VILLANOVA, Penn. (AP) — Kyle Lowry was as headstrong as any Villanova star to wear the uniform, and nearly wore out his welcome with coach Jay Wright before he ever hit the court. The two have since become extremely tight, and when Lowry returned for a night in his honor, Wright requested a picture with Lowry and his two young sons, and a trio of former Wildcats. When the fussy kids were still shooting hoops, Lowry wrangled them over for a quick picture.
“Wright cracked, “They listen far better than you ever did.”
“Lowry, whose jersey was retired at halftime, stated, “They know I don’t play.””
Still chuckling from the recent photo opportunity, Wright confessed, “That was the highlight of my evening.”
Lowry contributed numerous significant plays during his two seasons with the Wildcats. He was instrumental in helping Wright to transform the program into a national powerhouse.
Lowry was surrounded by his ex-teammates as he accepted the jersey recognition honor, which he described as a “once in a lifetime” experience that he was lucky to share with his wife and two young sons. His sons, Karter and Kameron, amused themselves by playing with the microphones during a halftime press conference.
Lowry was a player from 2004-2006, during which time the Wildcats made their first two NCAA Tournament trips under Wright’s early tenure.
“Since I arrived, he seemed to be on the metaphorical hot seat,” said Lowry. “Now, he’s firmly established here and has become one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history.”
Since then, Wright has secured two national titles at Villanova and was honored as the AP Coach of the Decade. He has recounted instances of Lowry missing classes and causing disruptions during practice, to the extent that his continuation into a second season was doubtful. Lowry humorously remembered his tumultuous relationship with his coach.
“During my freshman year, I was quite immature, clueless about what to expect, what I wanted, what I was capable of, or even who I was away from the court,” shared Lowry. “Coach and I never discussed basketball. Our conversations revolved around life outside the court. This is why Jay and I maintain a strong relationship to this day. It was never about basketball for him. He was more concerned about my growth as a man.”
