Jaland Lowe is not prepared to advance to the next level, even if he excelled during the NBA Draft process, including a memorable performance at the G League Elite Camp with other aspiring professionals. Rather, he will be in Lexington, getting dressed as a Kentucky Wildcat.
Lowe chose to withdraw his name before the May 28 withdrawal deadline, currently testing the draft waters. The news was made on Thursday by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He wrote, “I can’t pass up this opportunity.” “See you guys soon, BBN.”
As a sophomore at Pittsburgh, Lowe averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game, earning him a spot on the Third Team All-ACC. Despite shooting only 37.6 percent from the field and 26.6 percent from three, he started all 31 games, reached double figures 26 times, and scored 20 points or more 10 times.
Now that he is formally back, Mark Pope wants him to take advantage of a better environment in Lexington with regard to surrounding talent in order to increase productivity while preserving efficiency. He makes the leap to the NBA that he is capable of making in this way.
In terms of his raw numbers, including points, assists, and everything else he did, Jaland Lowe was exceptional. Although it was excellent, he wasn’t a particularly effective player the previous season. This week, Pope told KSR, “Part of that is because he had to do a lot-and that’s not to take away from Pitt because Pitt is a great program, they do a great job.” It was simply the circumstances he found himself in. He took the most proportion of shots in the bottom 20 percent of shot quality, placing him in the 90th percentile in the nation, or the top 10 percent.
“That’s a long, analytical way of saying that he made the game so hard or that the game that was given to him was so hard, but he was repeatedly taking the hardest plays and making them.” In several aspects, that isn’t all that different from Lamont Butler.
For Kentucky, the Lamont Butler experience was enjoyable. We now get to see what Lexington’s Jaland Lowe experience is like.
Otega Oweh is next, and he has until May 28 to remove his name from the draft. A step closer to having a full roster in 2025–2026.
