Pittsburgh point guard transfer and Kentucky signee Jaland Lowe has withdrawn from the 2025 NBA Draft and will attend UK in the fall, he announced via social media on Thursday.
"Can't miss out on this opportunity," Lowe wrote. "See you soon, BBN."
The Wildcats are still awaiting word from leading scorer Otega Oweh, who has until May 28 to withdraw his name from the draft in order to return to Lexington next season.
Lowe, who is ranked as the No. 39 overall transfer and No. 10 point guard in the portal this offseason by 247Sports, had a solid showing at the NBA G League Elite Camp in Chicago last week.
As a sophomore this season, Lowe (6-3, 175) averaged 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while starting all 31 games for the Panthers this season. He scored in double figures in 26 of 31 games with nine 20-point games and one double-double. In a 93-48 win over VMI on Nov. 18, Lowe recorded a triple-double of 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Over two collegiate seasons, both at Pitt, Lowe averaged 13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 29.8% from 3-point range, starting 50 of 64 games at point guard.
"I'm excited to get him here and hyper-speed his game. We're going to really unleash him and push him to play with as much pace as he possibly can," UK head coach Mark Pope said.
"He's so athletic. He's got such a herky, jerky nature to his game. He's like an elite-level tailback that can cut, like his cuts could be a 270 degree like, on a dime, cut, change direction. He proved to do everything at Pitt. He was an elite level scorer, he's incredible at getting to the free throw line, he was almost six assists a game. He had a real presence on the ball. Was almost a 3.0 turnover percentage guy. He's got a complete package."
Along with fellow Kentucky signees Denzel Aberdeen (Florida), Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama), and Kam Williams (Tulane), Lowe took his official visit to UK last month.
"He's also got a great leadership ability," Pope said. "Having him here on campus it was fun because you have these new guys on campus and you're out to dinner and he was the guy instigating a lot of the conversation, which is exactly what we need him to be. I think he's going to be an elite-level leader. He's got a huge future in this game, and he's going to come to do it in Kentucky jersey and join this legacy of incredible point guards that have played here."
247Sports Scouting Report: Only 15 players scored more points per game in ball-screens than Jaland Lowe. The sophomore guard had a huge year at Pitt, but his efficiency took a hit due to the heavy burden he was forced to carry. Lowe's jumper can go a bit AWOL, at times, but he could see his efficiency rise if paired with another jumbo creator. Lowe shot over 35% on catch-and-shoot 3s as a true freshman next to lottery pick Bub Carrington. Regardless, Lowe, the driver, was terrifying for opposing defenses. Pitt couldn't afford to play him off the ball, but good things happened when Lowe could attack long closeouts. He was routinely creating advantages for Pitt's offense, and he's a creative playmaker. Lowe's usage rate will dip a little bit at Kentucky, but Mark Pope's ability to elevate his personnel gives Lowe a chance to be one of the best guards in the SEC next season. He should also provide a real "get out of jail free" card for Kentucky's offense in late-clock possessions. – Isaac Trotter