Pitt may have a breakout player on its roster.
Many around the country think that sophomore guard Jaland Lowe will break out in a big way this year after an excellent freshman campaign. Now, with Bub Carrington off to the NBA, Lowe will be running the show alongside Ishmael Leggett, Damian Dunn, and Brandin Cummings in the back court.
On Monday, basketball analyst Ryan Hammer dropped his breakout candidates list on Twitter, listing Lowe as the No. 4 candidate on the list.
Lowe was the highest-rated ACC player on the list.
Earlier in the offseason, ESPN listed Lowe on a similar list.
ESPN Lists Pitt Guard as Potential Breakout Candidate
Lowe, a Houston, Texas native, thrived as a freshman. Now, he has the keys to the offense heading into year two.
As a freshman, he tallied 109 assists, which ranked second on the team behind Bub Carrington’s 137. Lowe led the Panthers with an impressive assist-to-turnover ratio, as he had 50 turnovers on the year.
Lowe averaged 9.6 points and 3.3 assists per game as a rookie. However, he kicked his production up a notch once he was inserted into the starting lineup. Lowe started 19 games on the year, and in those games, he averaged the following stats: 13.1 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, 1.6 turnovers per game, 4.5 field goals per game, and 1.3 three pointers per game. He shot 40.7% from the field across those 19 games, and 40.3% from three-point range across those 19 games.
His 3.3 assists per game ranked 15th in the ACC. His assist–to-turnover ratio was top-five, ranking fourth in the league. Virginia’s Reece Beekman was the lone ACC player last season to average more than five assists per game (6.2). Take a look at Lowe’s passing film below to see why many believe he can become one of the best passers in the league as just a sophomore.