Jaland Lowe Can Get By Everybody, Make Every Pass

Jaland Lowe (Colby Vaught Photo)

During Kentucky’s Pro Day on Monday, assistant coach Cody Fueger didn’t downplay his praise of junior point guard Jaland Lowe.

“Jaland Lowe can get by everybody and make every pass,” Fueger said about the Pittsburgh transfer when talking with former UK All-American Jack Givens on the SEC Network+ broadcast.

Givens knows Lowe did not have the greatest shooting percentage at Pitt last season when he was often forced to take difficult shots because of the lack of talent around him. He does not see Lowe having the same problem at Kentucky.

“With the way Kentucky will be able to spread the ball around the floor and with all of these guys on the floor that can shoot,  Lowe will not have to shoot a lot of last-second shots (to beat the shot clock),” Givens said.

Kentucky coach Mark Pope didn’t back off praising Lowe during an interview on Kentucky Sports Radio Friday.

“I think he has the potential to grow into a great leader,” Pope said. “I think for us to be what we want to be, he’s going to have to be a star, and I think he’s ready to do it.”

Lowe averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game last season to earn all-Atlantic Coast Conference honors. He shot 37 percent from the field and 27 percent from 3 for a team that finished 17-15, including 8-12 in conference play.

Pope targeted Lowe immediately when he put his name into the transfer portal because he felt he was the perfect fit to run UK’s offense this season after the loss of Lamont Butler off last year’s Sweet Sixteen team.

“He is cat-quick. He is as good as anybody I’ve ever coached at being able to get wherever he wants to on the court whenever he wants to get there,” Pope said on Kentucky Sports Radio. “He’s got the potential to be an elite-level playmaker.

“He’s really got a high IQ in how he kind of understands the game, and he tries to attack the game. And he’s learning that fast.”

Pope wants Kentucky to be a more “mobile” team this season and knows that starts with Lowe.

“I think this team has a chance to kind of really utilize all the space on the court. I think we have guys that are really athletic, that can cover ground, both offensively and defensively, that have some physicality to them,” Pope said.

And most of that starts with Lowe.