Cassidy Rowe fueled by getting better each day, continues to work hard during offseason
On the men’s basketball side of things, we’ve seen a pair of Bluegrass boys sign to Kentucky in Travis Perry and Trent Noah. This was something that ‘Cats fans had been dying to see because they know just how much pride Perry and Noah will have being able to wear “KENTUCKY” across their chest.
On the women’s basketball side, we have Cassidy Rowe, a rising junior guard out of Virgie.
Growing up in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, it was always Rowe’s dream to one day play basketball at the Division I level in the state of Kentucky. KSR talked with Rowe’s father, Lonnie, about her lifelong journey to be a ‘Cat.
Wanting to play basketball in the state of Kentucky
“Cassidy grew up wanting to play D1 basketball and wanted to play in state,” Lonnie said. “When she got the UK offer, she was super excited, and that’s why she committed shortly after.”
Lonnie added, “She takes great pride in coming from the mountains of eastern Kentucky and representing Kentucky.” Seems like Kyra Elzy didn’t have to recruit Rowe too hard, huh?
However, Rowe didn’t get to UK by being highly rated by ESPN or by being a five-star prospect. She’s talented, sure, but it took a great deal of hard work for Rowe to get that call from Elzy. For those unaware, Rowe tore both of her ACLs in high school and dealt with a rib injury as a senior at Shelby Valley.
Trying to get 1% better each day
“Cass developed a great work ethic at an early age,” Lonnie mentioned. “I explained to her how much work it would take for her to be able to play at the next level when she was five years old, and she would ask to work out just about every day from that point on.”
For Rowe, it has never been about competing with others for playing time or a roster spot. Instead, she’s just always strived to be 1% better each day.
“She has always been self-motivated at everything she has done including the classroom,” Lonnie noted. “Her motivation is not to be better than other people, but to be better than the person she sees in her mirror.”
Daily and intense workouts
Lonnie has become Rowe’s personal trainer while she’s off-campus as well. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that being a Division I athlete requires you to spend some serious time in the gym, and Rowe does just that.
“Cassidy’s workouts last around 90 minutes, and then she does 40-45 minutes of weight lifting. She does one workout per day at the gym or at her house,” Lonnie said. Additionally, none of that time is wasted. If she isn’t physically practicing, she’s learning.
“[The workouts] are detail-oriented with hardly any downtime other than instruction or questions. We want the workouts to be intense while also being productive.”
Year three of the Rowe Show could be a big one. She spent her first two seasons at Kentucky perfecting her craft. We saw glimpses of it during her sophomore season. Now, Rowe will get the chance to be a leader on and off the court, all while proudly representing the BBN.
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