Greivis Vasquez, a Dukie?

Brash, arrogant, cocky -- anyone one of those terms could be used to describe Greivis Vasquez.

And you wouldn't be wrong.

But perhaps the best way to describe the now-graduated Maryland star is passionate. As easy as it was to hate him -- even if you were a Maryland fan -- it is nearly impossible to say that the guy didn't love competing and that he didn't do everything he could to win. He loved Maryland.

This picture is quite disturbing.
(photo credit: The Sporting Blog)

And while it took some time, eventually Vasquez was able to win over the fans in College Park. He will go down in history as one of, if not the, best Terrapin of all time.

Maryland isn't UCLA, but it is still quite impressive to even be mentioned in the same breath as players like Len Bias and Juan Dixon.

Logic would lead you to believe that, as a Terp that will spend a long time in the record books, Vasquez would hate Duke. It would only make sense, right? Players and fans alike, people associated with Maryland are supposed to hate the Dukies. Duke-UNC may be the best rivalry in all of college basketball, but Duke-Maryland really is not all that far behind. Hell, Vasquez even called Cameron Indoor Stadium "My house".

The funny thing is, Vasquez doesn't actually hate Duke. In fact, some might even consider him a Duke fan.

Joshua Hairston is Duke-recruit from the DC area, and he has gotten a chance to get to know Vasquez over the years. This morning during an interview with 620 The Buzz, Hairston had this to say about the most universally despised non-Dukie in the ACC:

He talks about Duke all the time, how much he loves Coach K, the staff and the program itself.

...

When I first met Greivis the first thing he kept talking about was how much he loved Duke and how much he loved Coach K. I thought he was being sarcastic at first but he's very serious about it.

When they [Maryland] were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament we were running a camp together at Montrose (Hairston's high school for his senior season). A kid asked him who he wanted to win the tournament and he said 'Duke all the way'. He's always been a big Duke fan and he hopes we can pull it off. He is a true Duke fan even though he plays for Maryland.

Huh?

So Greivis Vasquez roots for Duke?

To be honest, it does not surprise me all that much.

When it comes to rivalries in sports, its a not-so-well-kept secret that the games mean much more to fans than they do to players. Of course, players want to win games. And in general, the biggest rivalries tend to be between teams that are good year in and year out. When Duke played at Maryland late in the regular season, it was a rivalry game, but the importance wasn't in bragging rights; it was in the fact that the two teams were first and second in the ACC.

Keep in mind that both Duke and Maryland have players from all over the country. Nolan Smith is from the DC area, and Greivis Vasquez went to high school at Montrose Christian, which is right outside DC. You don't think they knew each other before the two players enrolled at their respective schools?

Once these rivalry games are over, the players go back to being friends and social acquaintences off the court.

So like I said, it doesn't surprise me that Vasquez would support a team, a coach, and a group of players that he has competed against over the last four years.

But I bet he's unhappy with Joshua Hairston for making it a national issue.