2003 Top 50 List: Not eligible
Dan Collins List: Yes
Greivis Vasquez was the brightest star of the post-national championship Gary Williams era at Maryland. Williams coached ten more years after that magical year in 2002, and truth be told, the Terrapins didn’t accomplish a whole lot, with the notable exception of winning the ACC Tournament in 2004. They mostly hung around the middle of the conference standings, won a few first round games in March Madness, and that’s about it. But they did have one really good year – 2010, Vasquez’ senior year, when he led them to a 13-3 ACC record and a #20 national ranking. Vasquez was named ACC Player of the Year over Jon Scheyer, and he was a solid second team All-American, finishing eighth in the AP voting.
Vasquez’ career ended in excruciating fashion in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Michigan State. After Maryland overcame a 16-point second half deficit to take the lead on Vasquez’ runner with 6.6 seconds left, the Spartans’ Korie Lucious hit a buzzer beater to end their season. It’s coulda/shoulda/woulda of course, but Maryland could’ve made a run that year had the ball bounced differently. Maryland’s path to the Final Four would’ve been 9 seed Northern Iowa and 6 seed Tennessee. Michigan State ended up beating both before losing to Gordon Hayward and Butler in the Final Four.
Vasquez piled up a lot of career numbers. He is 18th all-time in career points and 6th in assists. Vasquez, Johnny Dawkins, and Danny Ferry are the only ACC players with 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists. He made All-ACC two other times, both second team. He had a reputation as a loose cannon, capable of the spectacular but turnover-prone and questionable in his shot selection. But he had skills and he had guts.
All-Time Maryland Team (ACC Only), by position:
First Team
- G – John Lucas
- G – Juan Dixon
- C – Joe Smith
- F – Tom McMillen
- F – Len Bias
Second Team
- G – Greivis Vasquez
- G – Walt Williams
- C – Len Elmore
- F – Albert King
- F – Lonny Baxter or Buck Williams, you decide