Maryland better not forget they are a basketball school

By: Corey Johns

When University of Maryland President Wallace Loh said the Big Ten cares about football and not basketball it clearly was not the right thing to say and honestly, it was disrespectful of the great history and tradition Maryland Basketball has created.

It is perfectly fine and understandable why Maryland would want to work hard to improve their football team. Football is the moneymaker in college sports, far more than basketball is. But Loh should be embarrassed how he talked about Maryland Basketball, a team that right now is ranked No. 3 in the preseason coaches poll, has the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year and legitimate National Championship aspirations.

Lefty Dreisel and Gary Williams are two of the greatest coaches in college basketball history and both led the Terps on the hardwood. Who could forget Juan Dixon wearing the net around his neck after Maryland won the National Championship. Len Elmore, John Lucas and Tom McMillan made up one of the greatest teams in college basketball history back in the early 1970s. Len Bias is one of the best college basketball players in history.

Maryland Athletics always has been carried and made relevant because of basketball. It’s put them as the main story on ESPN. It’s put them on the cover of Sports Illustrated and national newspapers all over the country. It is unacceptable and wrong to essentially say basketball is small time. No, it’s not football, but without basketball Maryland could be a complete no-name in college sports.

The football team’s history is lacking. Stan Jones and Randy White are NFL Hall of Famers and Boomer Esiason was a very successful NFL quarterback, but the success really ends with those three. In 1953 the Terps claim the National Championship but there is no all-time great coach or Heisman Trophy winners. It has been a middle of the road power conference team for over 50 years. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be better and wanting to create those moments and memories like the basketball team has, but Maryland is a basketball school and they better never forget it.

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