Thunder & Lightning Edition No. 7
1/15/2002 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2002
Thunder & Lightning All-America Update in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
MARYLAND ALL-AMERICA CANDIDATES
LONNY BAXTER at Duke (Jan. 17, 9:00, ESPN) - Boasting five double-doubles in seven games over the last two seasons against Duke, Lonny Baxter hopes to continue the trend and record the 28th such double on Thursday evening. Baxter has posted 40 points (13.3) and 32 boards (10.7) in his last three appearances against Duke. Last season at Cameron Indoor Stadium he finished with 10 rebounds and 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Baxter brings a 14.5-point scoring average and an 8.8 rebound clip into the battle between top-ranked foes, and currently is ranked 3rd, 4th and 5th in ACC blocks, rebounds and field goal percentage. Last week at Georgia Tech, he managed 21 points and nine boards while the Terps won their third straight ACC contest.
JUAN DIXON at Duke (Jan. 17, 9:00, ESPN) - How else to describe Maryland's floor leader besides "relentless" and "fearless" - ? The ACC's player of the week after guiding the Terps to victories over Carolina and Ga. Tech, Dixon is forging his way into the NCAA, ACC and Maryland record books - threatening to become one of less than a dozen Division I players ever to finish with over 1,800 career points and 300 steals. On track to challenge school records for points and steals, he also is just three 3-pointers shy of setting a new Terrapin standard for long-distance shooting. Against Carolina last week, he scored 29 points in 26 minutes, with a career-matching eight steals. At Tech, he scored 26 points with 10 rebounds - and contributed the play of the game with a late steal and assist to ice the game. How else to describe Dixon's play? "Literally sensational," in the words of Duke's Coach Krzyzewski following last year's Maryland win at Cameron (28 pts, 11-20 shooting, 4-4 3FG, five steals).
THUNDER & LIGHTNING ALL-AMERICA CAMPAIGN
Maryland's THUNDER&LIGHTNING combo of Lonny Baxter and Juan Dixon is as lethal an inside-outside duo as any in the country.
The senior tandem strikes on both ends of the floor. Both are local products of the Baltimore-Washington area who have literally worked their way into the nation's spotlight, guiding the Terrapins to the 2001 Final Four and leading Maryland to a hopeful repeat performance as seniors.
Baxter muscles through the lane with remarkable agility for a 260-pound man of his size - maneuvering his way to West Regional MVP honors last season while averaging a double-double through five NCAA Tournament games.
Dixon electrifies fans and tortures opponents with quickness and relentless tenacity which have resulted in ACC-leading points and steals totals for three straight seasons.
Collectively, they make Maryland a versatile threat against the nation's top teams. Individually, they are among the country's craftiest, toughest and most difficult players to defend.
THUNDER&LIGHTNING.
Baxter and Dixon.
Coming to an arena near you.
