UD's Lowery begins road back

Energetic guard cleared to start non-contact drills

A doctor projects Rob Lowery to be back to full speed by January, but the University of Dayton Flyers senior point guard is hoping to return from his knee injury sooner than that.

Teesha McClam/Staff photo A doctor projects Rob Lowery to be back to full speed by January, but the University of Dayton Flyers senior point guard is hoping to return from his knee injury sooner than that.

ENLARGE PHOTO

By Doug Harris, Staff Writer Updated 12:16 AM Tuesday, October 13, 2009

DAYTON — Rob Lowery knows his recovery from a serious knee injury will come in incremental gains, not big jumps, and having experienced a small victory Monday, Oct. 12, put him in an upbeat mood.

The senior point guard — who tore his right patella tendon against Xavier on Feb. 11, dislodging his kneecap — was finally cleared by Dr. Tim Quinn to participate in all non-contact basketball drills with the team. Quinn projects Lowery to be full speed again in early January, but the former junior-college star is confident he can beat that prognosis.

“I think I’ll be the new-and-improved Rob Lowery by about the fifth game,” he said.

That certainly would be a boon for the Flyers — even if it means he’ll miss a testy opener against Creighton on Nov. 14 and three more games against postseason-caliber teams in the Puerto Rico Tip-off Classic.

Lowery was the team’s fourth-leading scorer with a 7.5 average and fits perfectly in the Flyers’ up-tempo style. They were 22-3 with him and 5-5 without him, and his absence leaves the team with just one true point guard in London Warren.

Shooting guard Mickey Perry will be Warren’s primary backup until Lowery returns, and UD has some two-guard offenses in its arsenal that can help in the interim.

“The key with the point guard for us is the initial acceleration up the court and the pressure they can put on people for 94 feet,” UD coach Brian Gregory said. “That’s the biggest challenge.

“I still say, to be on the conservative side, he won’t be the Rob Lowery we need until January. For Rob Lowery to be successful, he has to play with that relentless energy, and you don’t just get that back.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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