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It’s been over a month since the sports world stopped, but bracket season is still going strong.
Last week, we at Testudo Times unveiled a bracket of 64 Maryland basketball players. We’ll be contesting this tournament over the next couple weeks, culminating with a fan-voted greatest Terp of all time. After thousands of votes over the weekend, we’re ready to move forward with the second round. Thanks to everyone who participated — let’s keep it going!
Round 1 results
While I do expect this tournament to have some close contests in the future, our opening round was loaded with blowouts.
Out of 32 players to advance to the second round, 15 received at least 90 percent of the vote in their matchup and 22 earned at least 80 percent. Only two matchups were closer than 60-40 — Chris Wilcox beat Bruno Fernando with 59.9 percent of the vote, while Will Hetzel received 58.4 percent of votes against Mo Howard. The latter was the only debate with different outcomes on the two platforms, as Hetzel’s 67 percent edge on the site overcame Howard’s 56.5 percent mark on Twitter.
Len Bias received the most total votes with 2,278, while Juan Dixon earned the highest percentage of votes with 99.6 percent (1,900 of 1,908) against Nick Davis. We’ll shout out Eric Hayes and Drew Nicholas, who were great sports about admittedly difficult first-round draws in this bracket.
Well things aren’t looking too good for me. Lol
— Eric Hayes (@Ekhayes5) April 10, 2020
No 1st round game winners for me in this tournament!! https://t.co/7pwyfiOmtC
— Drew Nicholas (@DrewNicholas12) April 10, 2020
Hayes being particularly active on Twitter seemed to give him a boost, as he polled at 18.7 percent against John Lucas on Twitter compared to 3.8 percent on the site. Kevin Huerter, meanwhile, rode his Twitter support to a blowout win over Bob Kessler, amassing 88.4 percent of the social media vote compared to 56.1 percent in this space.
Here are the full first-round bracket results.
| WINNER | Total | Votes | Site | LOSER | Total | Votes | Site | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WINNER | Total | Votes | Site | LOSER | Total | Votes | Site | ||
| QUADRANT 1 | |||||||||
| Len Bias | 98.9% | 2,278 | 1,084 (99.3%) | 1,194 (98.6%) | Rodney Elliott | 1.1% | 25 | 8 (0.7%) | 17 (1.4%) |
| Derrick Lewis | 61.4% | 1,188 | 723 (69.7%) | 465 (51.7%) | Greg Manning | 38.6% | 747 | 314 (30.3%) | 434 (48.3%) |
| Anthony Cowan Jr. | 93.6% | 2,045 | 1,003 (91.7%) | 1,042 (95.6%) | Jerrod Mustaf | 6.4% | 139 | 91 (8.3%) | 48 (4.4%) |
| Ernest Graham | 72.5% | 1,525 | 923 (85.4%) | 602 (58.9%) | Alex Len | 27.5% | 578 | 158 (14.6%) | 420 (41.1%) |
| Walt Williams | 93.8% | 1,967 | 1047 (96.5%) | 920 (90.9%) | Drew Nicholas | 6.2% | 130 | 38 (3.5%) | 92 (9.1%) |
| Laron Profit | 65.8% | 1,279 | 880 (82.2%) | 499 (51.2%) | DJ Strawberry | 34.2% | 666 | 191 (17.8%) | 475 (48.8%) |
