Standing at the podium in Xfinity Center media room Tuesday, a day before the Terps played their 10th contest of the season, Maryland men’s basketball coach Mark Turgeon reminisced about what he thought was the team’s best performance.
His squad earned a 69-68 win over Kansas State for the Barclays Center Classic title Nov. 26. Turgeon mentioned Anthony Cowan’s performance despite the freshman guard missing his three shots and finishing with two points. Cowan had six assists compared to zero turnovers, however, which is what caught the sixth-year coach’s attention.
Turgeon predicted Cowan could have had 10 assists that night, a testament to the Bowie native’s ability to find his teammates for quality looks at the basket. He ran the offense against the Wildcats, which Turgeon hopes can continue as Maryland faces Howard Wednesday night.
“My high school years and definitely also in my AAU years, I always had the ball in my hands and I was always the main scorer,” Cowan said. “The defense really looks on to [guard Melo Trimble] and also opens it up for a lot of my other teammates to find open shots.”
Cowan has still shown the ability to score. He’s averaging 10.3 points, the third-highest total on the team, in almost 29 minutes. At St. John’s College High School last season, he scored 26 points per game and helped lead the Cadets to their first WCAC title in 16 seasons.
Turgeon expressed the need for Cowan to score — either in transition at the rim or from beyond the three-point line — but didn’t want him to make it a priority. The Terps have other options, such as Trimble, who leads the team with 19.3 points per contest.
Still, the former four-star recruit has needed time to adopt that philosophy.
“Earlier, he was looking for his shot a little more than he was running the team,” Turgeon said.
He was also learning to play with Trimble, who moved off the ball this season after leading the Terps in scoring the past two years. Trimble has powered late wins over Kansas State, Georgetown and Oklahoma State, but he appreciates Cowan’s presence on the floor.
Trimble said it takes pressure off him, allowing him to return to the position he thrived in while at Bishop O’Connell in Arlington, Virginia.
When Trimble arrived at Maryland, he needed to learn how to play with pace, determining whether to speed up or slow down in certain situations. He noticed Cowan also lacked this attribute when he came to College Park this summer. Cowan, who Turgeon called “probably the fastest guy in the Big Ten” at media day in October, was rushing his decisions.
Cowan has improved, which Turgeon said has led to better looks and fewer turnovers.
“He’s a great listener,” Trimble said. “He wants to get better. If he just stays that way, he’s going to get better and his space is going to continue to grow.”
Turgeon acknowledged the duo is still getting used to each other but noticed its improved cohesion. Earlier in the year, the pair would get confused as to who should receive the outlet pass after missed shots. Cowan now understands if Trimble is closer to the rebounder, the junior will bring the ball up the court.
It’s one example of Cowan and Trimble knowing where the other is, something senior forward L.G. Gill said they’ve made strides in since the season started.
Turgeon wants to see Cowan get out in transition more, using the speed he’s shown in flashes during the first nine games. Those opportunities may lead to more open shots for Cowan’s teammates, which is what his coach expects from his freshman point guard.
“He has a lot on his plate,” Turgeon said, “and he’s handling it well.”
