Gary Williams no longer has a pain in his neck — on and off the court.
A ruptured disc that shot pain down the Maryland basketball coach’s left arm for the last decade was removed just eight days ago. But amid the relief came a scarier scenario — losing his voice for up to a year because the operation crossed his vocal chords.
Williams not talking? No red-faced, foot-stomping, old-fashioned officials baiting? That’s half the fun of watching the Terrapins as they open Maryland Madness on Friday at Comcast Center.
“I was going to have marker boards and the assistants follow me around,” joked Williams, who will use a microphone at practices.
Ironically, Williams won’t need to yell as much at his star player — Greivis Vasquez. The senior guard returns after flirting with the NBA draft as a more mature playmaker.
Vasquez could draw the ire of both opposing and Maryland fans with his passionate play. Vasquez is the Terps’ leader and they’ll only advance as far as the Venezuelan leads them, but maybe he won’t take so many last-second shots in losses. Perhaps the ball will move around a little more as the Terps return seven of their top eight players to merit a No. 25 preseason ranking in several polls.
“[Vasquez] knows there were a couple of times he went over the line,” Williams said, “but you never want to lose your emotion for the game.”
Williams has never lost his passion despite 625 victories, a national championship and a dynasty over 31 years in College Park. Vasquez is following Williams’ combination of passion and producing. But leading is sometimes about being a good teammate, too.
“I want to win. Bottom line, I want to win [but] I know that I can’t win games by myself,” Vasquez said. “I need my whole team. We just have to build that chemistry.”
Williams loves the underdog role. It has fueled many good years, including late last season with an improbable run that ended in the NCAA Tournament’s second round when few thought the Terps would make it to the postseason.
Vasquez mirrors his boss’ demeanor. After all, the two are alike more than they are different.
“We’re underdogs. I feel like I’m an underdog,” Vasquez said. “I don’t want anyone to expect anything out of us. We’ve got a wide-open shot to make something happen.
“I want to make this season something special.”
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com or e-mail [email protected].
