Mark Pope has secured one of the top players from the ACC for next season’s roster.
On Saturday, Pittsburgh guard Jaland Lowe committed to the Kentucky Wildcats, as initially reported by Travis Branham of 247Sports. Standing at 6-foot-3, Lowe earned All-ACC Third Team honors this past season after averaging 16.8 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 35.4 minutes per game as a sophomore. The Texas native shot 37.6 percent from the field, 26.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 88.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Lowe, who has two years of eligibility left and is exploring the NBA Draft, joins Tulane guard Kam Williams as the Wildcats’ two incoming transfers for the upcoming season.
Lowe was a four-star recruit from Fort Bend Marshall (TX) before deciding to join Pitt. After initially coming off the bench during his freshman year, he secured a full-time starting spot for the last 19 games of the 2023-24 season. As a starter, he averaged 13.1 points, 4.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 34.5 minutes per game, shooting 40.8% from the field, 40.3% from three, and 86.4% from the free-throw line.
Heading into his sophomore season, Lowe retained his starting role. While his overall stats improved, his outside shooting saw a decline. After shooting over 40 percent from three in ACC play as a freshman, he struggled with just 25.8 percent from beyond the arc as a sophomore.
However, as a career 87.7 percent free-throw shooter, there’s optimism that Lowe can return to his rookie form. Additionally, his role expanded significantly from year one to year two, as he became Pitt’s primary ball handler in 2024-25. At Kentucky, he won’t be expected to shoulder as much of the offensive responsibility.
“Pope’s greatest strengths are his ball-handling and creativity,” said George Michalowski, a Pitt basketball reporter for Pittsburgh Sports Now. “He prefers to go left and has a wide range of moves with the ball. Lowe ran a lot of pick-and-roll at Pitt and was the primary offensive initiator nearly every possession.”
Despite the dip in shooting, Lowe’s strong performance earned him All-ACC Third Team honors. He’s a top-tier playmaker, excelling when surrounded by shooters and capable of creating turnovers on defense. This makes him a solid addition for Pope and the Wildcats.