| Albert King | 89.5% | 1,821 | 1,023 (95.7%) | 798 (82.7%) | Jordan Williams | 10.5% | 213 | 46 (4.3%) | 167 (17.3%) |
| Tony Massenburg | 81.0% | 1,554 | 886 (85.4%) | 668 (77.5%) | Ben Coleman | 19.0% | 365 | 151 (14.6%) | 214 (22.5%) |
| QUADRANT 2 | |||||||||
| Joe Smith | 96.6% | 1,889 | 1,041 (96.1) | 848 (97.1%) | Cedric Lewis | 3.4% | 67 | 42 (3.9% | 25 (2.9%) |
| Chris Wilcox | 59.9% | 1,193 | 652 (60.7%) | 541 (58.9%) | Bruno Fernando | 40.1% | 799 | 422 (39.3%) | 377 (41.1%) |
| Adrian Branch | 97.2% | 1,808 | 1,027 (98.1%) | 781 (95.9%) | Lee Brawley | 2.8% | 53 | 20 (1.9%) | 33 (4.1%) |
| Terence Morris | 84.6% | 1,550 | 877 (85.2%) | 673 (83.8%) | Gary Ward | 15.4% | 282 | 152 (14.8%) | 130 (16.2%) |
| Tom McMillen | 95.8% | 1,755 | 1,013 (98.3%) | 742 (92.6%) | Charles McNeil | 4.2% | 77 | 18 (1.7%) | 59 (7.4%) |
| Jake Layman | 89.6% | 1,846 | 927 (87.4%) | 919 (91.9%) | Terrell Stoglin | 10.4% | 215 | 134 (12.6%) | 81 (8.1%) |
| Greivis Vasquez | 94.9% | 1,987 | 1,021 (96.3%) | 966 (93.5%) | Sarunas Jasikevicius | 5.1% | 106 | 39 (3.7%) | 67 (6.5%) |
| Gene Shue | 88.7% | 1,559 | 956 (94.3%) | 613 (81.4%) | Al Bunge | 11.3% | 198 | 58 (5.7%) | 140 (18.6%) |
| QUADRANT 3 | |||||||||
| Juan Dixon | 99.6% | 1,900 | 1,055 (99.7%) | 845 (99.4%) | Nick Davis | 0.4% | 8 | 3 (0.3%) | 5 (0.6%) |
| Jalen Smith | 65.7% | 1,268 | 764 (72.3%) | 504 (57.7% | Dez Wells | 34.3% | 662 | 292 (27.7%) | 370 (42.3%) |
| Melo Trimble | 91.0% | 1,752 | 959 (90.9%) | 793 (91.1%) | Nik Caner-Medley | 9.0% | 173 | 96 (9.1%) | 77 (8.9%) |
| Johnny Rhodes | 92.8% | 1,607 | 975 (94.6%) | 632 (90.2%) | Kevin McLinton | 7.2% | 125 | 56 (5.4%) | 69 (9.8%) |
| Buck Williams | 87.6% | 1,661 | 964 (93.1%) | 597 (78.4%) | James Gist | 12.4% | 236 | 72 (6.9%) | 164 (21.6%) |
| Kevin Huerter | 69.9% | 1,275 | 588 (56.1%) | 687 (88.4%) | Bob Kessler | 30.1% | 549 | 459 (43.9%) | 90 (11.6%) |
| Len Elmore | 96.9% | 1,765 | 1,005 (97.8%) | 760 (95.7%) | Duane Simpkins | 3.1% | 57 | 23 (2.2%) | 34 (4.3%) |
| Brad Davis | 60.8% | 1,016 | 588 (59.8%) | 428 (62.3%) | Jay McMillen | 39.2% | 655 | 396 (40.2%) | 259 (37.7%) |
| QUADRANT 4 | |||||||||
| John Lucas | 90.2% | 1,553 | 986 (96.2%) | 567 (81.3%) | Eric Hayes | 9.8% | 168 | 38 (3.8%) | 130 (18.7%) |
| Will Hetzel | 58.4% | 895 | 652 (67.0%) | 243 (43.5%) | Mo Howard | 41.6% | 637 | 321 (33.0%) | 316 (56.5%) |
| Steve Francis | 78.2% | 1,359 | 781 (75.7%) | 578 (81.9%) | Byron Mouton | 21.8% | 378 | 250 (24.3%) | 128 (18.1%) |
| Keith Booth | 95.2% | 1,578 | 962 (95.7%) | 616 (94.5%) | Larry Gibson | 4.8% | 79 | 43 (4.3%) | 36 (5.5%) |
| Steve Blake | 96.9% | 1,645 | 980 (96.4%) | 665 (97.8%) | Jim O'Brien | 3.1% | 52 | 37 (3.6%) | 15 (2.2%) |
| Keith Gatlin | 85.4% | 1,416 | 907 (91.9%) | 509 (75.7%) | Chris McCray | 14.6% | 243 | 80 (8.1%) | 163 (24.3%) |
| Lonny Baxter | 98.3% | 1,647 | 986 (97.7%) | 661 (99.1%) | Evers Burns | 1.7% | 29 | 23 (2.3%) | 6 (0.9%) |
