If you like playing connect the dots in attempting to determine the genesis of a player acquisition, you probably won’t hurt your head in working out the links that led to the St. John’s Edge signing guard Maverick Rowan.
The 23-year-old Rowan, the 13th player inked by the Edge in advance of the 2019-20 National Basketball League of Canada season, played his college ball at North Carolina State when Mark Gottfried was the Wolfpack’s head coach and one of his assistants was Jeff Dunlap, who would later become the first coach and general manager of the Edge. Also at NC State at the time was current St. John’s head coach Steve Marcus.
Marcus, who came to the NBLC as part of the Edge coaching staff during Dunlap’s only season here, also once worked for the Maine Red Claws, the NBA G League team for whom Rowan played briefly last season.
Rowan, whose hometown is Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is the son of Ron Rowan, a one-time college star at Notre Dame and St. John’s who went on to a lengthy pro career, including some time in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers.
A high school star in Pennsylvania as well as Florida, Maverick Rowan went to NC State in 2015-16, setting a school record for freshmen by averaging nearly 13 points.
After averaging about 12 points in his sophomore year, Rowan declared for the NBA Draft, but later withdrew his name, although it did not lead to hime returning university.
After a brief time with professional team in a Serbia, the six-foot-seven, 210-pound Rowan returned to the United States, spending most the 2017-18 season and the entire 2018-19 campaign in the G League, the NBA’s top developmental circuit. He played for four different teams after entering the league as the third overall pick by the Lakeland Magic. Rowan also was a member of San Antonio Spurs entries in 2018 NBA Summer Leagues in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
“I have known Mav since our time at NC State,” said Marcuse in a team release. “With his size… and his ability to shoot the ball, he has a chance to be a very special player for us.”
Maverick Rowan should not be confused with Maverick Morgan, who played briefly with the Edge last season.
Twitter: @telybrendan
RELATED
