Feb. 22, 2002

By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Juan Dixon entered Maryland with skinny arms and scrawny legs, a 155-pound waif who seemingly couldn't withstand a stiff breeze.

After years of weightlifting, the 6-foot-3 senior has added a mere 10 pounds to his wiry frame. His reputation, however, has ballooned immeasurably.

Dixon's accomplishments at Maryland have earned him consideration as the finest guard in school history, topping a formidable list that includes John Lucas, Steve Francis, Walt Williams and Brad Davis.

"Juan is as good as anybody that ever played here," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "I say that because he was on a team that got to a Final Four. You look at his numbers, his steals, everything - it's just incredible to be that well-rounded when you're known as a scorer."

Dixon stands only 137 points short of becoming the school's career scoring leader, but he's done much more than merely put the ball through the hoop in helping second-ranked Maryland take a place among the nation's elite.

Dixon leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in steals, ranks second on the Terrapins in assists and third in rebounding. His 21-point performance Wednesday night at Clemson enabled him to become the first player in NCAA history with at least 2,000 points, 300 steals and 200 3-point field goals.

Before he did all this, Dixon had to overcome a frustrating redshirt season and shoot down the notion that he was too frail to play in the ACC.

"It's all heart. You can't let people put you down," he said. "No matter what people say, you've got to stay hungry."

Dixon honed his game by spending countless hours in the weight room and on the basketball court. He doesn't weigh much, but what's there is mostly muscle.

"You can't show me someone who put in more work than he did," said Francis, who started ahead of Dixon in 1998-99. "Good things come to those who work hard, so Juan deserves everything he gets."

On the court, and in life. By bonding with a close-knit family, Dixon overcame the AIDS-related deaths of both his parents, habitual drug users. It's a topic he prefers not to talk about, except when the discussion concerns the contribution of his older brother, Phil, a Division III All-American at Shenandoah (Va.) College.

"He definitely set an example for me and my siblings," Juan said. "He got his college degree and had a great college career. I would love to follow in those footsteps."

He's almost there.

"I'll take 15 credits this spring and hopefully I can finish with an internship in the fall and be done," said Dixon, a family studies major.

Sitting in class is about the only time Dixon stops moving. On those nights when his shooting touch is off, he makes up for it with his defense.

"He's just an amazing player, someone who can beat you so many ways," North Carolina State coach Herb Sendek said.

Long before he suited up for the first time, Dixon gave a hint of things to come during his redshirt season. His scrappy play made a memorable impression on Williams, who quickly realized that the youngster from Baltimore was a keeper.

"In terms of the energy level, the first day of practice I knew he was going to be a player because he just ran around," Williams said. "You get guys moving in basketball that have pretty good skills, they're pretty good players no matter what the position. Juan never sits still."

Dixon doesn't plan to stop after the NCAA tournament.

"I have a dream of playing in the NBA, and I'm getting closer and closer to that dream," he said. "I just have to keep on getting better. Hopefully things will work out for me."

First, though, he's intent upon leading Maryland to its first outright regular-season ACC title since 1980 and a return trip to the Final Four.

"I had a great college career and I enjoyed every minute of it," he said. "I'm definitely going to cherish these last few months. I'm kind of sad that it's ending."