Greivis Vasquez on Senior Night, Records & All-Time Starting Five
Former Maryland point guard Greivis Vasquez etched his name forever into the Maryland record book during his spirited four-year career that culminated with the Bob Cousy Award as a senior. The former 6-foot-6 point guard from Caracas, Venezuela was the heart of a Maryland team that flourished under head coach Gary Williams and in a podcast with Hear the Turtle, Vasquez explained how his work ethic shaped him in College Park.
“To me, records are about preparation,” he said. “Preparation is the key and to this day, I’m well prepared about anything I do so when I was at Maryland, even going through my high school career at Montrose Christian School, it was all about getting myself better because I knew my window wasn’t going to be shorter than the rest of the guys. I’m coming from another country, I’m trying to make it to the NBA, I’m trying to play college basketball and I’m trying to get a degree. It requires 20,000 more things than a regular student-athlete or regular American guy so it was going to be hard for a guy, an immigrant, to come into a country and try to perform and do his best. I understood that from the beginning and as a kid, when you understand and when you’re conscious about who you are, then the rest of the work is very smooth and you can accomplish those records. My work ethic was the main key, it was the key. Why? Because I was the type of guy that on a Friday night, call coach Atkins who used to be a former coach for the women’s basketball team at Maryland, former assistant coach at Montrose Christian and now he’s working with the Washington Wizards. He used to be my guy, I used to call him and say ‘coach I need to get better.’ I’d call him at 9 on Friday, or just wake up at 6 AM on a Saturday while everyone on Friday was going out. The student-athlete life, you have fun, I had my fun I’m not going to lie, but I was on a tunnel vision. To me, what defines Greivis Vasquez is the will to get better, the will to get prepared. I wanted to get prepared for everything. I knew I was going to have to earn every single thing and it was not going to be easy. And after a while, it was just the environment, the atmosphere, the chemistry between me and coach [Gary] Williams and the coaching staff. To this day, up to this day, I’m so proud of everyone around me that made that possible as well—coaching staff, teachers, people that really helped me because my English was really struggling at that time. Just to go to a special program that the university put me through for English as a second language, people don’t know this. Yes I broke a lot of records and I still have records at Maryland but I went through a lot to get there so it wasn’t handed to me. a lot of these guys are good, versatile, he’s a 6-5 point guard. No, you guys remember when I was there people still had a little doubts about me making it to the NBA or me playing in the ACC ‘cause I wasn’t this very athletic player. I was this guy, he got heart but I don’t know if he has anything else.”
Vasquez led the Terps to an 82-80 road win against then-top ranked North Carolina during his sophomore season, but his February 9 performance against N.C. State etched him into the record books as he tallied 15 assists, tied for the program’s single-game assist record, en route to an 84-70 victory. But the decision to become the facilitator was spurred by former Maryland assistant Rob Ehsan, who gave Vasquez a pregame message that altered his first-half decision making.
“They were talking about my sophomore year and saying ‘oh, you’re being selfish, you're shooting way too much, you’re doing way too much for the team, you have to create some type of trust with your teammates’ and I go, Rob Ehsan, he has the balls to tell me. I say Rob, I’m doing whatever it takes to win, just control the rest of the players that we should be out here working. You can’t question my work ethic but we should be out here working. I wasn’t even sure responding to him at that time, I said you know what, you guys are right. I got to build trust, I’m shooting way too much, I’m being erratic. So I go, Gary didn’t say that to me, Gary told that to Rob and Rob was my player development coach so when Rob went at me, I’m like ‘coach.’ I got upset, I got emotional, I was so pissed that I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I’m busting my butt every day for them to tell me that I’m not passing the ball, like what I do best is my vision. I’m not passing, I’m just trying to win. That’s why people sometimes they don’t understand that time who is Greivis Vasquez. I couldn’t care less if the media outlet says ‘oh Greivis is being erratic’ because they don’t know what’s going on in that locker room. So I go, I say you guys are right so I’m going to playa the way you guys want me to play.” Vasquez flirted with a triple-double that game as he ended with 13 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds in 38 minutes.
“If you see my field goals, I started taking my field goals at the end of the game basically in the second half. You know why? Because I went into the game and said I’m not going to shoot. That message was to Gary, you want me to pass? OK, I’m playing hard, I wanted to win. Come on, Comcast Center at that time with 18,000 people, you get hype—I was really hype but imagine how disciplined I am in my game plan, I go like they want me to pass, that’s the main thing you’re doing tonight. I’m talking to myself, I’m starting to dish it out and making everyone comfortable. I ended up having like eight assists in the first half. So then I go to the second half, we’re having a pretty good game and Gary goes I said to pass the ball more, but I didn’t say not to shoot and I’m like ‘oh, so now you want me to shoot?’ OK, you’re the boss, I’ll follow your instruction. I went out there and I started shooting, I was being more aggressive offensively but I still have such a great rhythm finding my teammates that I end up having 15 assists.”
