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With the Minnesota Golden Gopher men’s basketball season kicking off on November 9th, we will be previewing all members of the roster. Loewe, a Wisconsin native, transfers in from William & Mary to shore up the Minnesota back court.
Year
Senior
Position
Guard
Measurables
Height: 6’ 4”
Weight: 185 lbs
Experience
The Fond du Lac, Wisconsin product has played in 107 games, starting 80, at College of William and Mary, a member of the Colonial Athletic Association conference. In his senior season in Williamsburg, Loewe averaged 16.2 points 3.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, including nearly five three-point attempts a game at a 29.8% clip. The increased volume seemed to have negatively impacted his efficiency, as he was a career 35.0% shooter from distance and shot 85.7% from the free throw line. The team went 61-50 during his tenure.
Brief Breakdown
Loewe has established a reputation as being an excellent defender. Additionally, he shares familiarity with Assistant Coach Jason Kemp, who was an assistant at William & Mary the past two seasons. While the Colonial is certainly no Big Ten in regards to talent and competition level, someone who started 80 games, shot 48% from the field, and had an 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio as a senior is nothing to sneeze at. There was a considerable bump in Loewe’s work load from his junior to his senior season, including going from 7.1 field goal attempts per game to 13.2. While his efficiency dipped from distance, he maintained a decent two-point percentage at 51.8%.
Projected Role
Loewe appears well-positioned for playing time, perhaps even starting on occasion at either point or shooting guard though beyond Willis, it is hard to project which of older transfer guards will stand out. He has ample experience and respectable shooting numbers. And, based on early interviews and approach, defense appears to be a point of emphasis to Coach Ben Johnson, which is a skill that Loewe has in spades. Based on the fact that he played 36 minutes a game as a senior at William & Mary, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him featured heavily in the guard rotation unless other members of the roster begin to stand out as competent Big Ten players.