University of Maryland Athletics

Elite playmaker who started for the Terps for four years at point guard and finished his career as Maryland’s all-time leader in assists, games started and minutes played ... finished his career fifth on the NCAA’s all-time assists chart with 972 and fourth in ACC career assists behind Bobby Hurley (1,076), Chris Corchiani (1,038) and Ed Cota (1,030) ... AP Honorable Mention All-America selection and first team All-ACC choice as a senior ... a semifinalist for the Wooden Award and Naismith National Player of the Year Award ... led the ACC in assists as a sophomore, junior and senior ... finished as the only player in ACC history with 1,000 points, 800 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals ... joined UNC’s Ed Cota as just the second player in ACC history with 1,000 points, 800 assists and 400 rebounds ... played every game of his four-year career which included three Sweet Sixteen appearances, two trips to the Final Four, a national title and 15 NCAA Tournament games ... Maryland was 103-35 with Blake as its point guard overall, 13-3 in the NCAA Tournament ... contributed in 51 career ACC victories ... 4,312 minutes played were more than any player in Maryland history to that point ... selected in the second round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards ... played 13 seasons in the NBA from 2003-16.

 

On Blake: Sophomore guard who rose to national and ACC prominence in his first college season … stepped into a starting role from the time he arrived on campus and never relinquished his position … earned ACC postseason honors as a freshman and was one of four ACC players chosen in summer 2000 for the USA Basketball World Championships Qualifying Team.

Williams on Blake: "Steve came in under a lot of pressure last year because he had to play. Losing Steve Francis and Terrell Stokes, that left Steve as the only pure point guard in the program. To come in and do what he did as a freshman in terms of being tough with the ball and playing good defense, it was a big plus for us last year. It was critical to our success. His offense really got stronger as the year went on. He's starting from a very good position this year in terms of what he can do as a point guard. He's going to be asked to do more things this year, but I think Steve's the type of player that likes that responsibility." 

1999: ACC All-Freshman Team, honorable mention All-ACC and honorable mention ACC All-Defensive Team … starting point guard for 33 of 35 games played during his first college season … led Terps with 6.2 assists and was third among all NCAA freshmen … the fifth freshman ever to lead the Terps in assists … second on the team with 2.0 steals … fourth in the ACC in both steals and assists … finished third in the ACC with a 1.71 assist-to-turnover ratio … set Terrapin freshman record with 217 assists while tying the class mark with 71 steals … supplanted former Terp great John Lucas as the freshman assists leader … became just the fourth Maryland player ever to surpass 200 assists in a season … finished his freshman campaign with the second-best assist figure in Maryland history, just four shy of record-holder Keith Gatlin's 221 in 1985 … his steals were sixth all-time, tied with current Harlem Globetrotters star Johnny "Ace" Rhodes … was second on Terps with 37 3-point field goals, and fifth in scoring with 7.0 points per game … was fourth on the club with 3.0 rebounds per contest … 37 3FGs are second-best figure by a Maryland freshman … increased his scoring as the season continued, scoring in double figures in four straight games entering the ACC Tournament (14.3 avg.) … one of four Terrapin starters to average at least 30 minutes per game (31.9) … scored his career-high 17 points in a March 1 home win over Florida State … also added 10 assists for a double-double in points and assists against the Seminoles … posted career-high 11 assists vs. Tulane and Illinois … had 10 vs. Florida State, and three games with nine assists (at NC State, at UNC, at Wake Forest).

High School: Graduated from Oak Hill Academy in 1999 … compiled an amazing 100-4 high school record between three different schools … All-America honorable mention selection following his senior season by USA Today … named the runner-up for the "Mr. Basketball" award in the state of Virginia following his senior season at Oak Hill … ranked as the second-best prep point guard by recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons … ranked as the sixth-best point guard entering the collegiate ranks in 1999-00 by recruiting expert Brick Oettinger … named as the 44th-best overall player in the prep class of 1999 by Recruiter's Handbook and the ACC Area Sports Journal … in the final game of his high school career, Blake led a team of ACC future stars past a team of future SEC stars, 145-115, in Reynolds Coliseum on the NC State campus in the Fila/USA Hoops Challenge … helped lead the Capital team to victory in the D.C.-area Capital Classic … At Oak Hill: Started at point guard and averaged 8.8 points and 7.3 assists as Oak Hill was named the high school national champion by USA Today, ESPN and the Associated Press … Oak Hill continued its outstanding tradition with a perfect 31-0 record, becoming the school's third undefeated team in the last nine seasons … Oak Hill defeated seven of the top 25 nationally ranked teams during the season … scored 16 points and added 10 assists as Oak Hill defeated Mt. Zion (N.C.) to win the championship of the Reebok Invitational/Las Vegas Holiday Tournament … named to the all-tournament team at Las Vegas … averaged 6.3 assists in three games as Oak Hill won the Glaxo-Wellcome Holiday Tournament in Raleigh, N.C. … credited with six assists as Oak Hill defeated Christ the King (N.Y.) in the championship game … season-high 13 assists came at Minnetonka (Minn.) High School on Jan. 30 … coach at Oak Hill was Steve Smith … At Miami Senior: The starting point guard at Miami Senior High School as a junior … led Miami Senior to a 36-1 record and the 6A Florida state championship … team was ranked No. 4 in the final rankings by USA Today … was an honorable mention All-America selection by USA Today, all-state second-team selection, all-county first-team choice and a member of the state championship series all-tournament team … all-tournament team selection at the Iolani Tournament (Hawaii) … was selected to the all-tournament team and named the most valuable player at the Chelsea Tournament (Boston) … scored 14 points, 12 from 3-point range, as Miami won the 1998 state championship … scored 17 points for Miami Senior while defeating Dillard in the Wilt Chamberlain Rising Star Shootout with the tournament's namesake in attendance … played for coach Frank Martin … At Miami Killian: Played on the varsity as a freshman and sophomore at Miami Killian … starting point guard who led Killian to a 33-3 record and to the semifinals of the 6A state tournament … the first point guard to take Killian to the state semifinals in 19 years … named to the state championship series all-tournament team and was an all-state honorable mention selection … earned all-tournament team honors in the junior Orange Bowl Classic as a freshman and sophomore … all-county first-team as a sophomore and second-team as a freshman … coach at Killian was Gabe Corchiani.

International: Member of USA Under-20 World Championships Qualification Team which participates in Brazil, July 19-24, 2000 ... helped lead the United States to a gold medal in the 1998 Junior World Championship qualifying tournament prior to his senior season at Oak Hill as he played in all six games of the tournament and averaged 14.5 minutes per game … tied for the team lead in assists with 20, an average of 3.3 per game … credited with a team-high four assists in the gold medal game against Argentina … had four assists in preliminary games against Canada and Cuba, and five vs. Brazil … scored a personal-best eight points against Canada in the first game of the tournament … scored on five-of-nine free throws against Canada … selected as a member of the U.S. Junior World Championship Team which played in Portugal in July of 1999. 

Personal: Steven Hanson Blake … born Feb. 26, 1980 in Hollywood, Fla. … son of Richard and Cindy Blake … the youngest of four children, with three older sisters … majoring in psychology … member of the National Honor Society and graduated fourth in his senior class at Oak Hill … played in the Charlie Weber Invitational Tournament in Cole Field House prior to both his junior and senior years in high school.