It’s only fitting a legendary player exits Comcast Center in an epic game.
No. 22 Maryland hosts No. 4 Duke on Wednesday in the Terrapins’ home finale. It’s worth first place in the ACC with one game remaining, maybe a fifth seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament for the Terps and a first seed for the Blue Devils.
But it’s also a farewell to Terps guard Greivis Vasquez, the Venezuelan wonder who has captivated College Park over four years. He should earn ACC player of the year after four player of the week honors this season and 12 over his career.
Vasquez is the Terps’ third leading career scorer, just 80 points behind runner-up Len Bias. The only ACC player ever with more than 2,000 career points, 700 assists and 600 rebounds, Vasquez ranks in the team’s top three in six categories, including first in 3-pointers.
Is Vasquez among Maryland’s greatest players? He certainly is in the top 10, but the leading five are John Lucas, Bias, Juan Dixon, Albert King and Tom McMillen, respectively. That Mount Rushmore plus-1 of Terps basketball is nearly impossible to surpass, partly because most great players today leave early for the NBA.
Vasquez’s legacy is diminished by not having any titles. The Terps missed the NCAA Tournament in his second season and Vasquez has only two first-round wins. Dixon was comparable to Vasquez in talent, but the former has two Final Four appearances and a national championship. Thus, Dixon ranks higher among Maryland immortals than Vasquez.
Vasquez might be the most passionate player ever for the Terps, though. He once heckled his own crowd. Vasquez says what he thinks and makes life seem so simple. It’s fun to watch someone who plays the game for fun, not money. Vasquez reminds me of Joe Namath — just a cool guy.
“Reporting for duty,” said Vasquez before his first practice four years ago.
“I wish I could play two more [years,]” he said on Tuesday. “[My family and I] don’t have enough words to thank the institution of Maryland.”
Actually, Maryland fans should thank Vasquez for resurrecting a program that slumped after winning the 2002 national championship. He has led the program as well as any player in team history.
Vasquez downplayed “Senior Night” pregame ceremonies. Yet, somehow, a tear likely will streak his cheek. You can’t love the game so much without a heartfelt goodbye.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
