Staff Writer ,
Sunday, November 23, 2008
DAYTON — Rob Lowery's talkative nature probably wouldn't be welcome in a library or monastery, but that gift of gab comes in handy as a point guard on the basketball floor.
The junior-college transfer has been embraced by his University of Dayton teammates, who appreciate being around someone who never hesitates to express himself.
"Rob just brings energy, and he does it all day," senior forward Charles Little said. "If you see him going to class, he's the same person he is on the court. He's always talking, always happy, always enthusiastic.
"Sometimes I don't even know if he knows what he's saying. You kind of look at him confused. But he always has good intentions with what he's saying."
Asked if he thought Lowery was too high strung, Little said: "You need that sometimes. If everybody was the same, it would be boring."
Lowery, a Division-II juco All-American at Cecil Community College in Maryland last season, has always been known for his nonstop banter.
"That's just my personality," he said. "I like to be heard.
"I know I'm a newcomer, but I think all these guys look at me as a leader. I've got to be vocal with my teammates."
Lowery certainly is earning his teammates' respect with his play. While his outside jumper has been spotty, he's racked up eight assists with just two turnovers in two games.
A 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio would put Lowery among the Atlantic 10 leaders, and he's pleased with his results so far.
"I know myself. I tend to turn the ball over ... I don't want to say a lot, but more than I have here. That's just the confidence I have with my teammates and the coach talking to me about calming down and being more poised on offense."
UD coach
Brian Gregory, though, still wants Lowery to tighten up on his ball-handling.
"We're still able to show him either some decision-making or casualness that caused a lost opportunity (to score) — it just may not have shown up in the stat book," he said.
As for Lowery's loquaciousness, Gregory smiled and said, "It's a lot easier to tone guys down than to fire them up."
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