| John Gilchrist | 72.5% | 1,113 | 662 (66.3%) | 451 (84.0%) | Steve Sheppard | 27.5% | 422 | 336 (33.7%) | 86 (16%) |
The bracket
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Round 2 matchups
I’ve expanded player bios for this round, giving you more information for what’s still ultimately a subjective choice. I’m planning to keep them in this format going forward, and as the field shrinks, I’m looking forward to diving deeper and telling some stories about the players still standing.
Remember to view this story in a browser to make sure the polls appear on your screen.
Here goes nothing.
LEN BIAS (1982-86)
Started: 3 years (19.1 pts, 6.1 rebs, 1.4 asts, 54.4% FG)
Best season: 1985-86 (senior) — 23.2 pts, 7.0 rebs, 54.4% FG
Career totals: 2,149 points (3rd), 745 rebounds (12th), 4,032 minutes (3rd)
Awards: 2x ACC POY (1985, 1986), 2x consensus All-American (first team 1986, second team 1985), 2x All-ACC First Team, 1984 ACC Tournament MVP, 2x All-ACC Tournament (1984, 1986)
DERRICK LEWIS (1984-88)
Started: 4 years (11.5 pts, 7.5 rebs, 1.4 asts, 2.7 blks, 1.1 stls)
Best season: 1986-87 (junior) — 19.6 pts, 9.5 rebs, 1.9 asts, 4.4 blks, 1.1 stls
Career totals: 339 blocks (1st), 2.7 bpg (2nd), 948 rebounds (3rd), 1,458 points (19th), 124 starts (3rd)
Awards: All-ACC First Team (1987), All-ACC Second Team (1988)
Notes: Averaged 17.1 points and 8.5 rebounds across final two seasons
These two shared a front court for two seasons, and Maryland was a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament both years (reaching a second round and a Sweet 16). Bias is the Terps’ only two-time Conference Player of the Year. Lewis is a whopping 83 blocks clear of second place on the program leaderboard.
Poll
Round 2: Len Bias vs. Derrick Lewis
ANTHONY COWAN JR. (2016-20)
Started: 4 years (14.5 pts, 4.5 asts, 3.9 rebs, 1.1 stls)
Best season: 2019-20 (senior) — 16.3 pts, 4.7 asts, 3.6 rebs
Career totals: 130 starts (2nd), 1,881 points (7th), 584 assists (5th), 579 made free throws (1st)
Awards: All-Big Ten First Team (2020), All-Big Ten Second Team (2019)
Notes: No 2020 postseason due to COVID-19 pandemic
ERNEST GRAHAM (1977-81)
Started: 3 years (15.5 pts, 5.3 rebs, 3.5 asts, 1.3 stls)
Best season: 1979-80 (junior) — 15.6 pts, 7.4 rebs, 4.4 asts, 1.4 stls
Career totals: 1,607 points (15th), 346 assists (18th), 572 rebounds (33rd), 123 steals (19th)
Awards: 2x All-ACC Tournament Second Team (1980, 1981)
Notes: Remains Maryland’s single-game record holder with 44 points vs. NC State (1978)
These two careers came nearly 40 years apart, but the numbers remain stunningly comparable. Graham was a viable option at four positions — he made a point to mention this on our latest ouTTakes podcast — while Cowan established himself as a lead guard. Graham’s jersey hangs in the Xfinity Center rafters, and Cowan just might join him some day soon.
