Lefty's Top 10 Maryland Moments

What more can be said about one of the greatest minds in college basketball history? Charles "Lefty" Driesell came to Maryland in 1969 and helped turn the program into one of the marquee brands in the game. His leadership and dedication to his players were vital to his success during his 17 years in College Park. His legendary V for Victory is one of the most iconic symbols in the game. 

From 1969-86, Driesell compiled a record of 348-159, second in program history only to Gary Williams. Driesell helped lead the Terps to eight NCAA tournament appearances. Driesell brought multiple championships back to Cole Field House, including the 1972 NIT Championship and his first ACC Tournament crown in 1984. He helped lead the Terps to six ACC title appearances and won a pair of ACC regular season titles. Under Driesell, the Terps were ranked as high as No. 2 nationally in the AP rankings for four consecutive years from 1972-76.

The list of legendary players that have graced College Park is numerous. Tom McMillen, Len Elmore, John Lucas, Albert King, Buck Williams, Ernie Graham, Len Bias, and many others whose names exist in Terrapins lore graced the court along with Coach Driesell. The impact that has been left by Lefty still exists today, and his legend will continue to shape the Maryland program for years to come.

While the iconic moments under Lefty are numerous, we want to highlight 10 that sit in the pantheon of Maryland history. These are not the only special moments Lefty shared with all of Terp Nation, but these hold a special significance in Driesell's 17-year career. He patrolled the sidelines and turned Maryland basketball into one of the prominent programs within college basketball.

Start of a New Era

A new era of Maryland basketball under the direction of Lefty Driesell began with a 97-77 win over Buffalo on Dec. 1, 1969. After Buffalo raced out to a six-point lead 12 minutes into the game, Maryland would make a furious comeback to take a 50-40 lead into the break. That was a lead the Terrapins would not give up as they controlled the action for the rest of the outing. Rod Horst led the Terps in scoring with 29 points to begin the Driesell era with a win.

Year one for Driesell ended with a 13-13 record, which was an improvement over three straight seasons for the Terps finishing under .500. The Terps also finished with a 5-9 record in the ACC, which was the best for the Terps since the 1966-67 season where they had an equal 5-9 conference record.

"Slow Down Game"

Driesell would pick up his first signature victory In just his second season as the Terps head ball coach. Earlier in the season, the Terrapins met South Carolina in Columbia. It was a chippy affair, one that ended in a brawl late in the game. Both benches and some of the bleachers would empty, and the game was called off shortly after. The Terrapins would fall to the Gamecocks by 26 points on that fateful evening, but it set the stage for a bigger game just three weeks later. 

The campus atmosphere was edgy during the days leading up to the game. The Maryland National Guard had previously occupied the campus due to a student protest over the Vietnam War. Basketball was an outlet that would hopefully bring the campus community together and take people's minds off the difficulties and pressures within their lives.

The atmosphere in Cole Field House on January 9, 1971, was palpable. Over 14,000 spectators crammed in to watch their Terps take on the No. 2 ranked Gamecocks. The Terps' plan was simple: hold the ball as much as possible and keep the ball out of South Carolina's high-tempo offensive attack. Driesell created a tactic to keep the ball in Howard White's and Jim O'Brien's hands at halfcourt to milk the clock. Both teams took a few shots in the first half, with a buzzer-beater by White giving the Terps a 4-3 lead at the break. The scoring would pick up in the second, and the raucous crowd helped spur the Terps. 

The Terps trailed 30-27 In overtime, but White would steal an inbounds pass and pass to Dick Stobaugh to cut the deficit to just one. Bob Bodell made the game-winning play with just eight seconds left with a steal. Bodell would get the ball to White, who fed it to O'Brien. O'Brien would make the last-second basket to secure a 31-30 win for the Terps over the top-ranked Gamecocks and give Driesell his first marquee win of his Maryland tenure.

NIT Champs

The Terps closed the 1971-72 season with their first appearance in the ACC Tournament under Lefty Driesell. This would start a streak of three straight finals appearances for the Terps from 1972-74. The Terps went into the 1972 NIT, first battling St. Joseph's, and came out with a 67-55 win on March 18, 1972. Two days later, the Terps battled Syracuse, scoring a tight 71-65 win over an excellent Syracuse program. Next, the Terrapins faced the Jacksonville Dolphins, who were two years removed from a national runner-up finish in the semifinals. The Terrapins would dominate the Dolphins, scoring a 91-77 win. This set the stage for an NIT championship appearance against Niagara. On March 25, 1972, the Terps handed Niagara a 100-69 loss to capture the NIT championship. The Terps also became the only team to score 100 points in an NIT Final.

The Terps would finish the season with a 27-5 record. Their 27 wins were the most in program history and were the second most wins in the nation behind NCAA Champion UCLA. This run put Maryland basketball in the national forefront and began its journey as a national power.

First Elite Eight Run

The Terrapins followed their 1972 NIT Championship run with another strong campaign in the 1972-73 season. Led by a veteran squad, the Terps would appear in their second consecutive ACC Final and first NCAA tournament under Driesell. The Terps faced Syracuse on March 15, 1973, for the second straight season in the postseason. Like the previous year, the Terps handed the Orange a loss, moving on to their first Elite Eight appearance in program history. The Terrapins moved on and faced Providence in the Regional Final two days later. Both teams battled back and forth the entire game, but the Terps couldn't come away with the win, just missing out on the program's first Final Four appearance.

