Maryland men’s basketball is riding high as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and excitement is spreading fast—especially around the team’s star players. The starting lineup—Derik Queen, Julian Reese, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Rodney Rice, and Selton Miguel—has earned the nickname “The Crab Five,” a nod to Michigan’s legendary “Fab Five.”
The catchy name has sparked a wave of fan enthusiasm, leading to a demand for Crab Five-themed merchandise. That’s where Milan Chaudhary comes in. The 20-year-old CEO of Brown Boy Nation, an apparel company he founded in high school, noticed Maryland fans calling for a Crab Five design. When he created one, it quickly took off.
“I sent the graphic to Ricky Harris, part of the coaching staff, and he tweeted it out. It hit 500,000 views on X,” Chaudhary said. “It was amazing to see it help build the movement around Maryland basketball.”
A Montgomery County native, Chaudhary has always had a passion for sports and fashion. Now a marketing major at the University of Maryland, he’s partnered with the school to launch the Crab Five Collection. The T-shirts feature images of the players, who receive the majority of the profits through NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals.
For Chaudhary, ensuring athletes are compensated fairly is key—not only for their benefit but also as a way to boost recruiting and keep top talent at Maryland. With March Madness in full swing, the Crab Five brand is only getting bigger.
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Photo: Getty