Poll
Round 2: Anthony Cowan Jr. vs. Ernest Graham
This poll is closed
-
69%
Anthony Cowan Jr.
(636 votes) -
30%
Ernest Graham
(284 votes)
WALT WILLIAMS (1988-92)
Started: 3 years (19.2 pts, 4.9 rebs, 4.4 asts, 1.8 stls)
Best season: 1991-92 (senior) — 26.8 pts, 5.6 rebs, 3.6 asts, 2.1 stls)
Career totals: 1,704 points (13th), 410 assists (14th), 175 steals (9th)
Awards: 1992 All-ACC First Team, 1992 consensus All-American Second Team
LARON PROFIT (1995-99)
Started: 3 years (14.4 pts, 5.1 rebs, 2.6 asts, 2.2 stls)
Best season: 1997-98 (junior) — 15.8 pts, 5.2 rebs, 3.3 asts, 2.7 stls
Career totals: 1,566 points (17th), 572 rebounds (33rd), 252 steals (3rd)
Awards: 3x All-ACC Third Team (1997, 1998, 1999)
Profit has the edge in quantity of All-ACC seasons, but Williams’ senior year is unlike anything else in school history. He scored 30 points in seven straight games that winter — no other Terp has more than seven such games in their career.
Poll
Round 2: Walt Williams vs. Laron Profit
This poll is closed
-
98%
Walt Williams
(903 votes) -
1%
Laron Profit
(17 votes)
ALBERT KING (1977-81)
Started: 4 years (17.4 pts, 6.1 rebs, 2.6 asts)
Best season: 1979-80 (junior) — 21.7 pts, 6.7 rebs, 2.8 asts, 1.4 stls
Career totals: 2,058 points (4th), 715 rebounds (14th), 862 field goals (T-1st)
Awards: 1980 ACC POY, 1980 consensus All-American Second Team, 2x All-ACC (first team 1980, second team 1981), 2x All-ACC Tournament First Team (1980, 1981), 1980 ACC Tournament MVP
TONY MASSENBURG (1985-90)
Started: 3 years (15.3 pts, 8.0 rebs, 1.0 blks)
Best season: 1989-90 (senior) — 18.0 pts, 10.1 rebs, 1.2 blks
Career totals: 1,354 points (26th), 722 rebounds (13th), 270 offensive rebounds (6th)
Awards: 1990 All-ACC Second Team, 1989 All-ACC Tournament First Team
An ace on the wing against a solid presence in the post. King is the only Terp to reach 2,000 career points, 700 rebounds and 300 assists. Massenburg averaged 17.3 points, 9.0 rebounds across his final two seasons.
Poll
Round 2: Albert King vs. Tony Massenburg
This poll is closed
-
95%
Albert King
(878 votes) -
4%
Tony Massenburg
(39 votes)
JOE SMITH (1993-95)
Started: 2 years (20.2 pts, 10.7 rebs, 3.0 blks, 1.5 stls)
Best season: 1994-95 (sophomore) — 20.8 pts, 10.6 rebs, 2.9 blks, 1.5 stls
Career totals: 20.2 ppg (2nd), 10.7 rpg (3rd), 3.0 bpg (1st), 1,290 points (29th), 683 rebounds (17th), 190 blocks (7th)
Awards: 1995 Naismith Award, Rupp Trophy & AP National POY, 1995 consensus All-American First Team, 2x All-ACC First Team, 1995 ACC POY
CHRIS WILCOX (2000-02)
Started: 1 year (12.0 pts, 7.1 rebs, 1.5 asts, 1.5 blks)
Best season: 2001-02 (sophomore)
Career totals: 554 points, 330 rebounds
Awards: 2002 NCAA All-Tournament, 2002 All-ACC Third Team
Smith remains Maryland’s only National Player of the Year honoree. Wilcox memorably broke through in the 2002 NCAA Tournament, averaging 14.8 points and 5.8 boards in the Terps’ final five games as they made their championship run.
