As Anthony Cowan Jr. stood on the court of Xfinity Center after leading then-No. 3 Maryland men’s basketball to a comeback victory over Illinois, the crowd erupted.
“MVP! MVP! MVP!” thousands of fans chanted in unison.
The senior guard, never one to get overly excited, simply continued his postgame interview. That's the guy Cowan has proven to be this season: calm, cool and collected. In the few close games where the team has trailed, he has been the one to step up, make big plays and lead scoring runs — and such was certainly the case Saturday night.