Maryland Basketball: The Championship Chase - 2002

[@nonplayerzealot4]

Lakers fan, here. I liked Steve Blake on the team. Tenacious dude, provided more than his raw stats would indicate. He was actually the best ex-Maryland player the Lakers have had tho their history w/ Maryland is short compared to schools like UNC/UCLA. Lakes had a totally cooked Joe Smith for 1 yr, Adrian Branch rode bench for Showtime (his best game w/ LA was at Capital Centre coincidentally), Brad Davis was drafted by LAL but was dealt to the Mavs early on, Laron Profit was mostly hurt and in 2008 he looked like a Kobe body double so much that you did double takes on Laron's dunks, and Blake). I remember Steve w/ Porty hacking Kobe on a drive bear hug style and Kobe pointing a finger in his face as they faced off. He was savvy and unafraid to mix it up tho. Won a game or two near the buzzer for LA, played well in a 2012 7 gm series against DEN.

[@thewhitechocolateprince]

oh my josh was Joe Smith old when lakers had him

[@rb_1978]

19 years later, I still have nightmares about that Battier and Jason Williams led Duke team. Those two years the MD/Duke rivalry was bar-none the best in college basketball.

[@nyterpfan]

100% agree---it was almost exactly like the incredible Maryland-NC State rivalry in the early/mid 70's!

[@librajedi]

Yea those two squads were about as good and deep as you can get at the college level

[@Riles3152]

I get it, but but guys proved to be at the same level if not a slghtly better team during that period IMO. 2 of those 4 games in 00-01 season, you had big leads on the much higher ranked Duke, but couldn't keep them due to the "miracle minute" and the 2nd half of the final 4 after getting out to a 20 point lead on Duke. You even beat them on there home court that year in Shane Battier's last Duke home game 🤣In 01-02, you split with Duke and went on to the National title, beating the team that upset Duke in the sweet 16.

[@SRambo-hx8sl]

I love the Maryland Terps. GO MARYLAND!

[@kencollins2789]

Thanks Phil. I needed that!

[@hammerfret]

What the heck? No highlights from the championship game? I watched 25 minutes and they didn't include the best part???

[@bilyg5689]

They completely skipped the ACC tournament too

[@russellpavlov1343]

Joseph Hewes, do u have the 2002 Final Four Highlight Film and Big Ten Elite 2002 Maryland/Indiana Basketball?

[@GilzthaMacKkk20]

2020 terps are eerily similar to 2002. Cowan & Smith= Juan & Baxter. Go Terps!

[@starwars518]

The 20-21 team is very dangerous and they are playing well probably Turges best coaching imo.

[@paulmkz]

Can't compare any MD team to 2002. That team was all time elite

[@meast33]

any Turgeon led team had no chance from the get go. worst bench coach I've ever had to watch

[@fairfaxcat1312]

Holiday at the mic.