Poll
Round 2: Joe Smith vs. Chris Wilcox
ADRIAN BRANCH (1981-85)
Started: 4 years (16.4 pts, 4.4 rebs, 2.9 asts)
Best season: 1984-85 (senior) — 18.1 pts, 4.9 rebs, 2.2 asts, 1.2 stls
Career totals: 2,017 points (5th), 292 assists (25th), 546 rebounds (38th), 120 starts (6th)
Awards: 2x All-ACC Second Team (1983, 1985), All-ACC Tournament First Team (1984), NCAA Tournament All-Region (1985)
TERENCE MORRIS (1997-2001)
Started: 3 years (14.4 pts, 7.8 rebs, 2.0 asts, 2.2 blks, 1.3 stls)
Best season: 1999-2000 (junior) — 15.8 pts, 8.6 rebs, 2.4 asts, 2.1 blks, 1.6 stls
Career totals: 1,733 points (12th), 925 rebounds (5th), 256 blocks (2nd), 162 steals (12th)
Awards: 3x All-ACC (first team 1999, second team 2000, third team 2001), ACC All-Defense (2000), All-ACC Tournament Second Team (2000)
Save for Branch’s freshman year, neither of these players was ever tasked with a starring role. But their consistent excellence was rewarded — Branch is in the Terps’ 2,000-point club, and Morris started on the 2001 Final Four team.
Poll
Round 2: Adrian Branch vs. Terence Morris
This poll is closed
-
78%
Adrian Branch
(717 votes) -
21%
Terence Morris
(198 votes)
TOM McMILLEN (1971-74)
Started: 3 years (20.5 pts, 9.8 rebs, 55.5% FG)
Best season: 1972-73 (junior) — 21.2 pts, 9.8 rebs, 58.5% FG
Career totals: 20.5 ppg (1st), 9.8 rpg (6th), 1,807 points (9th), 859 rebounds (8th)
Awards: 1972 NIT MVP, 3x All-ACC (first team 1972-73, second team 1974), 3x All-ACC Tournament First Team, 1973 consensus All-American Second Team
JAKE LAYMAN (2012-16)
Started: 3 years (11.2 pts, 5.3 rebs, 1.2 asts)
Best season: 2014-15 (junior) — 12.5 pts, 5.8 rebs, 1.4 asts
Career totals: 141 games (T-1st), 1,436 points (20th), 674 rebounds (18th)
Awards: All-Big Ten Third Team (coaches, 2015)
It’s easy to wonder what McMillen could have accomplished had the NCAA allowed him to play as a freshman, but his three-season run speaks for itself. Layman played a co-starring role with Melo Trimble, Dez Wells and others as Maryland established itself as a Big Ten contender after switching conferences.
Poll
Round 2: Tom McMillen vs. Jake Layman
GREIVIS VASQUEZ (2006-10)
Started: 4 years (16.0 pts, 5.7 asts, 4.8 rebs, 1.4 stls)
Best season: 2009-10 (senior) — 19.6 pts, 6.3 asts, 4.6 rebs, 1.7 stls
Career totals: 2,171 points (2nd), 772 assists (2nd), 5.7 apg (2nd), 191 steals (7th)
Awards: 2010 ACC POY, 2010 Cousy Award, 2010 consensus All-American Second Team, 3x All-ACC (first team 2010, second team 2008-09), 2009 All-ACC Tournament Second Team Notes: Averaged 18.0 pts, 6.0 asts, 5.2 rebs, 1.5 stls across last three seasons
GENE SHUE (1951-54)
Started: 3 years (18.5 pts, 46.6% FG, 72.9% FT)
Best season: 1953-54 (senior) — 21.5 pts, 51.2% FG, 77.2% FT)
Career totals: 18.5 ppg (3rd), 1,384 points (23rd)
Awards: 1954 All-ACC First Team, All-ACC Tournament First Team
Notes: Shue’s 1953 and 1954 seasons remain Maryland’s 4th- and 5th-highest scoring campaigns. Only scoring and shooting stats were recorded during his career.
