How will Maryland's Latest Commit, 2016 3-Star G Anthony Cowan, Contribute?

Dez Wells will be gone after this season. Melo Trimble, though just a true freshman, may not spend more than two seasons playing for Mark Turgeon. Jaylen Brantly, a talented junior college player, arrives on campus next season as part of the 2015 class with three years of eligibility remaining. For certain, Maryland should be strong at the point guard spot over the coming seasons.

Anthony Cowan is a pass-first point guard listed 162nd nationally by 247 Sports' composite rankings. Don't be fooled though, Cowan has major game - he ultimately turned down offers from a host of college basketball powers including Georgetown, Xavier, Illinois, West Virginia, Penn State, and Florida State. Whatever his ranking may suggest, he can certainly play at this level. Cowan's ability to pass the ball, he averaged 7 assists throughout his junior season paired with 19 points per contest, will fit right into an explosive Maryland bunch that figures to still include Dion Wiley and Cekovsky at the least.

Turgeon seems to be modeling his future teams after this year's successful squad. Between Trimble and Wells Maryland is averaging over 5 assists per game. The 5'11" Brantley will be a different match in the backcourt than the much-taller Wells, and at 6'0" Cowan will accelerate that trend presuming Melo leaves for the NBA after his sophomore year(a major presumption to be sure, but Melo has been all over the 2016 draft boards after the way his season began). What they have in common with Wells and Trimble, though, is speed. They may edge Maryland's current backcourt in that area. While shorter, Cowan is extremely maneuverable in the open floor and the halfcourt. He has a way of getting to the space he wants to be in to create passing angles, similar to the way a young Yogi Ferrell once did.

Cowan may or may not play point guard for the Terrapins right away - if Trimble is still roaming the streets of College Park by 2016 he'll be a junior and will likely be too comfortable with the collegiate game for Anthony Cowan to steal any of his floor time. But he is likely to contribute. Anthony may prefer to pound the rock and distribute for the offense but like Wells, Cowan is perfectly capable of playing off of the ball. When Anthony arrives in College Park, the Terrapins are going to find their dribbling improved, their spacing enhanced, and their bench deepened - whether or not they're replacing this year's star freshman by then.