Cole Classics! Maryland Basketball's Leading Men and Moments

Having grown up in Maryland and evolved into an ACC basketball fanatic (even attending dreaded NC State), Cole Classics brought back wonderful memories of idols, games and the cold, crisp days of college basketball on Tobacco Road. I kept turning pages and saying, "Oh yeah, I remember him"! From great triumphs to mind-boggling losses, it all came back with a smile and a story for MY young kids. Fantastic reading, great stories and even greater memories!

In March 2002, a great piece of sports history closed its doors for the last time...Cole Field House. Home to the University of Maryland Terrapin basketball teams for 47 years, the 2001-2002 season was the last season that Cole would be host some of the greatest college basketball ever played. "Cole Classics" is a wonderful way to journey through the past and remember all the great moments that were visited upon hardwood there. "Cole Classics" remembers all the great games, from Maryland's 'slowdown' victory over #2 South Carolina back in the early 1970's to a stunning overtime victory in 1998 over a #1 North Carolina team just 10 days after getting dismantled by Duke, to 2001's 35-point season finale destruction of a good Virginia team that foreshadowed Maryland's run to the Final Four for the first time in history. In addition to highlighting the great games, "Cole Classics" also remember the great players and coaches who graced the Maryland program through the years. Published prior to Cole's last season in order to capitalize on the nostalgia and demand for memorabilia of this arena, "Cole Classics" is missing a key element, the final season. In this final year, Maryland added another #1-ranked victim to its count when Maryland hammered Duke 87-73 in the last game to be played by these two teams at Cole. There is probably no other arena in the country that has proven to be a graveyard to as many #1 ranked opponents as Cole. In addition, Maryland finished the season undefeated at home for only the third time in school history. Oh, and there was that little think about a National Championship. This would have been a satisfyingly complete remembrance of Cole if the publishers had waited and the last season had been included. Aside from that omission, however, "Cole Classics" still serves as a marvelous scrapbook at one of the true sports landmarks in college basketball.

The book has a great way of jogging your memory of those great ACC battles from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Each mini-chapter tells the story of the old Maryland stars and big games. The book has lots of great photos and terrific quotes like this one from Derrick Lewis:"We ran one play all year and we got away with it because Lenny [Bias] played like Superman. He was double-teamed and triple-teamed every night, and they couldn't stop him. I remember asking him, 'How do you do it?' Lenny said, 'If you want it more than they do, they can't stop you. You have to be intense all the time and you won't have a problem.' "The final chapters bring you up to this year's team by including profiles of Gary Williams, Juan Dixon, and Lonny Baxter. Terp fans will really enjoy it.Fear the Turtle!

I never missed a home game in 4 years in the ACC. This book brings back the feeling of a game -- the heat, the noise, the raucous fun. Great stories and quotes from players that I'd never heard before, they open up to tell what they loved about the game and the forum and what drove them to win. A quick read, an excellent gift for any fan of the ACC or college basketball. When Cole Field House goes inactive, it'll be a sad day in Maryland (although a happy one in North Carolina!).