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You Tube Gold: UCLA vs. Maryland

Durham’s John Lucas was brilliant at Maryland

University of Maryland Terrapins
COLLEGE PARK, MD- CIRCA 1973-76: John Lucas #15 of the Universty of Maryland Terrapins drives the ball upcoart at the Cole Field House in College Park, MD.
Photo by Maryland/Collegiate Images via Getty Images

Here’s one we frankly never knew about but definitely worth watching.

When Lefty Driesell took the Maryland job he said he would turn it into the UCLA of the East and people rolled their eyes. He was a young coach running his mouth and, as we would come to learn, it cost him at times because he couldn't always back it up.

Maryland never became the UCLA of the East but the thing is, he wasn’t wrong. Maryland has always been perfectly situated to become a massive college basketball power. It’s just never managed to quite do it.

Imagine though if Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith, Roy Williams, John Calipari or Brad Stevens had come into that job.

It really would have become the UCLA of the east. Get the right guy there and the talent in the region would have flowed in. Adrian Dantley. Danny Ferry. Grant Hill. Len Bias. Johnny Dawkins.

The right coach at Maryland could have his pick.

It never became the UCLA of the East but the Terps did have the Bruins in once, during John Wooden’s final season.

And they almost won.

Almost, but not quite. UCLA nipped Maryland 81-75. This video shows a fair amount but not the whole game and not the end. It’s still worth watching.