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Maryland Basketball: Examining the pros and cons of hiring Juan Dixon

By Caleb Hightower

Dec 1, 2021; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins players wear Len BiasjerseyÕs before the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 1, 2021; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins players wear Len BiasjerseyÕs before the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Juan Dixon Maryland Basketball (Photo by Doug Pensinger/ Getty Images) /

Pros

Love him or hate him, there is no doubt that Juan Dixon will always be regarded as a Maryland legend. As a player, Dixon helped the Terrapins reach the Final Four in 2001 and capture the NCAA title in 2002. He only averaged 7.4 points as a freshman under Gary Williams, but he took a major step as a sophomore (notched 18.0 points per game) and continued to improve throughout his collegiate career.

In addition to achieving team success with the Terrapins, Dixon also enjoyed a few individual accolades during his time at Maryland, such as being named to the All-ACC First-Team three times, receiving the ACC Player of the Year award in 2002, and collecting the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player award in 2002.

So, what does all of this mean? Well, it means that Dixon managed to earn the respect of Maryland’s fanbase by becoming one of the best players to ever wear a Maryland uniform and helping the program make history (they won their first and only NCAA Championship when Dixon suited up for them).

If Maryland decides to give Dixon the head coaching job, the Terrapins would be getting a coach who fully understands what the culture is like at Maryland (considering that he served as a special assistant to Mark Turgeon from 2013-2016) and what it takes to be successful as a player.

Additionally, Dixon is from Baltimore, Maryland, and could help the Terrapins improve their high school recruiting moving forward. You see, many Terrapin fans know that there is a great deal of talent in Maryland, which is why they don’t understand why the program has struggled to bring in a larger number of local recruits in recent years. I think that bringing in a coach that knows the area well and could lure elite prospects to Maryland right away could help the program get back on track.

No, I’m not saying that Dixon and the Terrapins would have the #1 recruiting class in the country every year, but I believe that Dixon would be able to snag a solid number of high-profile local prospects that have numerous options at the Division 1 level.

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