By LARRY VAUGHT
When Jaland Lowe was contemplating a transfer from Pittsburgh to Kentucky his father made sure to get all the information he could about UK coach Mark Pope.
“We called people and spoke to people who had personal knowledge of relationships with him. People I have known for 15 or 20 years made us feel comfortable about him and seeing if he was the guy to help my son,” Marland Lowe, Jaland’s father, said. “The Kentucky brand itself was huge but so many people said great things about him (Pope).
“At this point it is also about roster fit and position along with roster management and the coach. You have to monitor that more than ever before but it just made sense being at Kentucky with Pope and his staff with the way he gets guys to buy into what he’s doing.”
Jaland Lowe, a lefty, averaged 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 35.4 minutes per game last year at Pitt but was only a 26 percent shooter from 3-point range. However, he had over 20 points in 10 games, including a high of 28 in an overtime win at Ohio State. He also had a triple-double (11 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) in a win over VMI.
Marland Lowe, Southwest director of Grassroots Basketball, noted his son picking Kentucky was about more than just “liking” Pope.
“It was also about how he could enhance Jaland’s game. It was interesting how he talked about usage rate and where he ranked in pick and roll and Pope liked how he managed that and talked about where he needs to improve in the pick and roll as well,” Marland Lowe said. “He said he would make sure to have players around him that could finish the passes and plays he makes. He talked so much about how he could help him improve in many areas, and that was something Jaland really liked.”
Marland Lowe considers his son a “basketball connoisseur” who loves basketball because he basically grew up in a gym.
“He just wanted to be in the gym. You didn’t have to force him,” the point guard’s father said. “He would move and run around and if he got tired he would use a ball as a pillow. That love of the game is why his understanding of the game is so high.”
Pope talked to them about former UK star Ron Mercer and thought Jaland Lowe might not know who he was.
“Jaland was just a little kid and Ron Mercer was in the gym working out,” Marland Lowe said.
Former UK star De’Aaron Fox grew up in Katy, Texas, and played for Houston Hoops, a program Marland Lowe was affiliated with.
“Jaland knows De’Aaron and has followed him for many years. He knows plenty about the legacy of the University of Kentucky and the championships they have,” Marland Lowe said.
The new UK point guard’s father appreciates the way some have compared his son to Lamont Butler, UK’s starting point guard last season, but he did not see Butler play a lot last season.
“Jaland has a very unique style that other players enjoy being with him. They know if they are open they will get the ball and he knows how to deliver the ball where they want it. He knows how to make winning plays for the team,” Marland Lowe said.
“He has a pretty good feel both with his left hand and right hand. Everything he does with his left hand he can do with his right hand. We did push him to be a complete player. If you make him go right, he will do it. He is clever enough and crafty enough to get where he wants. He is about finishing plays.”
Jaland Lowe is one of many players who put his name into the NBA Draft but also maintained his collegiate eligibility.
“Its about getting feedback on what NBA teams really think and what you need to work on and at the same time things that they like about your game and things you can enhance,” Marland Lowe said. “There’s no downside to doing that for him, but you can only test twice. You can try again next year but then you have got to go (to the NBA Draft and leave college).”
New Kentucky receivers coach L’Damian Washington spent the previous two seasons as the wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator at South Florida after spending the 2022 season at Oklahoma. He was also the director of play development at Missouri in 2020 when current UK offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan was the quarterbacks coach there.
Those who have watched Kentucky practice have seen an “excitable” Washington during drills as he interacts with his players. That made me wonder what Washington might be like on game day.
“I’m actually the complete opposite on game day. I tell the guys this during the week that you’re gonna get everything out of me, and I mean everything. On game day, I’m more hands off because I’ve given them everything that I could that week in practice and the meeting rooms,” the receivers coach said. “So on game day I let them go out and be themselves.
“Of course, I’m gonna help them with adjustments on the field and stuff like that. But I’m not yelling at screaming on game day because I need them just in that focused state of mind and getting in their zen zone that works for them. So on game day, I’m a much more quiet and reserved coach.”
Kentucky brought in five transfer receivers along with two true freshmen to expand the options Washington has to use in the 2025 season.
“I’m excited about the fall. I think the good thing in our group is that we have got a lot of guys that have a lot to prove,” Washington said. “We’re all up for the task. I know guys all want to possess the rock (football), but it is a really good thing that we have a lot of guys capable of making plays for us.”