Shue is far and away the oldest player remaining in the tournament, which shows how well his production still stands up. Vasquez is all over program leaderboards, and he’s Maryland’s only Conference Player of the Year in the last 18 seasons.
Poll
Round 2: Greivis Vasquez vs. Gene Shue
This poll is closed
-
85%
Greivis Vasquez
(788 votes) -
14%
Gene Shue
(135 votes)
JUAN DIXON (1998-2002)
Started: 3 years (18.9 pts, 4.8 rebs, 3.0 asts, 2.6 stls)
Best season: 2001-02 (senior) — 20.4 pts, 4.6 rebs, 2.9 asts, 2.6 s
Career totals: 2,269 points (1st), 141 games (T-1st), 333 steals (2nd), 2.4 spg (2nd), 371 assists (15th)
Awards: 2002 NCAA Tournament MOP, 2002 ACC POY, 2002 consensus All-American First Team, 3x All-ACC First Team (2000-02), 3x ACC All-Defense (2000-02), 2x NCAA Tournament All-Region (2001, 2002)
JALEN SMITH (2018-20)
Started: 2 years (13.5 pts, 8.6 rebs, 1.8 blks)
Best season: 2019-20 (sophomore) — 15.5 pts, 10.5 rebs, 2.4 blks, 53.8% FG
Career totals: 865 points, 551 rebounds (37th), 8.6 rpg (11th), 113 blocks (14th), 1.8 bpg (6th) Awards: 2020 All-Big Ten First Team, 2020 Big Ten All-Defense, 2019 Big Ten All-Freshman
Notes: No 2020 postseason due to COVID-19 pandemic
Two Baltimore stars who who left lasting legacies in College Park. Smith returned for 2019-20 with hopes of leading Maryland on a championship run like Dixon, but a pandemic wiped those dreams away before the NBA came calling.
Poll
Round 2: Juan Dixon vs. Jalen Smith
MELO TRIMBLE (2014-17)
Started: 3 years (15.9 pts, 3.9 asts, 3.7 rebs, 1.2 stls)
Best season: 2014-15 (freshman) — 16.2 pts, 3.0 asts, 3.9 rebs, 41.2% 3P, 86.3% FT
Career totals: 1,658 points (14th), 402 assists (14th), 503 free throws (3rd)
Awards: 3x All-Big Ten First Team, 2015 Big Ten All-Freshman
JOHNNY RHODES (1992-96)
Started: 4 years (14.3 pts, 5.8 rebs, 3.6 asts, 2.8 stls)
Best season: 1995-96 (senior) — 16.7 pts, 5.9 rebs, 3.3 asts, 3.7 stls
Career totals: 344 steals (1st), 2.8 spg (1st), 1,743 points (11th), 437 assists (11th)
Awards: 2x All-ACC (second team 1996, third team 1995), ACC All-Freshman (1993)
A pair of all-around guards who started and contributed from day one. The stats are similar, with Trimble a higher-volume scorer and Rhodes piling up steals (he still holds the program record). This one should be close.
