Maryland Terrapins Men's Basketball Legends

Last Updated on March 14, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Maryland basketball has a deeper legend pool than it sometimes gets credit for. The Terrapins own the 2002 NCAA championship, multiple Final Four runs, a long ACC-era star lineage, and 18 honored men’s basketball jerseys hanging in the rafters at XFINITY Center. The official Maryland record book and honors pages show just how broad that history is: Juan Dixon is the school’s all-time leading scorer, Len Bias was a two-time ACC Player of the Year, Steve Blake still owns the program’s career assists record, and players from the Lefty Driesell era through Gary Williams’ title team all have legitimate legend cases. (University of Maryland Athletics)

1. Len Bias

Years at Maryland: 1983–1986
Position: Forward
Notable Achievements:
- 1986 first-team All-American
- Two-time ACC Player of the Year
- Finished his career as Maryland’s all-time leading scorer
- Maryland Hall of Fame inductee
- Honored jersey at Maryland

Bias gets the top spot because his peak was the highest of any Maryland player. Maryland’s Hall of Fame page says he was a first-team All-American in 1986, won ACC Player of the Year twice, and finished his career as the school’s all-time leader in more than 15 categories, including 2,147 points. Even after later players passed his point total, his individual dominance still stands as the program’s most imposing high-end résumé. (University of Maryland Athletics)

2. Juan Dixon

Years at Maryland: 1999–2002
Position: Guard
Notable Achievements:
- 2002 consensus first-team All-American
- 2002 ACC Player of the Year
- 2002 NCAA champion
- Maryland all-time scoring leader
- Honored jersey at Maryland

Dixon ranks second because he combines elite individual production with the biggest team achievement in school history. Maryland’s Hall of Fame page identifies him as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,269 points, a 2002 first-team All-American, and a member of the 2002 NCAA championship team. If the ranking were based on overall college accomplishment alone, he would have a real case for No. 1. (University of Maryland Athletics)

3. Len Elmore

Years at Maryland: 1972–1974
Position: Center
Notable Achievements:
- 1974 All-American
- Three-time All-ACC
- Helped lead Maryland to the 1972 NIT title
- Maryland career rebounding leader
- Honored jersey at Maryland

Elmore belongs in the top tier because his record-book footprint is enormous. Maryland’s Hall of Fame page says he scored 1,017 points and grabbed 1,053 rebounds in just three seasons, and the career-leaders page still lists him as the program’s all-time rebounding leader. That is a massive résumé for a three-year player. (University of Maryland Athletics)

4. Tom McMillen

Years at Maryland: 1971–1974
Position: Forward/Center
Notable Achievements:
- Three-time Basketball All-American
- 1972 NIT MVP
- Led Maryland to the 1972 NIT title
- Top-10 all-time Maryland rebounder
- Honored jersey at Maryland

McMillen ranks this high because his college résumé is one of the most decorated in program history. Maryland’s Hall of Fame page says he was a three-time basketball All-American and the MVP of the 1972 NIT champions, while the career-leaders page places him eighth all-time in rebounds. He was a star, a winner, and one of the foundational figures of Maryland’s rise under Lefty Driesell. (University of Maryland Athletics)

5. John Lucas

Years at Maryland: 1973–1976
Position: Guard
Notable Achievements:
- Two-time All-American point guard
- Three-time All-ACC
- No. 1 pick in the 1976 NBA Draft
- One of Maryland’s greatest lead guards
- Honored jersey at Maryland

Lucas is one of the easiest inclusions on the list because he was an elite point guard on great Maryland teams and one of the most gifted all-around athletes in school history. Maryland’s Hall of Fame page says he was a two-time All-American point guard and three-time All-ACC player. His standing as a Maryland backcourt legend is secure even before you factor in the No. 1 overall draft pedigree. (University of Maryland Athletics)

6. Greivis Vasquez

Years at Maryland: 2007–2010
Position: Guard
Notable Achievements:
- 2010 ACC Player of the Year
- 2010 All-American
- Bob Cousy Award winner
- Led Maryland to the 2010 ACC regular-season title
- Second on Maryland’s all-time scoring list

Vasquez ranks this high because he produced one of the best modern-era individual seasons in school history. Maryland’s Hall of Fame page says he won the 2010 Bob Cousy Award, earned All-America honors, won ACC Player of the Year, led the Terps to the 2010 ACC regular-season title, and finished second all-time at Maryland with 2,171 points. That is a heavyweight résumé. (University of Maryland Athletics)

