Cassidy Rowe and her parents all cried during Friday's signing ceremony. (Larry Vaught Photo)
Her mother and father both cried as her highlight video played in the Shelby Valley High School gym Friday for fans to get a glimpse of what Cassidy Rowe’s journey to signing with the University of Kentucky had been like.
But her father, Lonnie, who is also the Shelby Valley coach, really lost it when it was his turn to speak.
Lonnie Rowe said seeing his daughter sign with UK was part of the reason for the tears. However, the bigger reason was that he saw what it took for her to overcome two knee surgeries and a broken rib during her last three seasons.
“The tears she shed, the pain she was in… I have never been around a kid who worked as hard as her,” Rowe said before having to stop because he was sobbing.
Once he regained his composure, he noted how she could have quit and just decided to be a normal high school kid.
“Her life is basketball. It’s nothing I did,” the coach said. “She told me immediately she loved playing basketball. I told her I would never make her go to the gym but I would never tell her no if she asked me to take her. She asked me every single day to take her and I never told her no. To say I am proud is an understatement.”
Cassidy Rowe, a 5-6 guard, committed to Kentucky when she was a freshman. Kentucky coach Krya Elzy calls her a “blue-collar player” who has “all the intangibles” Kentucky wants and needs.
Cassidy Rowe was obviously touched by what her father said and all the friends and others who turned out for her ceremony. She noted she had the “best” friends, teammates, media, and medical people.
“Everybody helped me,” she said. “I could not have done this without my family and friends. I love Shelby Valley more than anything. I am blessed to say I will still be a Wildcat at Kentucky (Shelby Valley also has a Wildcat mascot). Thank you for coming. It means the world to me.”
Cassidy Rowe has scored 1,032 points and 182 made 3-pointers. She has dished out 464 assists, pulled off 321 rebounds, and made 198 steals. She played in 65 high school games as a middle schooler but was limited to six games her freshman season and 19 as a sophomore due to ACL injuries. Last season she averaged 12.9 points per game and shot 41 percent from 3-point range.
Her uncle, Roger Rowe, was her middle school coach and he said numbers don’t tell the whole story about the Shebly Valley star.
“I think UK is getting such a special player on and off the court,” Roger Rowe said. “She is going to make teammates better. She got knocked down not only once but twice but she picked herself up and got right back to work.”
