The Maryland men’s basketball team’s national championship victory over Indiana in 2002 might feel like a lifetime ago for many Terps fans. But for the players and coaches who were at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on April 1, the momentous achievement feels like it happened yesterday.
They vividly remember the nerves and the stadium shaking by the screams of 53,406 people. They remember competing in an ugly, defensive battle in which both teams struggled to find any offensive rhythm.
They also remember Juan Dixon. The Terps guard and Baltimore native orchestrated a four-year career in which he became the school’s all-time leading scorer, made two Final Four appearances, was named the 2002 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and earned three league all-defensive team honors.
