University of St. Thomas Athletics
Men's Basketball
Lowe, Kenneth
Kenneth Lowe
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- lowek@stthomas.edu
- Phone:
- 651-962-5941
Former Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Kenneth Lowe enters his fourth year as an assistant coach at St. Thomas in 2025-26. Lowe, along with Assistant Coach Cam Rundles, head the defensive strategy for the Tommies.
Lowe helped lead the Tommies to their first Summit League Championship title game appearance and a 24-10 record in 2024-25, finishing with the program's most wins of the Division I era. The Tommies finished with the Summit League’s best winning percentage (.706) and ranked among the top 20 nationally in turnover margin and turnovers per game, contributing to one of the most balanced and efficient teams in mid-major basketball. St. Thomas posted back-to-back wins over NCAA Tournament teams Montana and Omaha, went undefeated at Schoenecker Arena (14-0), and extended the nation's longest active home winning streak to 18 games. Graduate guard Drake Dobbs emerged as a defensive anchor, earning All-Summit League Second Team and All-Defensive Team honors while ranking fifth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio. Lowe’s defensive structure and player development efforts helped power the Tommies to top NET and KenPom rankings among Division I transition programs, while contributing to a Summit League-best four all-conference selections and the league’s most overall wins (63) since the start of the 2022–23 season.
The Tommies rode its Summit League-leading scoring defense (17th nationally) to the program’s first 20-win season of the DI era. St. Thomas drew the No. 4 seed in the Summit League Championships, where it opened with a win over North Dakota State, beating a Bison program that reached the league title game in each of its past five seasons. The Purple ranked among the top 47 teams nationally in scoring margin and turnover margin. Lowe has seen St. Thomas’s NET Rankings rise each year since joining the program while the Tommies were one of two Summit League teams to be ranked among the top 200 in both the NET Rankings and Ken Pom Rankings in 2023-24. He coached All-Summit League selections in Raheem Anthony and Parker Bjorklund, while Anthony also earned a spot on the all-newcomer team.
After entering the 2022-23 season picked to finish eighth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Lowe helped the Tommies to a fourth place finish and a run to the semifinals of the league’s postseason tournament. The Purple nearly doubled their win total from the previous season, finishing with a 19-14 record overall and a 9-9 mark in the Summit League. Additionally, St. Thomas went 12-2 at Schoenecker Arena to rank among the top 25 percent of NCAA DI teams at home. Lowe coached two All-Summit League student-athletes in Parker Bjorklund and Andrew Rohde, including the Freshman of the Year award and a selection to the All-Summit League Newcomer Team for Rohde. From year one to year two of the NCAA Division I era, Lowe and the Tommies improved by nine wins, six conference wins, a +5 point scoring margin, doubled its block total, and improved its 3-point field goal defense in conference play by nearly 10 percent. St. Thomas’ first postseason victory of the DI era came in a 67-60 win over Western Illinois during the quarterfinal of the Summit League Championships. The Purple’s season was ended after taking No. 1 seed, 30-win Oral Roberts to the wire, losing 70-65 in the playoff semifinals.
Previous to the Tommies, Lowe spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Miami (OH). His main focus at Miami (OH) was working with the team on the defensive end, as well as assisting with recruiting. He joined the RedHawks after spending the four seasons with Purdue as an assistant video coordinator. He handled day-to-day film study and breakdown for the student-athletes and coaching staff.
In his first four seasons with the RedHawks, Lowe has helped Miami to 56 wins, most in a four-year span since 2009-12, and a berth in the 2018 CBI.
In 2020-21, the RedHawks recorded their first winning season since 2009. Miami earned a berth in the eight-team Mid-American Conference Tournament as the RedHawks advanced to the quarterfinal round for the fourth time in the last six years, including three of the last four MAC Tournaments. Miami clinched its MAC Tournament berth with three games remaining on its regular-season schedule. It was the second time in the last four years Miami was the No. 7 seed in the tournament, its highest seeding since the 2011 tournament.
Last season, Miami set a program record for three-pointers in a game with 18 at Central Michigan (Feb. 23, 2021) and set season program records for free-throw percentage (.776) and fewest turnovers (249).
Prior to returning to Purdue, Lowe played professionally overseas for nine seasons in Turkey, Germany, Hungary, Venezuela and then in Finland from 2009-13. He led his team (Pyrinto) to the 2010 and 2011 Finnish League championship and the 2012 Gold Medal Cup. Along the way, he was named the Finnish League Player of the Month in February 2012.
Lowe graduated from Purdue in 2004 as one of the top defensive players in school history. He was the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year twice (2003 and 2004) while being a second-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2004 and a third-team choice in 2003.
