Vasquez, who is averaging 18.1 points and 6.3 assists, put together a 23-point, seven-rebound, seven-assist performance in an atmosphere in Tallahassee that included name-calling and sign-waving and who knows what else. Vasquez called it crazy.

“They were being racist, they were talking about deporting me and sending me back home, calling me Mexican when I’m Venezuelan,” he told reporters. “It was pretty bad, so they deserved to lose. That’s why they lost. I showed up like I showed up, like I’m the best player on the court and they have to take it like that.”

Vasquez can be cocky and abrasive to opposing fans but he’s also tough. Williams says his senior guard plays with emotion and “that bothers some people.” But it comes as a comfort to Maryland.

Hayes, Vasquez and Landon Milbourne give the Terps a solid senior core, something that has been missing from this program in recent years. Vasquez has established chemistry with freshman forward Jordan Williams and that’s another sign that this team is maturing into a contender.

Jordan Williams, a 6-9 freshman from Torrington, Conn., is averaging 8.4 points and 7.9 rebounds and earning the praise of his coach for his desire to learn. His uncle is Murray Williams, who played for Jim Calhoun at UConn in the late 1980’s.

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Since winning the national championship in 2002, Gary Williams has endured the wrath of Maryland fans for some recruiting mistakes and the inability to keep up in the ACC. Some of the criticism went away with a 21-14 season and a trip to the NCAA tournament last year.

This season should prove Williams hasn’t lost his touch. He doesn’t do all that sweating for nothing. The man knows a thing or two about basketball and Maryland fans never should have forgotten that.

It simply isn’t easy maintaining excellence in college basketball these days. UConn, Florida and now even North Carolina are among other programs that won titles last decade, only to find the rebuilding process full of potholes. Departing talent must be replaced with new talent.

And now the Terps are back in the chase.

Right now, Maryland is closer to the top of the ACC than falling to the NIT. The Terps lack a victory over a team from the top 25 in the RPI. Their résumé is built on the strength of two wins over Florida State. It’s a cruel world when a 21-point win over North Carolina doesn’t carry much impact with the computers, but the Terps can value that their own way.

If that happens to give the Terps the confidence they need to win at Duke, Maryland fans might just party like it’s 2002. And then it would be time to Fear The Turtle again.