But for Maryland fans, the bulk of the memories that Vasquez gave came during the 2009-10 season that led to a dominant point guard and a near-complete team. Vasquez jumpstarted a comeback on the road against NC State that same season, where he scored a three in the waning seconds that drew boos from the Wolfpack crowd, while his 41-point performance against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg kept Maryland’s chances at the ACC regular-season championship alive. The road matchup against the Hokies that season was muddied with delays, but Vasquez admitted he knew he was on the cusp of a memorable performance.
“I remember one game against Virginia Tech. We went through a lot, something going on with the school, water went out, something was going on the team, we spent two, three hours to get the game going. Then when we got the game going, I told Gary ‘hey, this guys, I’m going to go perform tonight. Give me the green light. I know I’m going to be crazy, you know me, but I’m going to go real crazy tonight.’ And rightfully so, I went crazy. I got 41 points and every time I got the ball, the crowd was booing me and I was like yeah, you guys gotta boo me even more because you’re giving me more gas for me to really bust you and make this game remarkable and that’s me, that was the level of communication between me and the coaching staff. I always say this, Gary is the most mellow guy. He’s approachable, people always thought he wasn’t approachable and even with the minutes, I played heavy minutes and to a point, it was good and it was bad but at the time it was the best thing for our team because the numbers don’t lie. When you start checking my stats and the team in those particular years, we got better each and every year and the way to develop Greivis was to put him out there. He gave me the keys, he gave me trust and I earned it. Gary isn’t going to hand you anything just because you’re good. With that record, I am proud and to this day, all my feelings are ‘hey, I’m so happy that I went to the University of Maryland and I was able to represent the school every single minute that I played.’ I wanted to put my best on the court and off the court so very, very proud of that record.”
And then March 3, 2010 came. Vasquez senior night alongside guard Eric Hayes and forward Landon Milbourne, the Terps had an opportunity to claim a share of the regular-season title if they’d defeat a Duke team led by Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer. A fast-start from the Terps highlighted by a Jordan Williams dunk led to an eruption within the Comcast Center, but the miracle shot by Vasquez with just under a minute in the game cemented the victory as the Terps became the final team to take down the Blue Devils. For Vasquez, along with each Maryland fan, it was a night they will never forget.
“Man if I planned it, it wouldn’t have happened that well. It was a dream come true, I thank God. To this day I watch it on YouTube, I have the clips on my computer and show my kids. All my Maryland family living around Miami that still recognize still talk that game. That was the game of my life. I was so focused, I wanted to win, that was my last shot to be better than Juan and see if I can take my team to a Final Four and that year was tough. That game, it gave me hope and it gave motivation to say hey we can go to a Final Four. We were the last team beating Duke that year and they ended up winning the national championship so we were close and we ended up losing to Michigan State on a miracle shot, I forgot the name of the point guard. I don’t even know where he’s at right now, but anyways, to me my senior night was a perfect senior night for any player that dreams of playing on senior night. I can’t thank Gary enough, my teammates, Eric Hayes. Eric Hayes means so much to me, me and Eric Hayes will be head coach and assistant coach. I don’t know where but we did such a great job together and he sacrificed so much for me being a guy that was very, he wasn’t really outspoken like me, crazy, he was within himself, very great teammate, very great guy, great family. Eric Hayes is to me, to this day, one of my favorite teammates and I never forget anything. I’m loyal and I know I’m going to help and he’s going to work basketball with me and get back together somehow, someway. Not because of friendship because we still kind of talk now and then, but what we’ve done through our college career. We went through so much together and I can’t ever forget that. That night, it was special night for me and for him because we came in together and that night was hope to believe we were a championship-caliber team. And we were, I truly believe we were. We wouldn’t have lost that game, who knows, that was a tough loss. I scored like twelve points in two minutes but I made a huge mistake, that’s why you have to study the game.”
It would be the last time the Terps would clinch a share of the ACC regular-season title before the eventual move to the Big Ten, but Vasquez' career cemented him into legendary status and among the greatest to play in College Park. Vasquez still sits second in program-history in points and three-point field goals made while his assist totals in each of his final three seasons has placed each performance within the top-15 in the record books. Vasquez embraced new territory in College Park and walks away from the college experience with no regrets, only appreciation.
"That’s unbelievable. To this day I’m thankful, I can never pay back to the school because the school did so much to form me and make me a well-prepared human being. It means a lot, sometimes you don’t value things until you lose that. My scholarship was, I don’t know, $120,000 a year or a little more and my family could’ve never afforded that at all, not going to afford that myself. The only way to pay it back was doing the right thing when nobody was watching me and doing the right thing on the court, off the court represent the school because you know, I was very humble for the opportunity. That’s what I still student-athletes right now, you need this. You need college to educate yourself unless you’re extremely talented, you’ll be the number one pick next year which is another topic, a guy like Greivis Vasquez needed college because I wasn’t a high-profile player. College gave me a high-profile pick in the NBA, I was a first-round pick but I made myself, the school, coaches around me, fans made Greivis Vasquez attractive to the best league in the world which is the NBA. I can’t thank the school, I can’t thank the coaches enough, the athletic department, Debbie Yow at the time I had a great relationship with her because Gary, Debbie all that stuff."
