Maryland Minute 11.6.09 - Another Reason to Love Greivis Vasquez

Court drama: Maryland basketball star Greivis Vasquez carries Venezuela's NBA hopes - WaPo
Absolute must-read feature on Vaz. Go read it now.

A 17-year-old named Arangel Carrillo dribbles the ball at the top of the key, sweat dripping off the bangs mopped across his forehead. He drives to his right, charging fiercely into the lane without regard for the pair of defenders swarming in his path. He dribbles once through his legs as he nears the basket, right hand to left, and then the ball is gone, tossed blindly behind his back to an open teammate. The shot clanks off the rim; play continues.

"Oh, yeah!" a voice from above yells in Spanish. "Look at the Greivises!"

...

At a reporter's mention of Greives's name, they acknowledge: "Callejero! Callejero!" The street-baller. They say they emulate him because he is their country's best, and they know he is the best because he is on the TV channels broadcast from America, the country that has set sports and pop culture standards in their homeland for decades.

Venezuela pipeline!

Seriously, though, read it.

Oh God, Maryland-VT Will Be Hideous - Gobbler Country
And not just because VT's winning by 50.

Don't miss the on-campus celebration on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. when Nike reveals a new rivalry game day football uniform to be worn for Virginia Tech vs. Maryland on November 14, 2009.

They will be ugly. Here's what Nike cooked up for FSU. Combine that with army jerseys...and...oof.

RTC ACC Preview: Maryland the Conference Champion?
Ha, yes!

Maryland (NCAA Seed: #3). Go ahead, laugh at me. Be my guest. But when I watch college hoops, I love energy and do-it-all kind of players. So while the coaches may go the safe route and pick the Dukes and North Carolinas (I still think they finish 1-2 in the regular season), I’m gonna go out on a limb and take the Terrapins to make a run to the ACC Tournament title in Greensboro come March (if I’m right, you know where to find me – if I’m wrong, well, it’s just a blog, right?). Vasquez is the kind of player who can take over an entire tournament, and who won’t be troubled by four games in four or five days.

Ultimate Rankings Countdown: Maryland at 45 - Mid-Major Madness
One too high, one too low:

Its hard to count out a team coached by Gary Williams. Maryland was written off as a viable NCAA contender midway through last season; then, the Terrapins got off the canvas and went on a late-season surge that resulted in a second-round NCAA tournament appearance. Perhaps we're underestimating the Terps again. Maryland returns four starters who have shown their resilience time and time again. The tournament hopes again rest on the shoulders of senior guard Greivis Vasquez, the ACC's most indispensable player.

Recruiting Report: Coach: Kilgo an 'impact player'
All coaches say that, but okay.

"I think he’s going to be an impact player at Maryland. I think they’re lucky to have him," Hardin said. "He’s a good football player and he’s a great kid. I expect nothing less than him having a great career at Maryland."

Your Own Personal BCS Computer
Yes, I read iowahawk. Move on. Yes, Maryland's bad at football. But if you love sports, particularly football, this is something to check out.

Recruiting Report: Weekly recruiting roundup
Bit of a slow week, but it's always good to stay in the loop.