Maryland Basketball: The Top 50 Players in School History

Although he averaged double-digit points in all three of his seasons at Maryland, Brad Davis was a distributor at heart. His 433 career assists are the 11th-most in program history.

A first-round pick of the Lakers, Davis found his real NBA home with the then-expansion Dallas Mavericks. Over a span of a dozen years as the Mavs’ point guard, he dished out eight assists per game five different times.

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50. Lawrence Boston (1975-78)

A solid all-around power forward, Lawrence Boston peaked as a senior with averages of 15.1 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. Where he set himself apart, though, was with his accuracy from the field, shooting a career percentage of .576 (fourth-best in Terps history).

Drafted by Washington in the fourth round, Boston got only a cup of coffee with the team. He played 13 NBA games, scoring 4.3 points per outing.

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49. Drew Nicholas (1999-03)

After three seasons on Gary Williams’ bench, Drew Nicholas blossomed into a devastating offensive weapon who averaged 17.8 points a game and nailed the buzzer-beating three to knock off UNC-Wilmington in the first round of the NCAAs.

His 74 three-pointers made as a senior are the fourth-best season in school history, and his total of 176 for his career is seventh on that list.

Nicholas’ one brilliant season wasn’t enough to get him drafted by the NBA. He’s currently playing in Europe, successfully enough that he won the Euroleague scoring title in 2005-06.

48. Greg Manning (1977-81)

Sweet-shooting SG Greg Manning would’ve scored a good deal more than his 1,561 career points if he hadn’t been sharing the ball with star forwards Albert King and Buck Williams.

Manning made the chances he got count, placing third in school history in field-goal percentage (.583) and second in free-throw percentage (.858, including a single-season school record .908 as a junior).

While his more-heralded teammates were drafted in what would now be lottery territory, Manning wound up as a seventh-round pick of the Nuggets. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t make the team and never played in the NBA.

47. Tom Roy (1971-75)

Tom Roy spent much of his Maryland career backing up low-post legends Len Elmore and Tom McMillen.

When he finally got a starting spot of his own as a senior, he grabbed 11.1 rebounds per game (eighth-best in school history) and helped key the Terps’ second Elite Eight run in three seasons.

The 6’9” Roy was drafted in the third round by the Blazers, but with Bill Walton in his second season, Portland wasn’t exactly hurting for front-line talent. Roy didn’t crack the roster and never appeared in the NBA.

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46. Ben Coleman (1982-84)

In two seasons after transferring from Minnesota, Ben Coleman established himself as an outstanding post scorer. His career .589 shooting percentage is second-best in school history, and he averaged 15.2 points a game in the process.

Coleman bounced around the NBA for five seasons as a backup. He provided respectable scoring (6.6 points in only 15.9 minutes a night), but couldn’t stay out of foul trouble long enough to hold a steady roster spot.

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45. Tahj Holden (1999-03)

A key reserve on the 2002 national champs, Tahj Holden developed into a shutdown defensive presence the following year. Holden averaged two blocks a game as a senior, capping a career in which he swatted 132 shots (ninth-most in program history).

Undrafted out of Maryland, Holden never played in the NBA. He’s currently an assistant coach at Monmouth.

44. Tony Massenburg (1985-90)

By his senior season in College Park, Tony Massenburg had developed into a superior college power forward who averaged 18 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. His 722 career boards rank him 13th on the school’s all-time list.

Massenburg became a ubiquitous low-post backup (and occasional starter) in the NBA, spending 13 seasons with a record-tying 12 different teams.

He was a solid rebounder who topped six boards a game in three of those years, but rarely made it to double figures in scoring.

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43. Brad Davis (1974-77)

Although he averaged double-digit points in all three of his seasons at Maryland, Brad Davis was a distributor at heart. His 433 career assists are the 11th-most in program history.

A first-round pick of the Lakers, Davis found his real NBA home with the then-expansion Dallas Mavericks. Over a span of a dozen years as the Mavs’ point guard, he dished out eight assists per game five different times.

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42. Nik Caner-Medley (2002-06)

A lanky 6’8” power forward, Nik Caner-Medley never quite put on enough weight to be a dominant rebounder. Where his length did make a difference was on offense, where his 1,573 career points rank him in the top 15 all-time at Maryland.

Undrafted out of school, Caner-Medley excelled in a brief D-League stint with Sioux Falls. Despite his 22 points and 11.5 rebounds a night, he never got an NBA call-up and is currently playing in Europe.