Poll
Round 2: Melo Trimble vs. Johnny Rhodes
This poll is closed
-
59%
Melo Trimble
(554 votes) -
40%
Johnny Rhodes
(370 votes)
BUCK WILLIAMS (1978-81)
Started: 3 years (13.6 pts, 10.9 rebs, 61.5% FG)
Best season: 1980-81 (junior) — 15.5 pts, 11.7 rebs, 1.0 asts, 64.7% FG
Career totals: 61.5% FG (1st), 928 rebounds (4th), 10.9 rpg (2nd), 1,153 points (40th)
Awards: 2x All-ACC Second Team (1980, 1981), 2x All-ACC Tournament (first team 1981, second team 1980), 1979 ACC ROY
KEVIN HUERTER (2016-18)
Started: 2 years (12.0 pts, 5.0 rebs, 3.0 asts, 39.4% 3P)
Best season: 2017-18 (sophomore) — 14.8 pts, 5.0 rebs, 3.4 asts, 41.7% 3P
Career totals: 779 points, 324 rebounds, 196 assists, 39.4% 3P (T-5th)
Awards: 2018 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention
Williams dominated in the post, averaging double-doubles all three seasons. Huerter established himself from beyond the arc — his 65 and 73 made three-pointers are both top-10 on Maryland’s single-season leaderboard.
Poll
Round 2: Buck Williams vs. Kevin Huerter
This poll is closed
-
91%
Buck Williams
(836 votes) -
8%
Kevin Huerter
(78 votes)
LEN ELMORE (1971-74)
Started: 3 years (11.8 pts, 12.2 rebs, 1.4 asts)
Best season: 1973-74 (senior) — 14.6 pts, 14.7 rebs, 1.7 asts, 52.5% FG
Career totals: 1,053 rebounds (1st), 12.2 rpg (1st), 1,017 points (54th)
Awards: 3x All-ACC (first team 1974, second team 1972-73), 1974 consensus All-American second team, 2x All-ACC Tournament Second Team (1972, 1974)
Notes: Still holds Maryland single-game record with 26 rebounds at Wake Forest (1974)
BRAD DAVIS (1974-77)
Started: 3 years (12.2 pts, 5.1 asts, 3.1 rebs)
Best season: 1974-75 (freshman) — 12.6 pts, 4.6 asts, 3.3 rebs, 58% FG
Career totals: 433 assists (12th), 4.2 apg (8th), 53.3% FG (14th), 1,136 points (42nd)
Awards: 2x All-ACC Second Team (1975, 1977)
These two didn’t overlap as Terps, but each helped lead Maryland to NCAA regional finals (Elmore in 1973, Davis in 1975).
Poll
Round 2: Len Elmore vs. Brad Davis
JOHN LUCAS (1972-76)
Started: 4 years (18.3 pts, 4.7 asts, 3.4 rebs, 52.5% FG)
Best season: 1973-74 (sophomore) — 20.1 pts, 5.7 asts, 2.9 rebs
Career totals: 2,015 points (6th), 18.3 ppg (4th), 514 assists (6th), 862 field goals (T-1st)
Awards: 2x consensus All-American First Team (1975, 1976), 3x All-ACC first team (1974-76), 3x All-ACC Tournament (first team 1973-74, second team 1975), NCAA Tournament All-Region (1975)
WILL HETZEL (1967-70)
Started: 3 years (18.0 pts, 9.1 rebs)
Best season: 1969-69 (junior) — 23.3 pts, 12.2 rebs, 81.3% FT
Career totals: 1,370 points (25th), 18.0 ppg (5th), 689 rebounds (16th), 9.1 rpg (8th)
Awards: 2x All-ACC Second Team (1969, 1970)
Both players are in the top five on Maryland’s career scoring average list. Hetzel’s 23.3 points per game in 1969 remained a program record until Walt Williams shattered it in 1992. Lucas was the first Terp to reach 2,000 career points or 500 career assists.