Greatest ACC Tournament Game Ever Played

The March 9, 1974, meeting between NC State and Maryland at the Greensboro Coliseum was among the best ACC Tournament games ever. Both teams came in as two of the best teams in the country while battling for a conference championship and a place in the NCAA tournament. The Terps were looking to avenge the previous season's loss to the Wolfpack in the ACC championship and secure a win in their third straight appearance in the conference final. The game turned into a 45-minute, fast-paced, electrifying game, with neither team able to mount a considerable advantage. With the game tied at 97, Maryland had an opportunity to win the game, but a shot by John Lucas fell just short, sending the game to overtime. The game stayed close as NC State knocked down a pair of free throws to give them a three-point lead with six seconds remaining. Guard Billy Hahn put up a last-second shot, but it wouldn't fall, and the Terps fell in what is widely viewed as the best ACC Tournament Game ever played.

In this era of college basketball, only conference champions earned berths in the NCAA Tournament. Calls for the NCAA to increase the tournament to 32 teams were nixed before the season. The Terps, one of the best teams all year, missed out on a berth to the NCAA Tournament. Maryland missing out on the 1974 tournament was instrumental in the NCAA expanding the tournament to 32 teams and allowing more than one team from a conference to be admitted into the tournament. NC State went on to win the NCAA championship in 1974, but their legendary coach, Norm Sloan, understood the importance of that game and the greatness of the 1974 Maryland squad. "We wouldn't have been at the Final Four if we hadn't escaped that night," he said. "I tell you, it was a tragedy a team of Maryland's caliber wasn't able to participate."

Maryland Upsets #1 Notre Dame

The Terrapins' upset over No. 1 Notre Dame on January 27, 1979, still stands as one of the most iconic home victories in program history. The Terps trailed 66-64 with five seconds left, but Greg Manning found Larry Gibson under the basket to get the game-tying basket on a lay-in. Gibson was also fouled on the attempt and stepped to the line with a chance to give the Terps a one-point lead. Gibson buried the free throw to give the Terps the lead and secured the upset for the Terps. The Terps snapped the top-ranked Irish's seven-game winning streak in the 67-66 win. Fans mobbed the court as the Terps secured the victory in front of a national audience. The win in front of a sold-out crowd once again brought the Lefty Driesell-led Terrapins into the national conversation.

Maryland Stuns Top-Seeded Virginia

Virginia was the conference's top-ranked team heading into the 1981 ACC Tournament, while the Terps were looking for a win to strengthen its NCAA tourney hopes. That opportunity came as they faced the No. 3 ranked Cavaliers at the Capital Centre in nearby Landover, Maryland on March 6, 1981. The Terrapins led most of the game and were never challenged by the Cavaliers. The Terrapins held future three-time national player of the year and future hall of famer Ralph Sampson in check all night, with the big man scoring just 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting. The Terrapins took the game by a score of 85-62 to move on to the fifth ACC Tournament final appearance under Driesell. The win also handed the Cavaliers their worst loss in almost 100 games.

Maryland Captures 1984 ACC Title

One of the most unquestioned marks in Lefty Driesell's Hall of Fame career is winning the 1984 ACC title over the rival Duke Blue Devils. Led by a 26-point outing by star Len Bias, the Terps raced back from a first-half deficit to take the 74-62 win on March 11, 1984. The Terps went on a 24-3 run to start the second stanza, with the Terps suffocating defense quieting the Blue Devil offense. The Terps held a 58-47 lead with five minutes to go. Bias stepped up with a pair of monstrous dunks. Bias' outstanding performance highlighted an excellent team performance by the Terps, as multiple players finished in double figures, and the team's zone defense gave the Blue Devils fits all second half.

The Terps and their amazing fans mobbed the floor once the horn sounded as the team celebrated its first conference crown in over 25 years. For Driesell, it culminated a 15-year battle to gain the conference title that had eluded his grasp. The team carried the legendary coach off the floor, celebrating their hard-earned title in unison. Later, Driesell commented on the championship performance, "I guess the good Lord wanted us to win this time."

Driesell Gets 500th Win

Driesell had many unforgettable moments in his illustrious career as a coach. Driesell looked for another tally on his record book heading into a meeting with the visiting Towson Tigers - his 500th career win. Maryland leveled the visiting Tigers, scoring a 91-38 win on February 21, 1985, and getting Ole Lefty his 500th career win. Driesell joined an exclusive group, with only 16 other coaches having reached the 500-win plateau at the time. Driesell was also one of only five active coaches at the time who had also reached the mark. Following the final horn, Chuck Driesell and Adrian Branch doused Driesell in champagne. A large crowd of almost 11,000 supporters shared the excitement of Driesell's career accomplishment. A coach who gave them so many great moments got to share one more with the fans who supported him for many years.

Terps Hands UNC First Loss in Dean Dome

The "Dean Dome" was in its infancy heading into the February 20, 1986 matchup between the visiting Terps and the home-standing No. 1 Tar Heels. The arena had only been open for a month, and the Tar Heels had yet to lose at home. In walked the Terrapins, looking to upset the top-ranked Tar Heels. Len Bias had yet another sparkling game in a Terrapins uniform, scoring 35 points to key the 77-72 overtime win and give North Carolina its first loss in the Dean Dome. Bias and the rest of the squad overcame a double-digit deficit on the road to gain one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history. Keith Gatlin sank a pair of free throws to seal the win with seven seconds to play after Bias swatted a Kenny Smith shot on the defensive end. Gatlin would get a layup in the closing minutes of overtime after throwing an inbounds pass off the back of Smith to give the Terps a five-point lead to close the game. The arena wouldn't see many other losses after the huge win by the Terps, as the Tar Heels went undefeated in the Dean Dome for another two years.