41. Travis Garrison (2002-06)

6’8” Travis Garrison never did much scoring in College Park, but he made plenty of noise on defense. Garrison blocked at least one shot per game for his last three seasons as a Terrapin, finishing with 136 rejections—the eighth-best total in Maryland history.

Undrafted out of school. Garrison never made it to the NBA. He’s currently playing in Europe.

40. Ernest Graham (1977-81)

An agile swingman with a great shooting stroke, Ernest Graham holds the Maryland record with 44 points in a game. His 1,607 career points are 13th in school history, and he was a key factor in Maryland’s second-ever regular-season ACC title in 1980.

Graham became a third-round pick of the 76ers, but like so many basketball stars of his day, he battled a drug problem that crippled his pro ambitions. He never played in the NBA.

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39. Obinna Ekezie (1995-99)

A bruising center at 6’9”, 270 lbs, Obinna Ekezie was never much for finesse. He parlayed his imposing frame into 671 career rebounds and 125 blocks at Maryland, with the latter total placing him 10th in school history.

Ekezie went on to a short, not-too-effective career as an NBA benchwarmer.

He spent half a season starting for the Hawks in 2004-05, posting career bests of 5.5 points, 4.3 boards and a paltry 0.3 blocks per game in what proved to be his NBA swan song.

38. Dutch Morley (1978-82)

A monumentally bad scorer who never reached five points per game as a Terrapin, Greg “Dutch” Morley made up for it with his passing and defense. Morley’s 460 career assists are the ninth-best total in school history, and his 170 steals rank 10th on that list.

With so little to contribute as a shooter, Morley’s chances for a pro career were slim. He went undrafted and never played in the NBA.

37. Chris Wilcox (2000-02)

Lonnie Baxter’s sidekick on the 2002 national champs, Chris Wilcox was an even more imposing athlete than the more polished Baxter. The 6’10”, 221 pound forward powered his way to 12 points and 7.1 rebounds a night in his second and final year in College Park.

Although he clearly jumped to the pros before he was ready, Wilcox has turned out to be a fine NBA reserve who was (at his best) almost good enough to deserve a starting job.

He hasn’t looked like it in 2011-12, though, barely getting off the bench for the struggling Celtics after a solid effort with the Pistons last season.

36. Kevin McLinton (1989-93)

Combo guard Kevin McLinton averaged as many as 15.8 points a game in a Terrapin uniform, but it’s not his scoring that earns him a place on this list. McLinton dished out 469 career assists (at a rate of 5.2 a night), placing him eighth all-time at Maryland.

At 6’3”, McLinton was too small to play SG and too slow to play PG at the next level. He went undrafted and never appeared in the NBA.

35. James Gist (2004-08)

James Gist wasn’t a top-tier scorer, but he used his 6’9” length to great effect on the glass. Gist’s 783 career rebounds are the 10th-best total in Maryland history.

Although Gist was a late second-round pick of the Spurs, he’s never appeared in the NBA. He’s currently playing in Europe.

34. Duane Simpkins (1992-96)

Duane Simpkins was a dangerous scorer as a 6’0” point guard, draining 40.4 percent of his career three-point tries. His primary role, though, was as a distributor, as he racked up the seventh-most assists (483) in Maryland history.

Simpkins’ diminutive stature didn’t do him any favors with pro scouts. He went undrafted and never played in the NBA.

33. Larry Gibson (1975-79)

Although Larry Gibson is best remembered for a single moment—the last-second three-point play that stunned No. 1 Notre Dame in 1979—he put in four strong seasons in College Park.

The 6’9” power forward ranks seventh in school history with 895 career rebounds.

Gibson became a third-round pick of the Bucks, but couldn’t crack the roster. He never played in the NBA.

32. Gary Ward (1963-66)

Gary Ward scored just 1,094 points in a Maryland uniform, but his career average of 16.8 points per game is the 10th-best in program history. He was even tougher on the glass, ranking seventh all-time among Terrapins with 9.5 rebounds a night.

Although Ward did earn a late-round pick in the NBA draft, he was picked by the Celtics during Bill Russell’s championship stronghold. Unsurprisingly, he couldn’t crack those loaded rosters and never played in the NBA.

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31. D.J. Strawberry (2003-07)

He may not have been a star to match his father Darryl’s baseball career, but D.J. Strawberry did a little of everything as a Maryland shooting guard.

The 6’5” Strawberry scored as many as 14.9 points a game, dished out 317 career assists, and snatched 202 steals to rank fifth in program history.

