Why did the debate suddenly emerge last week literally out of nowhere that the race for the MVP of the ACC was down to Grievas Vasquez of Maryland and John Schirer of Duke? How can a guy like Grievas Vasquez who is unquestionably the emotional leader, best player, statistical leader, and heart & soul of a Maryland Team that was a preseason pick to finish in the middle of the pack in the ACC be in a race for with John Schirer for League MVP when it’s debatable that Schirer’s the most vital player to the success of his own team, much less the league.
You’ve seen the stats. Grievas Vasquez is the first player in the storied History of the ACC to amass more than 2,000 points, 700 assists, and 600 rebounds in his career. He’s on the cusp of passing the Legendary Len Bias to become Maryland’s Second All Time Leading Scorer behind only the Great Juan Dixon. Vasquez even has an outside chance to catch Dixon if the Terps have extended runs in the upcoming ACC and NCAA. He has literally and figuratively put the Terps on his back during the current 7 game winning streak that has seen them rise from a bubble team, outside of the top 25 just 3 weeks ago, to a team that tied for the ACC Regular Season Title, is in the top 20, and on the cusp of getting anywhere from a 3 – 6 seed in the Big Dance. Schirer on the other hand, while he has had a solid career at Duke and has evolved from a ‘Spot up Shooter’ to an all around ‘Floor Leader’, has not had a comparable impact on the Duke Record Books nor the Duke team this season.
How can John Schirer, universally known as a member of ‘Duke’s Big Three’, along with Kyle Singler and our own Nolan Smith (all averaging at least 17 points a game) be even mentioned in the same sentence as Grievas Vasquez, who is undeniably the Terps loan ‘Super Star’, in the discussion of MVP of the ACC. Schirer was joined on the First Team All ACC by his teammate Singler, while Nolan Smith was a second team selection. Vasquez, had no teammate make any of the first three All ACC Teams, and was joined only by Freshman Jordan Williams for League Wide Honors as he made the All Freshman Team. When they played head to head last week on National TV for League Supremacy and League MVP, who closed the deal for his team down the stretch, Vasquez or Schirer? It was Vasquez, that’s who. He literally razz led, dazzled, and shimmied his way past Schirer for the go ahead and clinching baskets last week. Done Deal. Case Closed, Right. Need More. Where would Duke be this season without John Schirer, arguably in the same place, battling for the ACC Crown. Nolan Smith would be excelling at the point guard like he will next year and Andre Dawkins would have filled in as a ‘drop dead’ shooter to complete the triumvirate. Where would Maryland be without Vasquez this year. Probably just North of NC State near the bottom of the Conference, or at best case in the middle of the pack as Gary Williams always has his teams’ battle. That’s how you truly define the Most Valuable Player. What would be the impact on his team without him.
If it’s that clear, then why the debate. Statistically there’s no justification for it. Common Sense doesn’t support it. Even the eye test doesn’t support it as Vasquez clearly has demonstrated that he’s the Most Valuable Player in the ACC if not the country this season. So why the Debate. Is it Tobacco Road Bias? Is it ESPNs decades’ long infatuation with all things Duke? Is it Americas potentially subconscious preference for John Schirer who personifies the ‘Boy Next Door’, ‘Hoosiers’, ‘Moms Apple Pie’ and everything good about American tradition to the Cocky Shimmy Shaking Vasquez from Venezuela. I’d say a combination of all of these factors. But one way to really put into perspective how much of a No Brainer it is that Grievas Vasquez is the MVP of the ACC is that the number one Duke Love in the National Media, Dick Vitale even conceded that there should be Co MVP’s awarded to Vasquez and Schirer.
It should be a No Brainer that Grievas Vasquez is the MVP of the ACC. When the votes are tallied, with the voters prove that it was a No Brainer and Pick Vasquez and prove that they have no brains and pick John Schirer. We’ll soon see.