More from Vasquez:
On the college experience
It was fun, it was so much fun. I never missed classes, I wanted that attention so I used to go to class sit in the front of class, I say attention comes to me. That’s what college is all about, if you do it right why not go to class? People talk about the games, talk about you they see you walking, you cool, I used to say hello to everyone. Such a cool story walking around campus and it’s ‘oh G, good job, what a game, oh come to our dorm. I got to know the whole student body even better and my fans and I used to go to Stamp and eat lunch in front of everyone. I am a celebrity if you say so but I’m here and I’m another student so I want to enjoy college just like you. I used to go to every tailgate, football game, home game and that’s amazing. I just get upset and it makes me angry when student-athletes don’t want to enjoy this student life trying to be so cool. You’re not that cool especially if you go to a big campus like Maryland, I used to go to women’s hockey games, women’s lacrosse games, they used to be great, soccer games, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, football. I used to be everywhere.
On impact of Eric Hayes
I was lit and he was so opposite. Eric Hayes did so much for Maryland that sometimes, we underestimate that, we under appreciate that. Thank God you asked me that because that’s the best question because Eric Hayes was the most efficient and I would say the most professional even though at the time we were amateurs, student-athletes, but he was a responsible guy. He was a leader, he led, he helped us, kept me under control many times, made big threes for me, inspired me, he inspired his teammates, memorable, always on time, perfect guy, makes us not want to do anything wrong. He didn’t get the attention he deserved because he was such a perfect guy and I can’t thank him enough. Eric Hayes is eventually, we’re going to have to get together and even though he might not want to coach, I’m going to tell him you’re going to work with me. He sacrificed so much for me, he signed and committed before me and he was going to be the starting point guard but we had to share minutes then later on, we started together. It was lethal, we were good together. If I had to choose Ty Lawson, Nolan Smith, I’ll choose E-Hayes, Eric Hayes would be my teammate and if I had to do it again I would do it with E-Hayes and I’m never going to change that. I’m loyal to him and I’m thankful I played with him and I want to thank him even more because he sacrificed so much for me and for the program and I thank his family, great family, his dad, everyone that used to go to the games and hang out with and talk. Eric Hayes man, Eric Hayes, the whole school and basketball program should give him a call. He’s a guy that can help the program, he’s committed to helping the school and he don’t want anything to be handed to him. He will earn his way, but this is a great guy for youngsters, for these new recruits that are coming in and he can guide them, he can help them. He’s good man, he’s good. We need Eric Hayes.
On recording 2,000 points, 700 assists, 600 rebounds
Being who I am, I wish somebody else gets my records because I want to see it closely to make sure I appreciate what you’ve done. Not saying I don’t appreciate my whole career at Maryland, but I’m the type of guy that I love to challenge people and since I don’t want it to come out the wrong way, who is going to come to Maryland and study the game and study the records? Greivis did this, Juan Dixon, Steve Blake, Byron Mouton did this. So I want to be better than them and quite frankly, I came out a little short and I have to be honest. I wanted to be better than Juan Dixon, I wanted to leave my mark better than Juan Dixon. I wanted to go after his records and everything he has done and I knew it was going to be hard because he won a championship and he led the school to a championship. You know what? That’s very, very healthy thoughts. If you don’t have a sense of purpose or you don’t have goals or you don’t think ahead of yourself in a way, then why you playing sports? It’s about competition, it’s about getting better, it’s about doing something that no one has done. Michael Jordan did it in the NBA and his whole career, Michael Jordan did it, a lot of athletes, best quarterback in the game Tom Brady did it. The 200 pick in the NFL Draft and look at who he is right now. I was coming in, I was like who’s the best? I want to be the best. To me right now, I love to challenge the guys right now. ‘Hey, what’re you up to? Are you going to just go out and have fun and enjoy your time in college or are you going to bust your ass on the court and trying to break records and trying to win a championship and say you know what, Greivis was great. But I was better, I get up in the morning and clap it up because that’s what I’m looking for. Because that’s what we represent. Anyone that goes to Maryland that represents passion, we challenge, we want to challenge people. So I want these players to be challenged, yes it’s about winning. But if you’re doing the right thing then you are going to win. To me, to this day I will love to see someone to challenge those records and try to be better than me, Steve Blake, Juan Dixon to this day is the best to ever play there because everything he accomplished.
All-time starting five
PG-Greivis Vasquez
SG-Juan Dixon
SF-Len Bias
PF-Joe Smith
C-Lonny Baxter