A second-round pick of the Suns, Strawberry sat on that club’s bench for most of his rookie season. After a few good years as a part-time starter in the D-League, he’s playing in Europe in 2011-12.

30. Keith Booth (1993-97)

A long, lean small forward at 6’6”, Keith Booth was an exceptional perimeter rebounder whose 916 career boards are the sixth-most in Terps history.

He was an imposing scorer as well, averaging 19.5 points a game as a senior to cap a career in which he posted the ninth-best point total (1,776) for any Maryland player.

A first-round pick of the Bulls, Booth appeared in just six games (and none in the postseason) for the 1998 NBA champs. He lasted only one season in the post-Jordan regime, averaging 3.1 points a game off the bench.

29. Eric Hayes (2006-10)

For pure shooting touch, Maryland has produced few players to match Eric Hayes. The 6’4” guard drained 196 three-pointers (fourth-most in school history) while breaking the Terrapin record with a career free-throw percentage of .870.

Hayes didn’t have the defensive chops for the NBA, and he went undrafted. He’s currently playing in Europe.

28. Bob Kessler (1953-56)

One of Maryland’s earliest bona fide stars, Bob Kessler is one of just three Terrapins to record two 20 point-per-game seasons. He was also a terrific rebounder whose senior-year average of 14 boards a night is the second-best in school history.

Kessler was a second-round pick of the Pistons, but even in that era, 6’4” wasn’t overly large for a power forward. He never played in the NBA.

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27. Mike Jones (2003-07)

Mike Jones didn’t rack up overwhelming point totals at Maryland, but he earned his stripes as a long-range shooting threat. Jones was only the third Terrapin to hit 200 three-pointers in a career, and he knocked down 41 percent of his "treys" overall.

Jones was never much of a defender, and he went undrafted by the NBA. He’s currently playing in Europe.

26. Ekene Ibekwe (2003-07)

6’9” Ekene Ibekwe was a respectable rebounder who grabbed 781 boards (11th in school history) in his Maryland career. His real gift, however, was blocking shots, as he piled up 230 rejections to rank fifth on the Terrapins’ charts.

Ibekwe went undrafted and has never appeared in the NBA. He’s currently playing in Europe.

25. Steve Francis (1998-99)

Steve Francis played just one season at Maryland after arriving as a junior college transfer, but he made it count. Francis averaged 17 points, 4.5 assists and 2.8 steals a night while leading the Terps to a then-school record 28 wins and a Sweet 16 berth.

Although few NBA GMs found his talent to be worth his big ego and bigger contracts, Stevie Franchise was an intimidating offensive force as a pro.

He averaged 17.4 points and 5.8 assists a game over his nine NBA seasons, making three All-Star teams as a Rocket.

24. Terrell Stokes (1995-99)

A prototype point guard, Terrell Stokes controlled the game at both ends of the floor. His 190 steals are eighth-most in Maryland history, and he ranks fourth with 590 career assists (sharing the school record with 15 in a game).

Undrafted by the NBA, Stokes never played in the league. He found more luck in coaching, and currently serves as an assistant at the Div. II University of the District of Columbia.

23. Cedric Lewis (1987-91)

Mostly a bench player at Maryland, Cedric Lewis battled his way onto the floor with his outstanding defense.

The 6’10” Lewis’ 239 career blocks are the third-best total in Terrapin history, and he set a single-season school record with 5.1 rejections per game.

Lewis went undrafted by the NBA, only appearing in a fleeting stint with Washington. His entire career in the league consisted of four minutes spread over three games.

22. Laron Profit (1995-99)

Swingman Laron Profit was a valuable scorer who ranks 15th in Maryland history with 1,566 points. The 6'5" Profit was even tougher on defense, grabbing 252 steals (third-best all-time for a Terrapin).

Profit’s skill set didn’t translate to facing the bigger backcourts at the pro level. He played four unsuccessful seasons on the Wizard and Laker benches, averaging 3.3 points a night for his career.

21. Jordan Williams (2009-11)

A hulking 6’10”, 260 pound, Jordan Williams had the bulk to overpower most of his college opponents. His 11.8 rebounds per game last season were the fifth-best figure all-time for a Terrapin, as was his career mark of 10.2 boards a night.

Williams hasn’t often left the Nets’ bench at this early stage of his rookie year. He’s totaled 37 minutes in his six games, averaging all of one point per night.

20. Gene Shue (1951-54)

6’2” guard Gene Shue became the first great scorer in Maryland history. He averaged better than 20 points a game in both his junior and senior seasons, and his career mark of 18.7 points a night would stand as a school record for two decades.

