FILM ROOM: Cassidy Rowe's defensive prowess sets her apart from other guards

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Welcome to the eleventh edition of KSR’s Film Room series, a weekly series where we’ll be taking a look at each player on Kentucky’s 2024-25 roster and breaking down their film. In this one, KSR dives into some tape on returning junior guard Cassidy Rowe.

You can also view our other Film Room breakdowns by clicking below.

Guards in college basketball, and especially in the SEC, are as tough as they come. However, Rowe takes being tough to another level on the defensive side of the ball. Her perimeter defense is second to none, but she can also be a headache inside as well. Her ability to draw charges and create extra possessions can quite literally be the difference in a close game.

Plus, on the offensive side, when she gets hot from the three, she’s hot.

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— KSR (@KSRonX) July 30, 2024

Drawing charges and creating extra possessions

If there is anything that Cassidy Rowe is known for, it’s her ability to draw charges.

Down the stretch against Florida, Rowe drew three charges, taking away three scoring opportunities for Gators in a game that Kentucky would ultimately win by four points. Needless to say, every possession matters, and anytime you can create extra ones, that’s a huge plus.

Rowe does a good job of getting into position and ultimately following through with the charge. This is a quality that, sure, could be used universally, but Rowe is one of a kind when it comes to putting her body on the line if it means swinging the momentum in favor of the ‘Cats.

It doesn’t take long for her to heat up

Along with that, Rowe can also get hot in hurry from three-point range.

On a team with Maddie Scherr, Saniah Tyler and several other scorers, Rowe was one of the better shooters when she got on a roll. Whether it be off a designed set (like shown below) or just Rowe pulling the trigger, you can be confident that she shot will find the bottom of the nylon.

Just in case Kenny Brooks needed any more shooters on this team, he brought one back in No. 5.

Getting herself open on the perimeter

Part of what makes Rowe such an able shooter is that she does a tremendous job of getting herself open. You hear coaches talk about moving without the ball, and she does that to a tee.

When the offense started to break down a lot of times last season, Rowe would oftentimes be the one to find the hole along the three-point line, getting herself just open enough to let it fly.

There are going to be times when the offense stalls as the shot clock trickles into single digits, and you have to have someone on your team who can make something happen on the fly in that scenario. Of course, Kentucky will have several of those kinds of players this year, and Rowe will be one of them.