7. Buck Williams

Years at Maryland: 1979–1981
Position: Forward/Center
Notable Achievements:
- First-team All-American
- Third-leading rebounder in Maryland history
- Led the ACC in rebounding as a freshman
- Third overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft
- Honored jersey at Maryland

Buck Williams deserves this spot because he was one of Maryland’s best rebounders and toughest interior players ever. Maryland’s Hall of Fame page says he was a first-team All-American as a junior and still ranks as the school’s third-leading rebounder. The career-leaders page adds that he is fourth in total rebounds and second in rebounding average. (University of Maryland Athletics)

8. Joe Smith

Years at Maryland: 1994–1995
Position: Forward/Center
Notable Achievements:
- 1995 National Player of the Year
- Two-time All-American
- Two-time first-team All-ACC
- No. 1 pick in the 1995 NBA Draft
- Honored jersey at Maryland

Smith only played two seasons, but his peak was so good he still cracks the top 10 easily. Maryland’s honored-jerseys page says he was the 1995 consensus National Collegiate Player of the Year, the first Maryland player ever to win that award, and notes that he averaged 20.1 points and 10.7 rebounds for his career before becoming the No. 1 overall draft pick. (University of Maryland Athletics)

9. Steve Blake

Years at Maryland: 2000–2003
Position: Guard
Notable Achievements:
- 2002 NCAA champion
- Maryland’s only four-time all-conference player
- Maryland all-time leader in career assists
- Maryland all-time leader in career starts
- Honored jersey at Maryland

Blake makes this list because he is one of the central organizing figures in program history. Maryland’s Hall of Fame page says he helped lead the Terps to their first and only NCAA championship in 2002, remains the school’s all-time leader in career assists, single-season assists, and career starts, and is the only four-time all-conference player in Maryland history. That is a rare combination of longevity and championship value. (University of Maryland Athletics)

10. Lonny Baxter

Years at Maryland: 1999–2002
Position: Center/Forward
Notable Achievements:
- 2002 NCAA champion
- 2002 first-team All-American
- Two-time NCAA Regional MVP
- Second all-time in Maryland rebounds
- Honored jersey at Maryland

Baxter belongs on the list because he was not just a sidekick on the title team. Maryland’s Hall of Fame page says he was a 2002 NCAA champion, a Wooden Award first-team All-American, a two-time NCAA Regional MVP, and still ranks second in program history with 998 rebounds. That gives him one of the strongest winning-plus-production cases in school history. (University of Maryland Athletics)

11. Walt Williams

Years at Maryland: 1989–1992
Position: Forward
Notable Achievements:
- All-American
- School-record 26.8 points per game as a senior
- Broke Maryland’s single-season scoring record
- Honored jersey at Maryland
- Maryland Hall of Fame inductee

Walt Williams earns this spot because his scoring peak was outrageous. Maryland’s Hall of Fame page says he was one of the most versatile and dominant players in school history, and the same official materials note that he averaged a school-record 26.8 points per game as a senior while scoring 776 points that season. Few Maryland players ever carried offense at that level. (University of Maryland Athletics)

12. Albert King

Years at Maryland: 1978–1981
Position: Forward
Notable Achievements:
- Two-time All-American
- 1980 ACC Player of the Year
- 1980 ACC Tournament MVP
- Scored 2,058 career points
- Honored jersey at Maryland

King rounds out the top 12 because he is one of Maryland’s great pre-1980s scorers and a centerpiece of a strong era. Maryland’s Hall of Fame page says he was an All-American in both 1980 and 1981, won ACC Player of the Year in 1980, and scored 2,058 career points. The career-leaders page still shows him tied for first in field goals made. (University of Maryland Athletics)

Strong Honorable Mentions

Keith Booth
Steve Francis
Johnny Rhodes
Terence Morris
Adrian Branch
Ernie Graham
Gene Shue
Bosey Berger

The toughest omissions are Booth and Francis. Booth started every game of his career and left with major scoring and free-throw records, while Francis had an explosive one-year peak and later NBA star power. Rhodes also has a strong argument because Maryland’s honored-jerseys page says he still held the ACC career steals record as of 2020 and finished top-six in multiple Maryland career categories. (University of Maryland Athletics)

Maryland Terrapins Men’s Basketball Legends