Lowe helped lead the Tommies to their first Summit League Championship title game appearance and a 24-10 record in 2024-25, finishing with the program's most wins of the Division I era. The Tommies finished with the Summit League’s best winning percentage (.706) and ranked among the top 20 nationally in turnover margin and turnovers per game, contributing to one of the most balanced and efficient teams in mid-major basketball. St. Thomas posted back-to-back wins over NCAA Tournament teams Montana and Omaha, went undefeated at Schoenecker Arena (14-0), and extended the nation's longest active home winning streak to 18 games. Graduate guard Drake Dobbs emerged as a defensive anchor, earning All-Summit League Second Team and All-Defensive Team honors while ranking fifth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio. Lowe’s defensive structure and player development efforts helped power the Tommies to top NET and KenPom rankings among Division I transition programs, while contributing to a Summit League-best four all-conference selections and the league’s most overall wins (63) since the start of the 2022–23 season.
The Tommies rode its Summit League-leading scoring defense (17th nationally) to the program’s first 20-win season of the DI era. St. Thomas drew the No. 4 seed in the Summit League Championships, where it opened with a win over North Dakota State, beating a Bison program that reached the league title game in each of its past five seasons. The Purple ranked among the top 47 teams nationally in scoring margin and turnover margin. Lowe has seen St. Thomas’s NET Rankings rise each year since joining the program while the Tommies were one of two Summit League teams to be ranked among the top 200 in both the NET Rankings and Ken Pom Rankings in 2023-24. He coached All-Summit League selections in Raheem Anthony and Parker Bjorklund, while Anthony also earned a spot on the all-newcomer team.
After entering the 2022-23 season picked to finish eighth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Lowe helped the Tommies to a fourth place finish and a run to the semifinals of the league’s postseason tournament. The Purple nearly doubled their win total from the previous season, finishing with a 19-14 record overall and a 9-9 mark in the Summit League. Additionally, St. Thomas went 12-2 at Schoenecker Arena to rank among the top 25 percent of NCAA DI teams at home. Lowe coached two All-Summit League student-athletes in Parker Bjorklund and Andrew Rohde, including the Freshman of the Year award and a selection to the All-Summit League Newcomer Team for Rohde. From year one to year two of the NCAA Division I era, Lowe and the Tommies improved by nine wins, six conference wins, a +5 point scoring margin, doubled its block total, and improved its 3-point field goal defense in conference play by nearly 10 percent. St. Thomas’ first postseason victory of the DI era came in a 67-60 win over Western Illinois during the quarterfinal of the Summit League Championships. The Purple’s season was ended after taking No. 1 seed, 30-win Oral Roberts to the wire, losing 70-65 in the playoff semifinals.
Previous to the Tommies, Lowe spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Miami (OH). His main focus at Miami (OH) was working with the team on the defensive end, as well as assisting with recruiting. He joined the RedHawks after spending the four seasons with Purdue as an assistant video coordinator. He handled day-to-day film study and breakdown for the student-athletes and coaching staff.
In his first four seasons with the RedHawks, Lowe has helped Miami to 56 wins, most in a four-year span since 2009-12, and a berth in the 2018 CBI.
In 2020-21, the RedHawks recorded their first winning season since 2009. Miami earned a berth in the eight-team Mid-American Conference Tournament as the RedHawks advanced to the quarterfinal round for the fourth time in the last six years, including three of the last four MAC Tournaments. Miami clinched its MAC Tournament berth with three games remaining on its regular-season schedule. It was the second time in the last four years Miami was the No. 7 seed in the tournament, its highest seeding since the 2011 tournament.
Last season, Miami set a program record for three-pointers in a game with 18 at Central Michigan (Feb. 23, 2021) and set season program records for free-throw percentage (.776) and fewest turnovers (249).
Prior to returning to Purdue, Lowe played professionally overseas for nine seasons in Turkey, Germany, Hungary, Venezuela and then in Finland from 2009-13. He led his team (Pyrinto) to the 2010 and 2011 Finnish League championship and the 2012 Gold Medal Cup. Along the way, he was named the Finnish League Player of the Month in February 2012.
Lowe graduated from Purdue in 2004 as one of the top defensive players in school history. He was the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year twice (2003 and 2004) while being a second-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2004 and a third-team choice in 2003.
Tommie Men's Basketball: Summit League Tournament Cinematic Recap 2025
Thursday, March 20
Press Conference: Tommie Men's Basketball Postgame vs Kansas City 03-01-25
Sunday, March 02
Press Conference: Tommie Men's Basketball Postgame vs Omaha 02/15/25
Sunday, February 16
Tommie Men's Basketball vs NDSU: Cinematic Recap
Wednesday, February 05
