Maryland Basketball To Celebrate 20th Anniversary of NCAA Championship
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (WJZ) -- The Maryland men's basketball team will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 2002 NCAA Tournament Champions next month, the school announced Tuesday.
Former head coach Gary Williams and guard Juan Dixon, guard Steve Blake, forward Lonny Baxter and all the players from the team are scheduled to be in attendance for the Feb. 27 game against Ohio State, the school's athletic department said.
The 2001-02 team's legendary run will be celebrated with commemorative t-shirts and newspapers, and an in-game ceremony. Terrapin Club members can enjoy a "Chat with Legends" talk before tip-off.
Behind Dixon, Blake, Baxter and center Chris Wilcox, the Terrapins lost only four games in the regular season and won their last 12, including an 87-73 win against No. 1 Duke at Cole Field House.
You might remember it for the famous "Oh He Steal" play to put Maryland up at the half 38-29.
"Oh He Steal" | Steve Blake vs. Duke 2002"OH HE STEAL". This week, 19 years ago.
Posted by Maryland Terrapins All Access on Thursday, February 18, 2021
After a second-round exit in the ACC Tournament at the hands of NC State, Maryland entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed. They went through No. 16 seed Siena, No. 8 seed Wisconsin, No. 4 seed Kentucky and No. 2 seed UConn to reach the Final Four for the second straight year. A 97-88 rout of No. 1 seed Kansas got Maryland to the championship game against the No. 5 seed Indiana Hoosiers.
Dixon's 18 points and Baxter's double-double (15 points, 14 rebounds) paced the Terps in a 64-52 win to capture the team's first national title.
Dixon was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, the ACC Player of the Year and an Associated Press First Team All-American.