Kentucky coach Mark Pope offered insights on his first year as UK’s head coach during an exclusive interview with BBN Tonight’s Maggie Davis on WLEX-TV on the one-year anniversary of his hire and historical press conference in Rupp Arena.
“BBN gave us the greatest kickoff gift ever, and then these players gave us the greatest bounce this year. It’s been the easiest conversations ever right now, recruiting in the portal,” Pope told Davis. “It’s been two pronged. One, for our freshmen that are coming in, it’s been the greatest confirmation of their decision to come because they got to witness it over the course of the season, right?
“Then for the guys that we were recruiting, that we have already signed in the portal, and the guys that we’re still recruiting, it’s the easiest sell in the world. When you have your guys after a devastating loss in the Sweet 16 at the postgame press conference going out on their own saying, ‘All you transfer portal guys, you don’t understand. If you’re trying to choose a school, this is the place to go.’”
Pope was glad his players “didn’t miss the experience of being a Kentucky basketball player” even though most of last year’s team only had one year of eligibility remaining when they arrived. He was proud that his team performed almost 400 hours of community service.
“It meant something to them to represent Kentucky,” the coach said.
Pope still believes the overflow crowd in Rupp Arena for his introductory press conference had a lasting impact on his player.
“Guys understood this would be the most incredible experience of their sports career and they understood it was way bigger than just themselves,” Pope told Davis. “Wearing Kentucky across the chest means something different than any other name in college basketball.”
Paducah Tilghman High School football coach Sean Thompson was not surprised when he saw Martels Carter practicing at Kentucky that it looked just like old times.
“You could tell he was in his element,” Thompson said. “Not much has changed. He is still a fun loving guy. His passion for the game does not change and I still see him being very successful at Kentucky.”
Carter helped Paducah Tilghman win the Class 4A state championship last season and was heavily recruited nationally but never wavered after making his commitment to UK.
“I’ve always talked about how vocal he is and how he communicated with our guys. That is huge. Coaches always tell you at any level if kids communicate that they have a great chance to be successful,” Thompson said. “He was getting a lot of reps (in spring practice).”
Kentucky coaches feel Carter has the physical and mental skills to be a future star in the UK secondary. However, he was also an explosive offensive player for Paducah Tilghman.
“He is the most explosive with the ball in his hand and I do believe he could play some both ways,” Thompson said. “He did not play as much offense last year for us because of some nagging injuries. He did in the state championship game and had two touchdowns.
“Once he ran 23 miles per hour in practice coming off a quad injury and when he got to Kentucky he found out it was actually torn. That speaks to the kind of athlete he is. The quickest way to let him impact the game with the ball is on special teams but I really would not be surprised to see him line up at receiver some time. He’s just that special on both sides of the ball.”
When Kentucky volleyball coach Craig Skinner reached out to Purdue sophomore Lizzie Carr after she entered the transfer portal in December, the timing could not have been better.
Carr was in Lexington to watch her brother, Andrew Carr, play for Kentucky against Louisville in Rupp Arena.
“I think I knew a lot about the program just through him and his experiences here,” said Carr, who did transfer to join Skinner’s team. “The facilities for basketball, both women’s and men’s basketball, and then volleyball are all close together, so he knew a lot about volleyball.”
She said her brother would run into UK volleyball coaches getting lunch and got to also know a lot not only about the players but even the athletic trainers.
“Just different people who represented Kentucky volleyball, he got to know them and be around them,” Lizzie Carr said. “When I went into the portal and they were one of the first schools that reached out, he had nothing but great things to say about Kentucky sports.
“He also had amazing interactions with every single person he met connected with volleyball and so have I.”
Quote of the Week 1: “He’s always told me to stop and smell the roses, not to get too ahead of yourself or live too far in the past and just be super present with what’s happening, and it helped me tonight and it’s going to help me going forward,” point guard Georgia Amoore after she was the sixth pick in the WNBA draft on advice she’s received from UK coach Kenny Brooks.
Quote of the Week 2: “He is the most important piece of rebuilding this front court. He learned so much and is now excited to take on this mentorship role. When he came, we talked about a two-year plan. He has huge goals and ambitions and knows how important it is to have great players around him on the front line,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope on sophomore Brandon Garrison.
Quote of the Week 3: “We really needed him. We feel good about the quarterback room but it is nice to have him there because you know what you are getting. He is so bright and such a team guy. The nice thing about him is you kind of know what you are going to get and he can mentally bank reps and come in and function,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops on backup quarterback Beau Allen returning for another season.