Maryland basketball has had a significant history in terms of the NCAA tournament. Most of their success came during their long, historic Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) tenure. The Terrapins first put their name in the Big Dance in 1958, which saw them reach the Sweet 16 after shocking ACC favorites Duke and North Carolina in back-to-back days to win the Conference tournament that season.
From there, Maryland didn’t look back as they continued building up what has become a storied program. The Terrapins had many impactful players throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s and had successful years. The one problem they lacked was getting to the Final Four and competing for a National Title. That changed when Hall of Fame coach Gary Williams arrived in College Park. From 1994 to 2005, the Terrapins became a ranked team every season and were a force to reckon with. Outstanding guard play under Williams led to the highest point in Maryland basketball history, as they finally reached the Final Four in 2001. They followed that up with the best season ever in 2002 as the Terps took down now Big Ten rival Indiana to win the National Championship.
Though they have been in the hunt since joining the Big Ten in 2014, Maryland basketball hasn’t reached the Elite Eight since that championship win. Nonetheless, the Terps have plenty of worthy candidates for this all-time lineup.
Maryland Basketball: Terrapins All-Time Starting Lineup
Guard: Juan Dixon
The more you look at historic players at Maryland, the tougher the options get. There have been enough outstanding guards alone for the Terps, you could go an all-guard line-up. The easiest choice for this team is Maryland’s all-time leading scorer, Juan Dixon. What more can be said, he was the driving force for Williams as the Terps made their ultimate run to the 2002 title. He could be the point guard, and boy, could he shoot it. His story is amazing, coming from a rough childhood where he lost both his parents at a young age. That didn’t stop Dixon, as he played in 34 games as a freshman for Maryland during the 1999-2000 season. He didn’t look back as he quickly became a star in a loaded ACC.
Dixon earned All-ACC honors three times, along with winning the ACC Player of the Year and ACC Athlete of the Year in 2002. He was named the most outstanding player for the 2002 NCAA Tournament, leading the Terps, averaging 2o.4 points, three assists, five rebounds, and nearly three steals per game. He did all that while being one of the ACC’s most elite defensive players. All of his outstanding plays earned him Consensus All-American honors as a senior.
Dixon left Maryland having scored 2,269 points, which is still the record all-time. He took his talents to the NBA and was the 17th pick in the 2002 Draft. Dixon spent just over seven seasons in the NBA, but his collegiate success didn’t quite carry over, as he was more of a strong back-up point guard. He turned it into a coaching career, where he last was the coach at Coppin State. It may not have worked out for Dixon, but he was undoubtedly the driving force for Maryland’s National Championship, so he deserves his spot on this lineup.
Guard: Greivis Vasquez
The No. 21 will forever be remembered in College Park, and Greivis Vasquez had the honor of wearing it. Certainly, if Vasquez had the supporting cast like Dixon had, maybe the Terps could have reached the Final Four. That’s the past, but Vasquez was an outstanding player. Like Dixon, he was a three-time All-ACC player. His senior season alone was memorable as the Terps tied with eventual National Champion Duke for the ACC regular season title in 2009-2010. Vasquez was vital for that team, and he earned ACC Player of the Year honors after averaging over 20 points per game.
That Maryland team came closest to returning to the Sweet 16 and beyond, and Vasquez was a key reason for that. They fell just short, losing on a last-second shot to Michigan State in the Round of 32. That senior campaign by Vasquez was still memorable as he was a consensus All-American; he won the Jerry West Award, not to mention was named a finalist for the Wooden Award. His skill led to him being a first-round pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. He spent his entire pro career in the NBA, which is nothing to frown at playing from 2010-2016. It was a great career for the Venezuelan star. He earned his place on this team, given he was a star at a time when Maryland needed him most.
Forward: Len Bias
This player might be the biggest what-if in the history of Maryland basketball. Len Bias was fantastic at every level he was able to play. He was a Parade All-American out of High School from Landover, Maryland, right in the Terps back yard. He stayed true to Maryland and became a historic player with a promising pro career ahead of him.
In his four seasons in College Park, Bias was named ACC Player of the Year, All-ACC, and Consensus All-American twice a piece. He was named the best athlete in the entire ACC in 1986. That speaks volumes, given how much talent the ACC offered in the 1980s. His dynamic ability on the court made him stand out above the rest of his fellow competitors. Bias remains one of the biggest what-ifs because two days after being selected second overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1986 NBA Draft, he was found dead due to a cardiac event caused by a cocaine overdose. It caused plenty of controversy for Bias’ image in those days and many years after.
According to Ed Badger, a former scout for the team, the famed Celtics thought they had the next Michael Jordan. Bias was unmatched at the collegiate level during his time at Maryland. The Basketball Hall of Fame made the right call in 2021 when he was inducted. Seeing what he could’ve become as a pro would have been something.
Forward: Buck Williams
Buck Williams was yet another 1980s-era Maryland basketball player. He put up great stats for a program that, at the time, was still trying to find itself. In his three seasons in College Park, Williams reached the 1,000-point scoring mark. He also had over 900 rebounds in just three seasons. His best feat at the collegiate level was his freshman season, as he scored 300 points and grabbed over 300 rebounds. That earned him the 1978-79 ACC Rookie of the Year Award. He followed it up with back-to-back All-ACC honors. Both seasons saw him average 15 points per game.
After three great seasons as a Terrapin, Williams sought the NBA waters. So the New Jersey Nets picked him with the third overall pick in the 1981 Draft. The two guys selected ahead of him were Mark Aguirre and Isiah Thomas. Both famously were eventual members of the famed Detroit Pistons’ Bad Boys. Williams outshined both in the 1981-82 season, winning the NBA Rookie of The Year. Buck finished his NBA career as a three-time NBA All-Star and defensive All-NBA four times. Though he never was able to accomplish team success, Williams spent 17 years in the NBA, so his longevity was outstanding, especially for someone drafted in 1981.
Center: Jalen Smith
The most recent player and the only one who has played in the Big Ten to make this list is Jalen Smith. The six-foot-nine center was huge for the Terrapins as they fought to win the Big Ten for the first time. Smith had it all coming out of high school, where he was the two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Maryland. His high school success earned him McDonald’s All-American honors as a senior.
Smith chose to stay home and spent two seasons in College Park. It was the right choice, as he averaged over 11 points, close to seven rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game as a freshman. He was named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team in 2019. That campaign led to a great sophomore season, where he only got better and stronger. His shot blocking made him one of the best in the country, besides the Big Ten. The 2019-20 season saw Smith at the forefront as the Terps claimed a share of their first-ever Big Ten Championship. Smith was part of an outstanding All-Big Ten defensive team that season alongside Michigan State’s Xavier Tillman. He was also named First-Team All-Big Ten that season and earned third-team All-American honors.
After that season, he felt the NBA’s call and was selected in the top 10 of the 2020 Draft. Despite a slow start in the NBA because of COVID-19, Smith has started to find his place, currently with the Chicago Bulls. It’s still hard to tell if he will be a strong defensive player at the pro level. Nonetheless, this all-time Maryland line-up needed a true center, and Smith fit the bill.
See Previous All-Time Big Ten teams below:
Illinois Fighting Illini All-Time Starting Lineup
