April 2, 2021: 6-foot-4-inch former William & Mary guard Luke Loewe committed to the Gophers Friday, joining Jamison Battle as the second transfer that Ben Johnson has landed.
By: Tony Liebert
What just happened?:
For better or worse the transfer portal has been the theme of Ben Johnson’s first offseason as Gophers’ head coach. A total of seven Gophers have entered their name into the transfer portal, while Johnson does his best to find their replacements. Former William & Mary guard Luke Loewe was the latest to commit to the Gophers. Loewe, a 6-foot-4 combo guard is heading to the Twin Cities with four years of college experience competing for the Tribe in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Let’s get to work〽️ @GopherMBB pic.twitter.com/d9SOFUffgx
— Luke Loewe (@lukeloewe23) April 2, 2021
Who is Luke Loewe?:
Luke Loewe grew up as a midwest kid in Ripon, Wisc before transferring to Fond du Lac, Wisc. for his final season of high school. Rated the No. 1 point guard in the class of 2017 in Wisconsin and the No. 4 overall player in the state, Loewe committed to William & Mary over a handful of other mid-major offers.
Loewe did not see much time as a freshman for the Tribe, appearing in 27 games as a reserve, averaging 5.2 minutes per game. As a sophomore, he was one of two players to start all 31 games for the team, averaging 3.9 points in 24.2 minutes per game. In his junior season, Loewe broke out, starting every game for the second-straight season, while becoming one of the most improved players in the country. After averaging 10.7 points per contest he was elected to the CAA All-Defensive Team, while also leading the CAA in 3-point shooting at 43.9%. His senior season was his most productive, averaging 16.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game en-route to earning a spot on the All-CAA second team.
The 6-foot-4-inch combo guard can play off the ball and facilitate the offense when needed. He fits the comb guard tag to a tee. He has the athleticism and basketball IQ to be productive at the Big Ten level.
Instant reaction:
The roles seem to be reversed, as the Gophers have signed a Wisconsin-born player. With the current roster, guard depth is the biggest need, so any help that Minnesota can get will be greatly appreciated. I am going, to be honest with you, I had never heard of Luke Loewe before the news of his commitment. After doing some deep-dive research, I could not be more excited. Loewe never averaged more than 1.5 turnovers in a season, while proving that he can be a knockdown jump shooter. I would say the best way to describe his game, is crafty. He knows what he needs to do, he doesn’t try to do too much, and he plays the game the right way. I would advise Gophers fans to temper their expectations, but at the worst, I believe Loewe can be a productive scorer off the bench.