Get to Know a Transfer: Andrew Rowsey

It’s not so often that scoring machines come in the size of a 5-10, 180 pound frame, especially at the Division I level.

Andrew Rowsey is part of a unique breed of undersized, yet talented scorers.

The Lexington, Va. native transferred to Marquette from UNC Asheville before last season. Per NCAA transfer rules, he had to sit out this past year.

It was definitely a change of pace for him, as he always caught a part of the action during his days as a Bulldog. The closest he got to on the court action was in practice, where he was often tasked with leading the scout team by emulating an opponent’s best player or top guard. Aside from that, he did everything with the team, except the fun parts--play in games and travel with them.

Now, he’s hungry for his first opportunity to fully participate in the upcoming season. Whether he will have as big of a role as he did as a Bulldog remains to be seen.

Since he first set foot on UNC Asheville’s campus, he became a star and a leading threat in the Big South conference. While he was there, he was tabbed a starter in all 63 games the Bulldogs played.

Along the way, he earned All-Conference honors in both seasons and was also given the Big South Freshman of the Year award. He also holds the school record for most 3-pointers made in a single season with 106.

While the Big South may not be on the same level as the Big East in terms of competition on the hardwood, his 1,244 career points as a Bulldog cannot be easily discounted--especially when he accomplished this feat in just two seasons.

One aspect that opponents can definitely expect to remain consistent, is his ability to score the ball. He’s certainly not the biggest, but he is very crafty. It’s how he needs to play against a taller and longer defender.

Rowsey can score in a variety of ways. He is a solid shooter off of the dribble and can pull up rather quickly when his feet are set for a jumpshot. The redshirt junior guard is comfortable with taking the shot from almost anywhere--beyond the arc, in the high post, or from close range. Once he frees himself, whether it is by his swift pump fake or a dribble move, he can knock down his shot at a high clip. Also, despite not being one of the biggest, he is not afraid to drive inside.

After averaging 20.3 points per game, shooting just above 40 percent overall and from beyond the arc as a freshman, Rowsey saw his numbers take a slight dip by the end of his sophomore year.

He averaged just 19.2 points per game and was not as efficient, shooting a notch below 40 percent on the floor. He shot 39.4 percent overall and a respectable 38.2 percent from long range. While his sophomore year statistics were still impressive, it wasn’t the next step forward that most had anticipated.

One shred of silver lining, when comparing his freshman and sophomore year numbers, is that he was near-automatic from the free throw line. He converted 92.1 percent of his foul shots, nearly 10 percent more than the season before.

Rowsey has the potential to be the consistent shooting threat that Marquette didn’t really have this past season. As a transfer, he can make an impact on the perimeter much like Matt Carlino did for the Golden Eagles in the 2014-15 season.

With Henry Ellenson to the NBA, Marquette will need a new outlet to deliver points. This responsibility will most likely shift from the frontcourt to the crowded backcourt. From there, Rowsey will get the opportunity to prove his worth and unlike this past year, it won’t just be from playing pretend on the scout team.