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NBA Draft: The Non-Existent Hype Surrounding Greivis Vasquez Is Ridiculous
By Camron Ghorbi
Dime
It’s damn near impossible to fly under the radar in a conference as highly regarded and widely publicized as the ACC. With six tourney teams in 2010 and five National Champions over the past ten years (including a current stretch of two straight winners), the ACC is often considered among the best conferences in the country. As a grey area abounds concerning Philadelphia’s Draft plans and DeMarcus Cousins’ maturity issues, there’s another question that needs answering: Why is the only player in ACC history to ever compile 2,000 points, 700 assists and 600 rebounds a widely unknown commodity heading into Thursday’s NBA Draft?
The non-existent hype surrounding Greivis Vasquez only two days before Draft Day is a microcosm of the 6-6 guard’s career at the University of Maryland. At nearby Montrose Christian High School (Rockville, Md.) Vasquez’ talent at the guard position was clear; big enough to drive past smaller guards, Vasquez was also praised for his vision and passing abilities. Skeptics were quick to mention his 180-pound frame and low scoring totals, which they felt would ultimately deter him from being successful in the ACC. As would be the case for the remainder of his four years at Maryland, it wouldn’t take long for the Venezuelan to prove the doubters wrong.
Averaging 9.8 points and 4.6 assists as a freshman, Vasquez earned Honorable Mention on the ACC All-Freshman team. While the first team boasted the likes of Brandan Wright and Javaris Crittenton, Vasquez quietly became one of the leaders for the Terrapins, starting 21 games for a team that earned a #4-seed in the tourney. And after Wright, Crittenton and fellow Honorable Mention winner Thaddeus Young all declared themselves eligible for the NBA Draft, Vasquez returned to College Park ready to build on a successful freshman campaign.
With the graduation of veterans D.J. Strawberry and Mike Jones, however, much of the offensive burden was placed squarely on Vasquez’ shoulders. Teaming up with senior James Gist, the sop re earned All-ACC Second-Team honors and finished fifth in the conference with a 17.0-point average. While the team struggled through a mediocre .500 performance in ACC play, it was clear by season’s end that Vasquez was a budding star for Gary Williams; the Venezuelan led the ACC in assists per game (6.8), including an ACC season high of 15 dimes in a win against N.C. State.
After a disappointing NIT exit in 2008, Vasquez and the Terrapins had their work cut out for them in 2009. With the graduation of Gist and Boom Osby, Vasquez led a team of widely unproven talent to another NCAA tournament. In an overtime win against then-#3 North Carolina, Vasquez went off for a triple double (35 points, 11 boards, 10 dimes), the first of its kind in Maryland in over 20 years. There was his 33-point showing at N.C. State in a crucial conference victory. And after leading his team to the postseason, Vasquez posted 27 points in a first-round tourney win over Cal. But after leading his team so far, even Vasquez (18 points) couldn’t do anything against the #2 Memphis Tigers, who steamrolled the Terrapins in a 19-point victory.
By the end of his senior season, the legend of Greivis Vasquez was forever sealed on the College Park campus. Awarded the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard and named ACC Player of the Year, Vasquez finished the season with a 19.6-point and 6.3-assist average. He scored his 2,000th point as a senior, putting the finishing touches on a brilliant career by once again leading his team to the NCAA tournament, where he averaged 21 points per game in the team’s two tourney games. And after four years of hard work, Vasquez had finally earned the recognition he deserved as the best player in arguably the best conference in the country.
Next up for Vasquez is Thursday’s NBA Draft, where the 23-year-old is projected as a second-round pick. While question marks continue to surround many of the top-ranked prospects as we inch closer and closer to Draft Day, there’s one player who managed to answer all the critics with his continuously brilliant play in his four years at Maryland. And when the questions begin to pop up in earnest during summer league play and training camp, no player will be more prepared to answer than Greivis Vasquez.
