This much is abundantly clear about the Terps: They don’t lack for weapons. Juan Dixon is Maryland’s most decorated player, a wily senior who turned himself into the school’s all-time leading scorer. Super soph Chris Wilcox is a lottery pick if he jumps. Lonny Baxter and the rest of the team’s O-line of a frontcourt dominate headlines and chalkboards in opposing locker rooms.

But if the top-seeded Terps are destined to win the school’s first-ever national title, it’ll be because junior point guard Steve Blake has quietly orchestrated their every move.

	Cruz: Brandin Knight & the Panthers are on the prowl. Palmer Steve Blake makes it all work for Maryland. Keown: Jared Jeffries is turning it on for the Hoosiers. Wickersham: Keith Bogans is back on his game, making the Cats a scary team. Gustafson: Trevor Huffman is out to prove the Golden Flashes are the real deal. Kirkpatrick: Channing Frye is quickly becoming the beast of the Big Dance.

Blake scored only 14 points in Maryland’s first two Tourney wins, but his 15 assists showed why he’s the eyes, ears and heart of this team. He knows how to get the ball to Dixon for that sweet pull-up, how to work it to Baxter on the low block, how to launch the lob high and just to the left where Wilcox loves it. And he knows when to do it, too. “He always knows who should get the shots,” says Baxter, Blake’s roommate.

Just as important, Blake knows how to keep his head when everyone else -- even fiery coach Gary Williams -- is losing theirs. He’s as stoic as Williams is animated, the look on his face unchanging regardless of the situation.

At 6'3", 170 pounds, Blake won’t blow you away. But he’s a lot quicker than he looks, and shows it when he gets to the hole. His handle’s not flashy, but few guards can protect the rock better under pressure. Blake routinely breaks the press by himself. Most coaches frown on that, but not Williams. He knows defenses are prone to chasing players who break traps with the dribble, and that often means a pair of Terps are wide open. With Maryland’s cast of shooters, pressing the turtles is a very dangerous proposition.

Blake finished second on the squad to Dixon in three-pointers this season, but he’s much more interested in the care and feeding of his teammates. He already holds the school record for assists (246), and the ACC and NCAA marks are within reach as well. The bottom line is the big number: The Terps have 78 wins with Blake at the wheel, and he has a chance to wind up as the program’s winningest player.

The grail, of course, is the title. “This is a special team,” he says. “And I know it’s my job to get everybody the ball at the right time.”

What better time than right now?

This article appears in the April 1 issue of ESPN The Magazine.