Dixon Named ACC Player Of The Week
1/14/2002 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 14, 2002
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland's Juan Dixon was named ACC Player of the Week after averaging 27.5 points in a pair of conference wins over North Carolina (112-79) and Georgia Tech (92-87). In addition, the 6-3, 164-pound senior from Baltimore, Md., averaged 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 steals and 3.0 assists as the fourth-ranked Terps ran their ACC record to 3-0 with the wins.
The third-ranked Terrapins, 13-2 overall, take on top-ranked Duke on Thursday evening in Durham (9 p.m., ESPN).
Dixon scored 29 points in 26 minutes against North Carolina and matched his career-high with eight steals. He recorded his first double-double of the season against Georgia Tech when he scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with four assists and three steals. He made five three-point field goals in each game.
For the week, Dixon was 18-of-34 from the floor (53 percent), 10-of-18 from beyond the arc (56 percent) and 9-of-10 from the line (90 percent).
More notes on Maryland's candidate for the Wooden and Naismith Player of the Year Awards, and a leading candidate as the nation's top defensive player:
-- Dixon made the play of the game at Georgia Tech, saving the game with a daring steal and alley-oop assist, and four free throws in the game's final 30 seconds. Leading 85-83 and following a Maryland turnover, Tech had the ball with a chance to tie or lead with 36 seconds to play. Dixon deftly stripped the Jackets' Tony Akins as he put the ball into his left hand, after trailing him and waiting for the precise moment. With the steal in hand, he dribbled 30 feet toward the Maryland basket before lobbing a daring alley-oop pass to Chris Wilcox, who buried the dunk for an 87-83 lead. Dixon then hit four free throws in the final 10 seconds to ice the win.
-- Said Tech coach Paul Hewitt, "We got beat by a great player who makes big plays in a lot of different ways. If Juan Dixon is not making a three, he's making a great pass, or at the end there it was him that made that steal."
-- Dixon surpassed 1,800 points for his career, and with 290 steals, he can become the first player in ACC history to reach 1,800 points and 300 steals.
-- Dixon needs just three 3-pointers to break the Maryland record for 3-point field goals, he is 59 steals shy of the Maryland and ACC career records for steals, he is 327 points from breaking the Terps' all-time scoring record.
-- Dixon currently leads the ACC in steals for the third straight season, with 3.3 per game. He is second in the ACC in scoring with a 19.3-point average, and second in free throw percentage (90.0%).
