Anthony Cowan fought back tears as he thought about guard Melo Trimble after the Maryland men’s basketball team’s NCAA tournament loss.
The freshman guard first knew Trimble as a rival in high school, then as a college teammate, then as his backcourt mentor starting every game together last season.
“He’s really turned into a big brother for me,” Cowan said after a pause, his voice wavering.
A tinge of that emotion colored the campus Wednesday afternoon when the homegrown star announced he was hiring an agent to enter the NBA draft, forgoing his senior year in a state flag-patterned jersey.
Trimble’s professional stock isn’t promising — he’s not in the latest mock projections — but who can blame the smooth, reliable, lovable Maryland great for deciding three seasons of NCAA memories, production and labor was enough?
“Melo has grown as a leader and done an outstanding job taking our program to new heights,” coach Mark Turgeon said in a statement. “Melo will be celebrated as one of the all-time greats in our program’s history.”
To ease the sting of Trimble’s departure, start with Turgeon’s first point: the Upper Marlboro native’s ascent is the forefront of the program’s return to national prominence.
[Read more: This generation of Maryland basketball belongs to Melo Trimble]
His voice used to crack when he spoke to teammates as a freshman, arriving with a shy demeanor that certainly didn’t match the dominant production that some projected as first round-worthy.
Trimble, though, returned for a second season to develop as a facilitator. It worked, as he averaged about two more assists as a sophomore, but injuries in Big Ten play didn’t warrant an agent — just a test at the NBA combine and meetings with scouts that confirmed a junior campaign, and a third-straight NCAA tournament push, was his best option.
Sure, he could’ve stayed for his senior season, rising from 13th on the program’s all-time scoring list. He could’ve opted for a few more standing ovations from the crowd that chanted “one more year” after his final home game in March. He could’ve tried for a few more buzzer-beaters under the rafters where his jersey should soon hang.
But to understand Trimble’s perspective, see Turgeon’s second point: Trimble is one of the “all-time greats” — and one of Maryland’s all-time great money-makers.
Maryland’s attendance has skyrocketed since his arrival. In Trimble’s freshman season, the Terps averaged 12,695 fans. After a year of his hype and heroics, the Terps were fifth in the country with an average of 17,863 fans packing Xfinity Center.
Trimble gets the perks of a scholarship and some sweet Under Armour gear, but he didn’t pocket any of those ticket sales. Nor did he profit from the three NCAA tournament runs — including the program’s first Sweet 16 in 13 years — he propelled.
While Trimble received a postseason patch donning his jersey, Turgeon touted a $25,000 contract bonus for the Terps making the Big Dance this year.
None of that includes the sales in apparel, memorabilia and, hell, even parking tickets fans have fronted by coming to this university and supporting the program Trimble restored.
That’s not to say he’ll be set with a guaranteed salary or assured a roster spot come the draft in late June. The knocks on his athleticism, shooting ability and fit in professional schemes are valid.
But he’s earned the opportunity to explore the next level with every 3-pointer he’s lofted to the wave of students’ fingers and every and-one drive through the lane to spark a celebration on the bench.
Those memories are what makes thinking about Maryland post-Trimble so hard.
