Greivis Vasquez will Return to Maryland
Terrapin Point Guard Withdraws from the NBA Draft
Jun 18, 2009
Everything the University of Maryland basketball fans and coaches needed to know was contained in a prepared statement distributed to the media, and carried in a story by Steve Yanda in the Washington Post on June 16, 2009.
“After a great deal of thought, consideration and research, I have decided to withdraw my name from the NBA draft and return to the University of Maryland for my senior year.” Greivis Vasquez, Maryland’s three-year starting point-guard is returning to the school for his senior year. And with that, the mercurial star of Terrapin basketball ended all the talk and speculation about his near-future basketball plans.
Greivis Vasquez 2009 Season
Given his statistics for the 2009 season, there isn’t any doubt the Terrapins would not have gone nearly as far as they did without Vasquez. He started all 35 games played; he led the Terrapins in points-per game (17.5), rebounds per game (5.4) and assists per game (5.0). At the end of the season, Vasquez was named Second Team ALL-ACC.
Vasquez willed his team to an NCAA tournament bid; his triple double effort in a late season win against North Carolina was as good a performance as there was in the ACC all season, and he carried that momentum and leadership into the ACC and NCAA tournament. Vasquez is as competitive as his alter-ego coach, Gary Williams. After losing to Memphis in the second round of the NCAA tournament, his collegiate future was uncertain.
Vasquez’s NBA Prospects
Vasquez worked out for a number of NBA teams, and found himself in NBA pre-draft camps as well. He projects himself as a point guard, where, according to Yanda, “he (Vasquez) repeatedly has insisted he will play.” As befits the position, Vasquez was the unquestioned floor leader for Maryland during the season.
However there were times when the leadership efforts backfired, with Vasquez forcing the game to come to him. The results were turnovers and forced shots; Vasquez averaged 3.8 turnovers per game and shot 33% from the three-point range.
Unfortunately for Vasquez, the 2009 NBA draft is loaded with premium talent at the point guard position. Among the notables are Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn, North Carolina’s Ty Lawson, Davidson’s Stephen Curry, Memphis’s Tyreke Evans, and Ricky Rubio from Spain. Each brings a different level of skill or athleticism to the position that Vasquez does not possess; all are expected first round draft picks.
The logjam at point-guard left Vasquez with very few options in his draft prospects. He does not shoot well enough, nor does he have the ability to create an open shot for himself, to be a legitimate two-guard. In all likelihood Vasquez would've found himself on the outside looking in as the draft unfolded, with remaining options to either hope for a free-agent tryout, or to play overseas in Europe or South America. Neither was an attractive option.
Vasquez Stays at Maryland
In the end, with options somewhat limited, Vasquez decided to stay at Maryland for his senior season. Terrapin fans should rejoice; Vasquez is a passionate and fiery competitor, and for all his perceived shortcomings, will bring a level of stability to a still fairly young team. With no point guard on the recruiting radar screen for Gary Williams, Vasquez is not just the best hope for opening night at Comcast Center; he is the only hope.
