Darkness began to creep across the Maryland basketball program in the summer of 1986, when Len Bias collapsed in his dormitory suite. Lefty Driesell was soon out as coach. Two of the next three seasons produced only nine wins each, lengthening misery’s shadow. Then, sanctions. The NCAA clobbered Maryland with the “lack of institutional control” penalty. It was banned from postseason play in 1990-91 and 1991-92, in addition to three years of probation that yanked it off national television. One headline at the time read, “Will it ever be over at Maryland?”
The downswing would spawn the revival.