June 16, 2006

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Villanova University sophomore guard Kyle Lowry (Cardinal Dougherty High School/Philadelphia, Pa.) announced tonight that he will remain in the National Basketball Association draft and forego his final two years of collegiate eligibility.

"My lifelong dream has been to become an NBA player and, after going through this process, I believe now is the time to take advantage of a great opportunity," stated Lowry. "I will forego my final two years of college eligibility and stay committed to the 2006 NBA Draft.

"I want to thank my family, friends, coaches, and, specifically, coach (Jay) Wright, who stood behind me through this entire process. I also want to thank my teammates and the entire Villanova community for being supportive of me. I will continue to work toward my personal goal of obtaining my degree from Villanova University. Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat."

Lowry played a key role in Villanova's 28-5 season in 2005-06 as its starting point guard. He averaged 11.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and a team-high 3.7 assists per outing in his sophomore season en route to being named second team All-Big East and first team Philadelphia Big Five. In addition, he led the Big East Conference in steals (2.33 spg) and connected on .786 of his attempts from the free throw line.

"Kyle has worked hard athletically and academically to give himself great options," stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "He has very good people around him including his family, coach Dave Distel and Andy Miller. Kyle has communicated closely with our staff throughout this process. Everyone at Villanova supports his decision. We all look forward to following Kyle's NBA career. We are happy for his success and proud that he is a Wildcat."