game was a scoring drought.
Maryland: 35 total rebounds, 17 offensive. UVA: 21 total rebounds, four offensive. I don’t care if they’re playing a little league water polo team. I will take that stat and I will like it.
This game was sleeeeeepy. For both sides. But when David Pearman pulled out that pillow and literally took a nap on the sideline, I was like, okay, that’s a little excessive.
I think Maryland’s malaise is justified, however. We all know about the Snowtorious three games in five days, but after today they’ve now played eight over the past 21 days. That includes the Georgia Tech double buzzer beater, the Virginia Tech three-hour delay double-overtime superjam and beer truck extravaganza, and the nail-biter over Duke on senior night. Think this club needs a break.
This is, of course, a lot less amusing if they lose.
Which they might have done, had UVA top player Sylven Landesberg not been suspended right before the game for not living up to his academic obligations or whatever. Sorry Sylven. This can’t be welcome news for the learning centers that bear your name.
UVA might also have won if their most clutch player hadn’t been
Will Sherrill. But I wouldn’t worry about Will. He’s going to make a fine constitutional law professor one day.
It was funny when UVA guard Mustapha Farrakhan missed everything on a three and got the “air-ball!” chant. Plenty of Terp fans in attendance. It was like going to a Steelers game at FedEx Field. The constitutional law debate team must have been playing at the same time. Or maybe Maryland students look for any reason they can to visit a respectable college town. Either way.

See you in the ACC tournament!

(Photo credit: AP photo via The Baltimore Sun)

Tagged with: Basketball • David Pearman • Vasquez

A Duke-Maryland Recap in Ten Easily Digestible Bullet Points

On March 4, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

If the Maryland men’s basketball team revealed today that they had X-Ray vision, the strength of 100 men, and a solution for ending gridlock in Congress, wouldn’t you believe them? I would. And not just because of their hard-fought 79-72 win over Duke last night. It’s because there doesn’t seem to be a mountain high enough to stop them right now. Want a buzzer beater? Done. Want two buzzer beaters? Come on, challenge us. Want us to come back from 13 down to win? No problem. Want us to win in one of the toughest gyms in the conference? Boom. Overtime? Check. Double overtime? Double check. And then last night, they coughed up a lead against their most hated rivals — and we’ve all seen that movie before — but kept their composure, kept fighting, and pulled it out on Senior Night. What a win. To the points:

FFFFFF***********CK DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKE!!!!!!!!!!!

Barring a Roy Jones-level travesty, Greivis Vasquez is ACC player of the year. The D.C. Sports Bog posits that Vasquez’s game-clinching shot — over Jon Scheyer — followed by stopping Scheyer on the other end was the symbolic final nail. Oh, and he also had more points. And assists. And a better FG percentage. And a better FT percentage. And a better three-point percentage. And his team won the game.

For the record: Vasquez was clutch tonight. He didn’t used to be. He is now. In a way, this makes my A-Rod comparison stronger than ever. After years of struggle and doubt, both men have gotten the monkey off their backs. So there.

I heard the announcers mention that Maryland would get a share of the regular season title even if both teams win out. Duke would get top seed in the ACC tourney (that’s done by win %), but they would each get a banner (that’s done on records). If someone with more time and inclination on their hands is interested in confirming this, please be my guest. I’ll take Johnny Holiday’s word for it.

Maryland ran their offense last night very, very effectively. The screens were strong, the cuts were crisp, and most importantly, they forced their transition game and earned plenty of “run-outs,” or as we used to call them, “fast breaks.”

Duke stifled this during their late-first and second-half comeback by going to a zone. Maryland didn’t attack it.

Until, that is, a mysterious young man strode onto the court. Man by the name of Bowie. Adrian Bowie. He fearlessly threw himself into the teeth of the zone, slashing it to ribbons. Then he canned a wide-open three. Nine points on four-four shooting. It’s official. This man is Maryland’s X factor until further notice.

This was a huge victory and all, but was it really the kind of victory you riot in the streets over? Want to storm the court? Go for it. Whatever. But rioting? It’s so easy to picture all the Dookies, arms folded, smirks solidly in place, chuckling over how desperate we are to beat them. I know it’s a free country. And I admit to doing my share of it. But this one reminded me of the 2005 Washington Wizards, who printed T-shirts just for making the playoffs. Just felt a little superfluous is all.

All the seniors did their thing tonight. Milbourne was fairly quiet (as expected, given Duke’s physical bigs) but hit an early tone-setting three. Eric Hayes was — wait for it –

……wait…….for……..it………

steady. He was very steady.

The Jordan Williams Bandwagon continues to fill. Fifteen points, 11 boards, great D on Zoubek and the Lord Plumlee Brothers, two clutch free throws in the waning seconds. Another cap feather for the freshman who didn’t make a lot of preseason watch lists. Good luck with Durand Scott there, Andy Katz. Just kidding, Andy. I love you, baby. Text me.

OK, this was a few more than ten. But hey, it’s deserved. If the Terps take care of business against UVA, they’ll have a banner to hang (supposedly), then a relatively stress-free ACC tourney, and then The Dance. Selection Sunday is 11 days away.

(Photo credit: AP Photo/Nick Wass, former Diamondback photog, via Testudo Times)

Tagged with: Adrian Bowie • Basketball • Big Wins • Eric Hayes • Jordan Williams • riots • Vasquez

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