Poll
Round 2: John Lucas vs. Will Hetzel
STEVE FRANCIS (1998-99)
Started: 1 year (17.0 pts, 4.5 rebs, 4.5 asts, 2.8 stls)
Best season: 1998-99 (junior)
Career totals: 579 points, 154 rebounds, 152 assists
Awards: 1999 All-ACC first team, All-ACC Tournament First team, consensus All-American Second Team
KEITH BOOTH (1993-97)
Started: 4 years (14.1 pts, 7.3 rebs, 2.3 asts, 1.5 stls)
Best season: 1996-97 (senior) — 19.5 pts, 7.9 rebs, 2.6 asts, 2.0 stls
Career totals: 1,776 points (10th), 916 rebounds (6th), 296 assists (23rd), 193 steals (6th)
Awards: 2x All-ACC (first team 1997, third team 1996), All-ACC Tournament Third Team (1997)
This is perhaps the biggest ideological conundrum of the round. Booth is a shining example of a four-year star, and his career totals reflect that. Francis, meanwhile, is the quintessential one-year wonder. His lone season as a Terp is among the best in program history. So do you reward the longevity or the apex brilliance?
Poll
Round 2: Steve Francis vs. Keith Booth
This poll is closed
-
29%
Steve Francis
(267 votes) -
70%
Keith Booth
(645 votes)
STEVE BLAKE (1999-2003)
Started: 4 years (8.3 pts, 7.0 asts, 3.4 rebs, 1.7 stls)
Best season: 2002-03 (senior) — 11.6 pts, 7.1 asts, 3.7 rebs, 1.6 stls
Career totals: 972 assists (1st), 7.0 apg (1st), 234 steals (4th), 1,139 points (41st), 136 starts (1st)
Awards: 2x All-ACC (first team 2003, third team 2002), All-ACC Tournament Second Team (2002), ACC All-Freshman (2000)
KEITH GATLIN (1983-88)
Started: 3 years (10.2 pts, 5.6 asts, 2.4 rebs)
Best season: 1987-88 (senior) — 12.2 pts, 3.6 asts, 3.0 rebs, 49.6% 3P
Career totals: 649 assists (3rd), 5.3 apg (3rd), 1,087 points (50th)
Awards: 1988 ACC All-Tournament Second Team
Notes: Missed 1986-87 season for academic reasons ... shot 49.6 percent from long range (still a program record) in 1987-88, his only season playing with a three-point line
These two pass-first point guards followed similar career arcs, as both emerged as primary scorers in their final seasons. Blake had Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter and Co. to share the ball with. Gatlin had Bias, Branch, Derrick Lewis and more.
Poll
Round 2: Steve Blake vs. Keith Gatlin
LONNY BAXTER (1998-2002)
Started: 3 years (15.5 pts, 8.3 rebs, 1.9 blks)
Best season: 1999-2000 (sophomore) — 15.6 pts, 8.8 rebs, 2.3 blks
Career totals: 1,858 points (8th), 998 rebounds (2nd), 347 offensive rebounds (1st), 227 blocks (6th)
Awards: 3x All-ACC (first team 2000, second team 2001-02), 2x All-ACC Tournament (first team 2000, second team 2001), 2x NCAA Tournament All-Region (2001-02), 2002 NCAA All-Tournament
JOHN GILCHRIST (2002-05)
Started: 2 years (14.7 pts, 5.2 asts, 4.8 rebs, 1.6 stls)
Best season: 2003-04 (sophomore) — 15.4 pts, 5.0 asts, 4.5 rebs, 1.8 stls
Career totals: 1,022 points (53rd), 364 assists (16th), 4.0 apg (10th) 39.2% 3P (7th)
Awards: 2004 ACC Tournament MVP and All-Tournament First Team, 2004 All-ACC Third Team
Our final second-round matchup features two different types of postseason heroes. Baxter, of course, started at center for the 2002 title team, while Gilchrist led Maryland to a surprise ACC Tournament title two years later.
Poll
Round 2: Lonny Baxter vs. John Gilchrist
This poll is closed
-
96%
Lonny Baxter
(874 votes) -
3%
John Gilchrist
(35 votes)