COLLEGE PARK -- What Greivis Vasquez faces on the road is no different from what he gets at home. Though fans at Comcast Center don't chant his name derisively as the crowd did last month at Virginia Tech, they have filled Internet message boards with critical, mean-spirited remarks about Maryland's sophomore guard.
So what Vasquez will experience tonight, when the red-hot Terrapins play second-ranked Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., is really nothing compared with what he went through in December, when the Terps bottomed out after embarrassing home losses to Ohio and American.
Even as Maryland emerged from its early-season abyss, the scathing comments directed at Vasquez continued. They suggested he return to his native Caracas, Venezuela, that he would never amount to anything or follow in the recent tradition of guards such as Juan Dixon and Steve Blake.
Standing in the dressing room after Saturday's 84-70 home win over North Carolina State, Vasquez said his recent play has been fueled by his motivation to silence the critics. He has done that, and his performances last week were among his best since coming to Maryland from Montrose Christian in Rockville.
After scoring 25 points, to go along with eight assists and six rebounds, at Boston College last Wednesday to help Maryland coach Gary Williams win his 600th career game, Vasquez tied a school record with 15 assists and came within a rebound of a triple double Saturday against N.C. State.
"I've got a lot of potential. I've got to use my potential and make this team better," Vasquez said after the N.C. State game. "I don't want to be Juan Dixon. I don't want to be Steve Blake. I want to be myself, so whenever I get out of here, people will remember me differently.
"Don't get me wrong, they were the best. I haven't accomplished anything, a championship. But I'm working on it. It's going to take a lot of work. I've got to sacrifice a lot. I just can't be so happy. From my experiences before, I was so happy and excited. I've got to calm down and see what happens."
What has happened to Maryland during its recent streak of four straight wins and 10 victories in 12 games revolves largely around Vasquez.
There are moments when Vasquez has been the best player on the court. At other times, he remains the most exasperating. With Vasquez, there are rarely any dull moments. As capable as Vasquez is at taking over a game, he is still capable of taking bad shots and making questionable decisions.
The way Vasquez plays is different from just about anybody else Williams has coached at Maryland. The way Vasquez can use his height (6 feet 6) to see the floor reminds his coach of Walt Williams. The way Vasquez shows emotion reminds some of Byron Mouton and others of Steve Francis.
"He plays with a lot of emotion, so maybe when you're emotional, there are a lot of ups and downs," Gary Williams said last week. "I like the way he plays. I wouldn't change anything. Just like in coaching, you can't coach like somebody else. ... Players have to play their style."
In December, when he and the team were struggling, Vasquez had to do a little soul searching and realized that the freewheeling, shoot-first approach he took while playing for the Venezuelan national team last summer wouldn't work at Maryland.
"I was more of a scorer. I came here with a little bit different mentality," Vasquez said. "It really affected me [earlier this season]. It would have been different if I had the personnel I had last year. I thought I had to score more. That wasn't the best idea. I got back on track by passing, then shooting."
Despite his recent play, Vasquez is still confounding, even to some of his own teammates.
"If we can figure out what he's going to do - I don't think we can - it'll definitely make us a better team," senior center Bambale Osby said last week.
It also makes Vasquez hard to guard.
"He has a different kind of game," N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe, a former point guard himself, said this week. "He'll slow it down, and all of a sudden, he'll see something and burst. He plays angles as well as anybody right now at that position. He understands the game. He's very cagey. It's really hard to prepare for him."
Williams has often reminded the media, and therefore the fans, that Vasquez is in the midst of his first season as a full-time starter.
"There were some games when he was in the learning curve and he didn't play particularly well early," Williams said. "He's learned, like all good players do, and he's become very efficient with the ball. Having Eric Hayes healthy has certainly helped Greivis, because he takes some of that responsibility [for handing the ball] off."
Some of the criticism could resurface if Vasquez and the Terps struggle tonight in Durham.
This time, Vasquez is ready to move on.
"I've got to take it step by step. I can't go that fast. I've just got to keep playing hard," he said.
don.markus@baltsun.com
Vasquez's ups and downs
A look at Greivis Vasquez's best and worst games this season:
The good
Date Opponent Details
2-6 Boston Col. 25 points, 9-for-14 shooting,
8 assists, 3 turnovers
2-9 N.C. State 13 points, 6-for-16 shooting,
15 assists, 4 turnovers
The bad
11-12 Hampton 21 points, 6-for-15 shooting,
4 assists, 8 turnovers
12-02 VCU 19 points, 4-for-13 shooting,
3 assists, 5 turnovers
The ugly
1-12 Va. Tech 10 points, 2-for-14 shooting,
3 assists, 6 turnovers