Walk into Cole Field House and take a good long look around. Notice anything new? Look up, up... there it is-one more retired jersey hanging from the rafters. The number: 22. The name: Booth.
On Saturday, Feb. 22, Maryland forward Keith Booth's jersey was retired in a special ceremony before Maryland's matchup with North Carolina. He is just the 11th Terrapin to be so distinguished.
"I think it was an honor," Booth said. "It takes a lot of hard work, right from when you come in freshman year, to receive that kind of honor. After the season's over, it's something I'll always be able to look back on."
After quietly being the heart and soul of the Terps for four years, Keith Booth is finally getting the recognition he deserves. The All-America candidate spent three years playing in the shadow of Maryland stars the likes of Joe Smith, Exree Hipp, Johnny Rhodes and Duane Simpkins. Now, his fifteen minutes in the spotlight have arrived. This year Booth has evolved into the Terrapins' go-to player, the leader whom the rest of the team looks up to.
"Leadership is just something that comes with time," Booth said. "If you're patient and you work hard and have a good attitude, good things get bestowed upon you, and I think my three years of hard work paid off. Playing on a winning team is a big part of it too. Everyone on the team has an important role to play."
At 6-foot-6, Booth exudes a presence much greater than his size. The senior plays in the blocks at power forward, a position that forces him to guard opponents who are much bigger that he is, such as North Carolina's Antawn Jamison and Georgia Tech's Matt Harpring.
Booth, however, has never let his relatively small size stop him. The three-time All-ACC pick leads Maryland in scoring with 19.5 points per game. This figure places him second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring, behind Wake Forest's Tim Duncan. Booth also shoots at .473 from the field, good for sixth in the ACC.
Sinking baskets isn't Booth's only talent, though. With his lightning-quick agility and his fierce tenacity, Booth averages 2.1 steals and 8.1 rebounds per game, good for fourth and fifth in the ACC, respectively.
"After playing [at Maryland] for four years, I've gotten used to going up against players who are bigger and smaller than I am," Booth said. "Once we're on the court, we're all just players working hard. It doesn't matter who's bigger or smaller."
Before the 1996-97 season began, Maryland was predicted by most media outlets to finish eighth in the ACC, only one notch above the cellar. Currently tied for third place in the ACC, the Terrapins have surpassed all expectations. Their rise to the top tier of the conference is due largely in part to Booth's leadership.
"Keith Booth is not afraid of anybody, and I think you have to have a certain amount of toughness before you can be any good," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "He's given that to some of the younger players."
During his four years at Maryland, Booth has been a dynamic force for the Terrapins. The Baltimore, Md. native has consistently increased his points, rebounds and assists every year.
"I think the Terps' Booth is one of the most consistent players the league has ever had," Clemson coach Rick Barnes said. "He's been a great help to the team. The whole team has just had a great year."
Booth's career has been packed with highlights, including the retirement of his jersey last Saturday, eight double-doubles this season, a career-high 33 points against Georgia Tech on Mar. 9, 1996, and a last-second baseline dunk to defeat Duke at Maryland in 1995.
Despite all these individual accomplishments, Booth considers his team's three consecutive NCAA Tournament bids to be the high watermark of his years as a Terrapin. What's more, he believes that his team has a shot at winning the NCAA championship this year.
"So far, just having the opportunity to go to the NCAA Tournament has been the high point of my career," Booth said. "This year will be the fourth year I get to go to the tournament, and a lot of players never have the chance to go at all. Going for four years is just incredible to me.... My goal is for us to win the championship, and I think it's a goal that can be accomplished."
Booth's greatest role models are NBA stars Michael Jordan and Julius Erving. The Wooden and RCA Player of the Year Award candidate admires these two basketball legends for their excellence both on and off the court.
Booth himself may be destined to follow in his heroes' footsteps. Coaches and columnists across the country consider him to be one of the NBA's most promising potential draft prospects in the frontcourt.
"He was a tremendous talent from day one," North Carolina coach Dean Smith said. "He's always the one you talk about. He's a very quick athlete who can rebound and has improved his outside game, and he's going to be a small forward in the NBA."
Booth himself remains ambivalent about the possibility of a career in the NBA. In the meantime, he intends to focus on the present and on ending his four years at Maryland in a blaze of glory.
"I'm not really thinking about the NBA draft right now," Booth said. "It'll take care of itself. Right now I just want to finish strong academically and athletically here at Maryland."
Whether Booth continues his basketball career in the NBA or not, one thing is certain. Throughout the last four years, Keith Booth has made an indelible mark on Maryland basketball-and his presence will always remain there, hanging from the rafters of Cole Field House.
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