Saying Goodbye: Greivis Vasquez

In this world of NBA Draft early entry and one-and-done freshman, it is difficult to become attached to a college star. They simply don't hang around long enough. But when they do, there is an attachment to that player that is difficult to explain. For me, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for guys like Kirk King and Khalid El-Amin, as I'm sure there is for any fan of any team.

We reached out to some of the blogosphere's best, and over the next couple of weeks we will be running a series of posts saying goodbye to some of the country's best seniors.

Today, Testudo Times says goodbye to Greivis Vasqeuz.

Greivis Vasquez has had a rather amazing career, and not just in how well he played, but also how he was received. Up until the mid-way point of this season, there was a sizable contingent of Maryland fans that couldn’t stand him. In his junior year, his own fans were heckling him in a game Maryland was winning. Looking back on it, the fact that any Terp fan couldn’t get on the Greivis Vasquez bandwagon is shocking and absurd, almost surreal. Other fans have reason to both love and hate Vasquez, but everything about him is lovable for a Maryland fan, from his talent on the court to his overall swagger.

Greivis Vasquez will go down as one of the best in Maryland history.
(photo credit: ESPN)

Vasquez had quite the unique game. It’s difficult to explain – he was nearly as well-rounded as Evan Turner, had the passion of Gary Williams (about 40 years younger), and a swagger that matched John Wall. Sure, he wasn’t athletic, and yes, his jumper was off more often than on, but something about him made him unstoppable from time to time. His court vision was amazing, and he luckily subscribed to the Pete Maravich philosophy: “If I can get the ball to the man with a bounce pass or behind the back pass, what’s the difference?” He made his fair share of mistakes, but they were overwhelmed by the extraordinary and the breathtaking.

And that’s not even beginning to delve deeper into his scoring ability, which is better than anyone could haveve expected. He could hit any variety of runners in the lane, the majority being inordinately difficult shots that still fell with alarming accuracy. He was hit or miss from deep, but had a flair for the dramatic – if the shot was important, it was going down. You could bet on it.

Of course, his game itself is ancillary to the way he played it – his style, his personality, his competitiveness, his passion. In a way, the heartbreaking Michigan State game was his entire career in a nutshell – he simply wasn’t going to go out any way other than with a fight, and he put up an incredible one in those final two minutes. He left everything out on the court every single game, and would do whatever he needed to do to win games. If that required 11 assists, he’d dish them. If it required 30 points, he’d drop them.

Part of what endeared him so much to Maryland fans was that he really was a younger version of Gary Williams in every way. What stands out to most is his passion about the game, but what only Maryland fans can truly appreciate it is his dedication to Maryland itself. He didn’t just win for himself, or his teammates, or the fans – he seemed to feel a real connection to the university, the history, and the program itself. In a sense, he won for the University of Maryland and it’s basketball team as much as did for anyone or anything else. In the age of the one-and-done athlete or the job-hopping coach, that type of devotion is endearing.

I could talk all day about Greivis, mentioning everything from his antics (the Clemson mopping) to his off the court work (helping out with Justin’s Quest), but all that would be superfluous. What really matters about Greivis Vasquez has already been said, several times. Where he will go in the NBA with below-average athleticism is still to be determined, as is his legacy in the history-rich Maryland program. But one thing is certain: he will be missed, by all of college basketball.