Picked No. 3 overall by the Warriors, Shue didn’t become a starter until he was traded to the Pistons. There, he went on to average as many as 22.8 points and 6.8 assists per game and make five straight All-Star appearances.

19. Al Bunge (1957-60)

A key member of Maryland's first-ever NCAA tournament team, 6’8” Al Bunge was one of the program's first legitimate big men. His career average of 10.6 rebounds a night is still the fourth-highest in school history.

Bunge’s collegiate accomplishments got him drafted by the then-Philadelphia Warriors. However, he never appeared in an NBA game.

18. Keith Gatlin (1983-88)

Keith Gatlin developed into a respectable scorer who averaged 12.2 points a game in his final college season, but he was a great distributor from his first game in a Terrapin uniform.

Gatlin averaged 5.3 assists a game for his career, and his 649 career assists—a record when he graduated—are still good for third all-time at the school.

Despite his impressive passing ability, Gatlin went undrafted out of college. He never played in the NBA.

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17. Will Hetzel (1967-70)

A sensational 6’6” small forward who struggled after new coach Lefty Driesell moved him to the post as a senior, Will Hetzel had averaged 23.3 points (a school record at the time) and 12.2 rebounds on the wing as a junior.

His 9.1 career boards per game are the ninth-best mark in school history, while his 18 points a night are fifth on that list.

The unimpressive conclusion to Hetzel’s college career dropped him to the ninth round of the draft. He never made it onto an NBA roster.

16. Walt Williams (1988-92)

Although 6’8” swingman Walt Williams was a versatile player who averaged as many as 5.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game at Maryland, he’ll always be remembered for his scoring.

As a senior, the Wizard shattered the Terrapin record with a single-season average of 26.8 points a game, earning second-team All-America honors for his efforts.

Williams went on to a productive NBA career with the Kings (who made him a lottery pick) and several other teams. He averaged 17 points and 4.1 assists a night in his best seasons.

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15. Terence Morris (1997-01)

Terence Morris scored 1,733 career points from his power forward spot, but his other contributions were even more valuable to the Terps. Morris ranks fifth in school history with 925 career rebounds and second with 256 blocks in his four seasons.

A second-round pick of the Hawks, Morris landed in Houston in a draft-night deal. He never caught on as a pro, averaging just 3.4 points a game over three abbreviated NBA seasons.

14. Adrian Branch (1981-85)

Saddled with the unenviable task of succeeding Albert King as Maryland’s primary scorer, Adrian Branch proved that he was up to the challenge. Branch scored 2,017 points in his career in College Park, fifth-most in school history and just 41 behind King.

Although he was drafted by the Bulls, Branch didn’t make an NBA roster until the Lakers picked him up a season later.

He got a championship ring with L.A., but even his efficient scoring off the bench (6.4 points in just 11 minutes a night for his career) couldn’t keep him in the league for more than four seasons.

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13. Lonny Baxter (1998-02)

Lonny Baxter served as the low-post anchor for the Terrapins’ 2002 national champs. The 6’8” PF piled up 1,858 points (seventh-best in school history) and 998 rebounds (second) in his stellar career.

The best thing to be said about Baxter’s NBA career, on the other hand, was that it didn’t last very long. In parts of four seasons as a reserve, he averaged just 3.9 points and 2.9 rebounds a game.

12. Albert King (1977-81)

He never quite matched the stratospheric numbers of his brother Bernard, but Albert King was an outstanding scorer himself.

The 6’6” swingman paired with Buck Williams in one of Maryland’s best-ever frontcourts, racking up the fourth-highest point total (2,058) in Terrapin history.

King was drafted 10th overall by the Nets—seven spots after Williams went to the same club—but never matched his collegiate performance in the pros.

At his best, he was a respectable starter who averaged 17 points and 5.8 rebounds a game for New Jersey.

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11. Len Bias (1982-86)

A devastatingly athletic 6’8” power forward, Len Bias became just the second consensus All-American in Maryland history. His 23.2 points a game as a senior is the school’s third-best season, and his career record of 2,149 points stood for 16 years.

Sadly, Bias’ college brilliance was quickly overshadowed by the tragic end to his life. Less than 48 hours after being drafted No. 2 overall by Larry Bird’s Celtics, Bias overdosed on cocaine and died.

10. John Lucas II (1972-76)

A classic combo guard, John Lucas dominated on offense like no Terrapin before him. He graduated with the school records for points (2,015, still good for sixth place) and assists (514, now fourth) while leading the first two Elite Eight trips in program history.

