Jamie Mottram's Sports Blog - www.misterirrelevant.com

If you thought I was a bit overjoyed last week with the re-emergence of Terps basketball, imagine where I'm at now that Maryland went into Champagne -- without Ekene Ibekwe -- and beat previously unbeaten Illinois 72-66 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Sure, the Illini are down right now with respect to where they've been the past two seasons with Deron Williams and Dee Brown and company, but they were still off to a 6-0 start that included a win at mid-major stud Bradley. Plus, no non-Big Ten team had come into their house and won since 1998.

Streaky shooter/leaper Mike Jones led Maryland in scoring, but the star of the show was freshman combo guard Greivis Vasquez who poured in 15 second-half points, highlighted by a key "There's a steal by Bird!"-style theft and lay-up in the game's final minute. It wasn't the young Venezuelan's first major contribution of the season -- he has scored in double-figures four times already -- but it was his finest to date. So what's the story with this kid?

He came to the States from Venezuela just over two years ago unable to speak English and enrolled at Montrose Christian High, which is where Texas superfrosh Kevin Durant played as well. With all of the scouts coming to their games, Vasquez got noticed and received offers from UNC, NC State and, of course, Maryland.

What may have led him, unlike Durant, to come Gary Williams' way is the relationship he developed with fellow Terrapin freshman guard Eric Hayes at a summer league tournament. The two hit it off and are now getting p.t. as they prime themselves to terrorize the ACC a year or two earlier than most fans and pundits expected. Regardless of what they do in conference play, though, they've already done enough to cause Deadspin to shed some tears in his beers.

Oh, and a quick sophomoric note here before never writing of this fine game again. In the closing seconds play-by-play man Brent Musberger broke off this classic bit of advice for the stymied Illinois offense:

"They've got to start jackin' it."

Terps Hold On to End Illini's Home Streak [AOL Sports]
Vasquez Not Short On Talent [Washington Post]
Terps Vasquez Too Good for the Bench [SportsLine]

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• #1 Comment from rebelk9 
  11/29/06 11:46 AM | Permalink

  Wow, Montrose brought in a baller who couldn't speak a word of english...big surprise. Stu Vetter is quite the humanitarian (I hope he gets Black Plague).