Ronald Lewis Rowan (born April 23, 1962) is a retired American-Irish

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player. Rowan, a 6'5" 200 lb

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular c ...

, played collegiately at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...

and St. John's University.

High school and college career

Born in

New Brighton, Pennsylvania New Brighton is a borough in north-central Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Beaver River northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 5,719 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Histor ...

, Rowan starred at Beaver Falls (Pennsylvania) High School, averaging nearly 26 points per game as a senior. In February 1981, he committed to play for the University of Notre Dame, then coached by

Digger Phelps Richard Frederick "Digger" Phelps (born July 4, 1941) is an American former college basketball coach, most notably of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 1971 to 1991. For 20 years, from 1993 to 2014, he served as an analyst on ESPN. He got the n ...

. In January 1983, Phelps suspended Rowan after learning that Rowan was planning to transfer to Penn State. When Penn State coach

Dick Harter Richard Alvin Harter (October 14, 1930 – March 12, 2012) was an American basketball coach who served as both a head and assistant coach in both the NBA and NCAA. Early life Born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Harter attended the University o ...

left Penn State, Rowan was released from his commitment and later transferred to St. John's University. In his first season at St. John's, Rowan played in 28 games alongside Chris Mullin, Mark Jackson, Willie Glass, and Bill Wennington, as the team went 31-4. As a senior during the 1985-86 season at St. John's, Rowan averaged 14 points per game. Along with Jackson, Walter Berry, and Shelton Jones, Rowan helped St. John's to a 31-5 record. Rowan currently ranks among St. John's all-time top 10 free-throw percentage leaders (.871).

Professional career

He was selected in the third round of the 1986 NBA Draft by the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...

but was cut from the team during training camp. He then played in the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...

, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1987 while a member of the Topeka (Kansas) Sizzlers, where he averaged 18.8 points in 44 games. In March 1987, he signed a 10-day contract with the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

, averaging 1.7 points in seven games. In 1989, Rowan moved to Italy where he played 11 seasons (5 in A1 division). He changed teams almost every year except when he played three seasons in

Kleenex Pistoia Olimpia Basket Pistoia, also known as Maltinti Pistoia after one of its historic sponsors, was an Italian professional basketball team from the town of Pistoia. It played in Serie A, the Italian top-level professional league, in the 1990s. Their ...

(1989–1992), where he scored 3,767 points in 117 matches.

Personal life

Rowan's son

Maverick Rowan Maverick Rowan (born July 14, 1996) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the North Carolina State University and participated in the 2017 N ...

played college basketball for

NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest u ...

References

External links

NBA & college stats
@ basketballreference.com
Italian championship stats
@ legabasket.it {{DEFAULTSORT:Rowan, Ron 1962 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Greece American expatriate basketball people in Italy American expatriate basketball people in Spain American men's basketball players Baloncesto Fuenlabrada players Baloncesto León players Basket Napoli players Basketball players from Pennsylvania Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets players Chicago Rockers players Irish men's basketball players Liga ACB players Mens Sana Basket players Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball players Olimpia Basket Pistoia players Pallacanestro Cantù players Pallacanestro Reggiana players Pallacanestro Trapani players Pallacanestro Trieste players P.A.O.K. BC players People from New Brighton, Pennsylvania Philadelphia 76ers draft picks Portland Trail Blazers players Reyer Venezia players Small forwards Sportspeople from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area St. John's Red Storm men's basketball players Topeka Sizzlers players