Maryland Basketball: Sophomores will lead Terrapins to NCAA Tournament

Anthony Cowan PG

Cowan has the unenviable task of replacing star guard Melo Trimble, but the transition should be a relatively smooth one. Cowan was Maryland’s starting PG last season and shared the ball handling duties with Trimble. Maryland moved Trimble off the ball to get him more scoring opportunities, but he still had the ball in his hands for most of the game.

Listed at 6’0, Cowan does not have the size that Trimble has, but he makes up for it with tremendous speed and quickness. He uses this quickness to break down the defense where he can find open teammates or finish at the rim. However, Cowan is at his best in transition since his blazing speed puts significant pressure on the defense.

With Trimble gone, Cowan will have the ball in his hands at end of the shot-clock situations and should see an increase in scoring. Cowan averaged 10.3ppg last season but could average 13 or 14ppg this season.

Like most freshman starting PGs, turnovers and decision making were problems for Cowan. Cowan flashed great court vision (3.7 assists per game), but only managed a 1.61 A/TO ratio which is way too low for a high-end starter.

If Cowan can improve his decision making, he will establish himself as one of the best PGs in the country. 13 points and 5 assists per game would be a terrific season and it is a very reasonable projection for Cowan.