40 for 34 # 15 - May 30

Bias Shuts Down Robinson

The two All-Americans played a classic NCAA Tournament game

In the 1985 NCAA tournament, Len Bias was Maryland’s leading scorer with 25 points in a one-point, first-round overtime win over Miami of Ohio. In the second round, against the Naval Academy, Bias led Maryland with 20 points in the 64-59 win. Perhaps more importantly, Bias showed how much his defense had improved since his freshman year when coach Lefty Driesell in the second half assigned him to defend 6-foot, 11-inch All-America center David Robinson with Navy leading by 11 points.

Robinson then almost immediately scored what would be his last basket of the game – with more than 16 minutes remaining – and Maryland fought back for the win.

A loss to Villanova in the Sweet 16 showed the effects of a poor performance by Bias. Double teamed much of the game, he scored a season-low eight points on 4-of-13 shooting, failing to score in double figures for the first time in 53 games. Maryland lost by three points, ending a season in which Bias established himself as a legitimate pro prospect.

Excerpted from the book,

Born Ready: the Mixed Legacy of Len Bias

Buy autographed copies

as a Father's Day Gift

The audio for this post was narrated by the author,

Dave Ungrady.

And listen to more about Len's early life in Episode 2 of the narrative podcast series, Len Bias: A Mixed Legacy