There's no question that not only is Greivis Vasquez Maryland's best player, but that the Terps will only go so far this year as Vasquez can take them. And yesterday, with the Terps battling on the road at Wake Forest and pushing the game into overtime, Maryland needed just one or two more plays from Vasquez down the stretch -- and didn't get it.
Let's be clear: I'm not saying the Terps lost the game because of Vasquez -- far from it. They wouldn't have even been in the game without him on the floor. All I'm saying is that Vasquez wasn't particularly efficient, scoring 30 points on 27 shots (a season-high for him) while dishing out seven assists -- and also turning the ball over six times. Efficient shooting has never been a big part of Vasquez's offensive arsenal, but with smaller guards on him for most of the game, he shot 12 three-pointers instead of attacking the paint more. Again, Vasquez didn't have a bad game -- just not the type of game that Maryland needed from him on the road against a tough opponent.
As for overall team stats, the game was extremely close. Wake Forest shot better from the field (45.7 percent to 40.0 percent), but Maryland made three more three-pointers and three more free throws. Also, despite a size advantage for Wake Forest, each team grabbed 40 rebounds. The Terps dished out six more assists, but Wake blocked six more shots.
Missing a golden opportunity to start 2-0 in the conference, Maryland falls to 1-1 in the ACC. The Terps' next three ACC opponents are Boston College, NC State, and Miami -- and then things start to get difficult, with a five-game stretch that includes No. 19 Clemson, No. 25 Florida State, No. 13 North Carolina, Virginia, and No. 7 Duke.
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