Lucas didn’t live up to the No. 1 overall pick the Rockets spent on him, but he was a terrific NBA point guard regardless. He posted a career average of seven assists a game over 14 pro seasons while scoring as many as 17.5 points a night.

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9. Derrick Lewis (1984-88)

At 6’8”, Derrick Lewis (pictured with teammate Len Bias) was as complete a post player as Maryland has ever seen. He scored 1,458 career points, grabbed 948 rebounds (third-most in school history) and set the Terrapin record with 339 career blocks.

Lewis was drafted by the Bulls, but couldn’t crack a roster that had plenty of depth in the post. He never appeared in the NBA.

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8. Buck Williams (1978-81)

An elite power forward at 6’8”, Charles “Buck” Williams was a rock in the low post for Maryland. He holds the Terrapin career record with a .615 field goal percentage, and he hauled in 10.9 rebounds per game, second-best in school history.

Williams followed up his College Park stardom with the best NBA career of any Maryland product.

He made three All-Star teams with the Nets (who drafted him third overall), averaging 12 rebounds a game for his first seven pro seasons, then became a key supporting player on Clyde Drexler’s great Portland teams in the late ‘80s.

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7. Johnny Rhodes (1992-96)

Judged purely on his offensive talents, Johnny Rhodes was a very good shooting guard whose 1,743 points are the 10th-highest total in Maryland history.

Throw in his defense, though, and you have a bona fide star who recorded more steals (344) than any player in ACC history.

Despite his extraordinary college performance, Rhodes managed to go undrafted by the NBA. He never played in the league.

6. Len Elmore (1971-74)

The best true center in Maryland history, Len Elmore was a dominant player despite a career average of just 11.8 points per game.

The 6’9” Elmore was a superb defender who holds the school records with 1,053 rebounds and a career average of 12.2 boards a game.

A first-round pick for Washington, Elmore turned them down to jump to the ABA’s Pacers.

He put in a brilliant second season with the team—14.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game—but suffered a serious knee injury the next year and was a shadow of his former self for the remainder of his 10-year pro career.

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5. Steve Blake (1999-03)

Although he was a fine long-range shooter who knocked down 182 "treys" at Maryland, Steve Blake wasn’t asked to do much scoring.

His job was to be one of the best distributors in the history of college basketball, running the offense for the 2002 national champions and recording the fifth-highest career assist total (972) for any Division I player ever.

Blake has been an effective floor leader at the NBA level as well, averaging as many as 5.1 assists per game as a pro. Now a nine-year vet, he’s in his second season as Derek Fisher’s backup with the Lakers.

4. Tom McMillen (1971-74)

A high-scoring power forward, Tom McMillen won tournament MVP honors in leading the Terps to their only NIT title in 1972. For his career, he grabbed 9.8 rebounds a night (the sixth-best mark for a Terrapin) and set a school record with 20.5 points per game.

McMillen’s lack of bulk—215 lbs on a 6’11” frame—hurt him at the NBA level. He never managed to secure a starting job, averaging 8.1 points and a disappointing four rebounds a night over 11 pro seasons.

3. Joe Smith (1993-95)

In a meteoric two-year career, Joe Smith became the first and only Terrapin to win the Naismith Award. His career averages of 20.2 points and 10.7 rebounds a game are both in the top three in Maryland history.

Drafted No. 1 overall by the Warriors, Smith proved to be a good but not great power forward who topped out at 18.7 points and 8.7 rebounds a game.

He played 16 games between the Nets and Lakers last season—two of his record-tying 12 career franchises—but has yet to appear in 2011-12.

2. Greivis Vasquez (2006-10)

A high-scoring point guard with a terrific long-range shot, Greivis Vasquez was a one-man show in four seasons at Maryland.

He ranks seventh in Terrapin history in steals at 191, and his offensive contributions include placing second on the school’s charts for points (2,171), assists (772) and three-pointers made (230).

Vasquez didn’t see a lot of playing time as a Grizzlies rookie last year. Dealt to the Hornets over the offseason, he’s currently scoring 5.6 points a night off the New Orleans bench.

1. Juan Dixon (1998-02)

The star of the 2002 national champs, Juan Dixon could take over a game on either end of the floor.

His 333 steals are only 11 behind Johnny Rhodes' ACC record, and he tops the Maryland charts with 239 three-pointers made and 2,269 points in his career.

Dixon continued to be an effective scorer, albeit off the bench, in seven NBA seasons. As a part-time starter in Portland in 2005-06, he averaged a career-best 12.3 points per game.