Be happy the bad guy is back

Published Jul. 2, 2009 4:22 p.m. ET

foxsports

I must confess that I'm thrilled Greivis Vasquez returned to school.

The Maryland star could have been like Nick Calathes, Daniel Hackett, Terrence Oglesby and Patty Mills and decided that the money and opportunity to play overseas was enough to cut his college career short.

But Vasquez is confident enough — and intelligent enough — to understand that route will always be there while the chance to play in the NBA may not come along again.

"I want to play overseas — eventually," Vasquez said. "But not yet. My dream and my goal is to play in the NBA."

"They were telling me I could have gone somewhere between 25 to 40 in the draft," he added. "I felt like if I came back, I could improve and hopefully make sure I'll be a first-round pick."

Vasquez hails from Venezuela, and there will always be offers on the table from numerous teams across the water with hefty salaries. Offers like the million-dollar ones Hackett and Calathes received to play in Italy and Greece — and the one that Mills will likely get if the second-round pick doesn't make an NBA roster.

Vasquez admitted it was difficult to watch the NBA Draft last week and see fellow ACC guys like Tyler Hansbrough, Gerald Henderson, James Johnson, Jeff Teague, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Toney Douglas all get selected in the first round.

"Those were all guys I went up against," Vasquez said.

The versatile 6-foot-5 guard's production stacked up with any of them — and he did it with far less help.

Vasquez averaged 17.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5 assists per game on a team that was among the least talented in the ACC. He was the main reason the Terps finished with 21 wins and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament.