Nov. 4, 2005
The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, appears each week beginning in the fall and continues through the basketball regular season. This week we catch up with sophomore guard Kyle Lowry.
The main court at Jake Nevin Field House was largely empty following a Villanova practice session earlier this week. At one end of the court a couple of student managers and another Villanova official shot at a basket. At the opposite end of the floor, freshman swingman Bilal Benn was getting some tips from assistant coach Patrick Chambers.
On a trainer's table near the Sports Medicine Office, Kyle Lowry took it all in. While Villanova strength and conditioning director Jeff Watson worked on Lowry's legs, he let out a wry smile as he watched the staff member shoot.
"I see you," Lowry chuckled.
Indeed, the power of observation that served Lowry so well a year ago is intact and functioning optimally. As a freshman in 2004-05, a torn ACL in his left knee sent Lowry to the sidelines in late August. By the time he had completed a remarkable recovery in time to play on New Year's Eve against Penn, Lowry had managed to absorb the nuances of the Wildcats' system though he did not begin practicing with the squad until near Christmas.
"It really was amazing," noted head coach Jay Wright at the time.
These days Lowry is not restricted to the training table or stationary bicycle as he was in the weeks leading up to the 2004-05 campaign. Each day he has been an active participant in practice and he says the daily preparation will be a definite asset as he begins his second season as a Wildcat.
"I think it will be a big advantage for me," says Lowry. "I've had the chance to play in the pre-season and it really helps. You go against really talented guards every day like Mike (Nardi), Randy (Foye) and Allan (Ray) and it forces you to add things to your game."
Lowry managed just fine as a freshman despite the long layoff after September surgery to repair the knee ligament. The 6-1 - yes, he's officially been measured one inch taller than he was listed as a rookie - native of Philadelphia added a new dimension to the Wildcats and excelled in the NCAA Tournament, especially against Florida and North Carolina. He ended the year with a 7.5 ppg scoring average and a most promising future.
As much as he has gained from the pre-season this fall, Lowry went through the same emotions his teammates did when Curtis Sumpter's recovery from his own ACL surgery last April suffered a setback last month. Sumpter tore the same ligament in practice on Oct. 19 and is sidelined indefinitely.
Sumpter's plight had a special resonance for Lowry in part because he understood the ups and downs that are a part of the rehabilitative process.
"It definitely gives me an appreciation for how fortunate I was," says Lowry. "I've talked to a lot of people here at Villanova who have torn their ACL and they all say it takes a while to get back. I'm just glad my body responded and that I got a lot of help from (Villanova team surgeon) Dr. (Rob) Good, (head athletic trainer) Jeff Pierce and Coach `Crutch (former assistant strength and conditioning coach Mark Crutchfield). Those people did a great job in getting me back."
For the most part, Lowry says he does not allow his mind to drift back to the injury. However, he's human and every once in a while the memory does come up.
"You try not to think about it," he says, "and usually I don't. But it happens."
Presently Lowry has other issues to focus on. There is a season approaching and with Sumpter out of the picture for an extended period, the burden falls to the remainder of the cast. That includes the guards. The 3-guard system that has been a Villanova staple for the past two seasons will be on display again and it should expand at times, as it did last year, most notably in the NCAA Tournament against North Carolina.
When an interviewer mentions three guards, Lowry quickly interjects: "and some four."
In fact, Lowry's unique combination of skills is one reason Wright can insert four backcourt players on to the court at the same time. Because he is fearless and a gifted rebounder without great height, it gives the coaching staff the option to place Foye, Ray, and Nardi on the court with him at times.
"It's a mental thing," says Lowry of the four guard attack. "You've got to execute perfectly. You can't make mistakes. You really have to play hard and play smart. You have to play together at all times."
In whatever combination, it is clear that Lowry will again play a significant role in 2005-06. Toward that end he continues to put the toil in that has been a trademark of his game from his earliest days tagging alongside his older brother Lonnie to hoops games in Philadelphia.
On this evening, he calls out to Chambers as he is finishing the interview and asks him if he plans on leaving. Chambers says he will be happy to stay.
With the Wildcats temporary practice home empty, Lowry heads back out on to the floor. He begins firing 3-point jumpers from the right corner and will move on to different spots beyond the arc. He begins by dropping in 8-of-12 from the right corner.
Rarely has the simple repetitive act of firing jumpers seemed like so much fun. One year ago Lowry was forced to see the game only through his eyes. Now he is only too happy to be able to fully immerse himself in every aspect of pre-season preparation.
NOTES: Lowry isn't the only Wildcat to have been measured slightly taller than he was in 2004-05. Nardi will be listed at 6-2 and Foye was measured at 6-4. Those changes will be made to the roster in time for the exhibition game against West Chester on Nov. 13.
