Feb. 23, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez has been named ACC Player of the Week and Duke’s Elliott Williams is the ACC Rookie of the Week.

In earning Player of the Week honors for the second time this year and fourth time in his career, Vasquez posted the first triple-double at Maryland since 1987 with 35 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the Terps’ 88-85 overtime victory against third-ranked North Carolina Saturday. The 35 points marked the highest point total ever by an ACC player recording a triple-double.

Vasquez scored Maryland’s first 16 points of the game and helped the Terps rally from a 16-point deficit in the second half and a nine-point deficit in the final two minutes. The Caracus, Venezuela, junior made 13-of-24 from the floor, including 5-of-10 from three-point range. Vasquez, who averaged 23.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists on the week, also tied for the team-high in blocks (3) and steals (2) against the Tar Heels.

Inserted into the starting lineup this week, Williams responded by averaging 11.0 points and 2.0 steals per game in wins over St. John’s and eighth-ranked Wake Forest. The Memphis, Tenn., native was 10-of-14 from the field (.714) for the week and recorded the first two double figure scoring games of his career. Williams was 5-of-6 from the field for 11 points against the Red Storm and 5-of-8 for 11 points in Sunday’s win over the Demon Deacons. Williams also had four steals against Wake Forest and was a major factor in a defense that forced 20 turnovers, including 16 in the opening 20 minutes of play.