The ultra-competitive Gavin Lowe loved winning Mr. Basketball as a junior last season. It was the validation stamp on years of hard work, and silenced those who doubted he could be the star on a state championship team.
What it also did was put a Mount Olympus-sized target on him heading into his senior season.
Not only would defending state champion Olympus be the measuring stick for every opponent, but Lowe was the face of that challenge. Who wouldn’t want to “lock down” last year’s Mr. Basketball, or show him up? Who wouldn’t be extra motivated to outduel the state’s reigning top player for bragging rights?
Lowe heard the chatter on the court and in the stands all year.
“The spotlight was so big and everyone wanted to prove something against me,” said Lowe.
Realistically, though, Lowe put more pressure on himself than anyone else this season to win Mr. Basketball again, and become the fourth winner in the 40-year history of the award. Almost as if a repeat win was necessary to validate the first one.
“The mentality was we have to do this again. I don’t want to go out with an amazing junior year and then fall short my senior year,” said Lowe.
Olympus assistant coach Marc Hardy tried to quell that individual pressure early, and told Lowe to just focus on winning basketball games and that the rest would take care of itself.
So that’s what Lowe did. In virtually every statistical measurement, he was better this season than last, which ultimately led Olympus to a third-straight state championship — and, true to his coach’s word, a repeat Deseret News Mr. Basketball honor.
“Not only from a team standpoint but from an individual standpoint, the fact that he was going to have to carry the load again was a lot of pressure on him. And the way he handled it and the way he responded was off the charts,” said Olympus head coach Matt Barnes.
Truth be told, Lowe loved the challenge the spotlight presented.
Sure there was more trash talk, the fouls were harder and he was the focal point of every defensive scheme, but he thrived on the competition. The youngest of three brothers, he’s been motivated by competition and winning his whole life.
“As a competitor, you want someone to give it their all to you, and so they gave me everything they could,” said Lowe, who added, “It gets me going in a certain aspect. It was all on before, but now it’s a different level.”
Lowe helped lead Olympus to a 25-2 record this season by averaging 24.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 3.4 steals. He also averaged one more 3-pointer per game than a year ago and nearly two less turnovers.
He needed to be better for Olympus to three-peat, and was virtually every night in repeating as Mr. Basketball. He joins Murray’s Jeff Johnsen (1996-1997), Lone Peak’s Tyler Haws (2008-2009) and Olympus’ Rylan Jones (2018-2019) as the only repeat winners in the 40-year history of the Deseret News award that began in 1987 with Ben Lomond’s Kurt Miller.
“They’re phenomenal basketball players. So to be in that type of company, that’s amazing. I’m glad I can be in that type of company and I hope that I can represent that level of excellence, especially onto the next level like those before me have done,” said Lowe, who has signed to play college at UC Irvine next season.
The Anteaters won the Big West regular season title, but missed out on the NCAA Tournament after losing its conference championship game to Hawaii. Lowe hopes to help the program continue that success next season.
“The thing that I love is the coaches. Similar to Barnes, coach (Russell) Turner at Irvine has been really successful. He’s really good at player development. He’s won a lot. And so that aspect to me was what really drew me to Irvine, as well as the weather. You know, can’t complain with living in Orange County,” said Lowe.
Barnes believes Irvine is the perfect place for the four-year Olympus starter, and believes the perpetual chip on Lowe’s shoulder as an undersized player will continue to benefit him at the next level.
“He’s got all the skills he needs, I think he’ll be tremendous in college. I think it’s a good place to start. They like him, they want him and I think he will get opportunities to play,” said Barnes, who acknowledges that the college game is all about the measurables with size and athleticism, and those are challenges that the 6-foot-0 Lowe will face.
His increased efficiency shooting will help a lot.
During Lowe’s junior season, he made 38 3-pointers shooting 31%. If there was modest weakness in his game, that was it. Defenses could sag off him just a bit around the perimeter knowing what an elite dribble penetrator he was.
It was part of the reason he’d drawn only mild interest from college coaches by the end of his junior season.
He worked hard throughout the summer to improve that efficiency behind the arc, and it became a weapon his senior year as he shot 38% with 65 3-pointers.
Two of his biggest 3-pointers came in the state tournament, on deep pull-up 3s with Olympus trailing Springville in the 5A quarterfinals. It completely swung momentum the Titans’ way and they ran away with the win.
“Being able to shoot that 3-point shot at a higher percentage and a better clip and off the dribble even, he worked really hard at that and got a lot better. And that just kind of opened his game because you just couldn’t play his drive,” said Barnes.
Lowe was just as astute defensively, usually defending the other team’s best player regardless of a size mismatch.
“He’s so competitive he doesn’t want to let that kid score or let him get going. And then on offense, you know, the ball ran through him. And so for 32 minutes, it was a grind and a war for him. As a coach, you appreciate that,” said Barnes. “I mean so many players take possessions off, or take days off … but Gavin plays every possession like it’s the last possession for 32 minutes and this makes him stand out. Whether it’s stealing the ball, whether it’s getting a big rebound, whether it’s making the right pass, making the right play, making the big shot, he just kind of does what the game calls for. He’s pretty unique.”
Lowe started every game but just a handful at the beginning of his freshman season, and Olympus went 97-11 during that four-year stretch.
“Playing varsity basketball at Olympus is hard. Not a lot of kids get to do that. And to win three in a row is pretty special, obviously. But for him to play the roles he played and just the dynamic player he was,” said Barnes. “And he was a great student, a great kid. He’s fun, he’s got a great personality. And he just cares about winning. He’ll be talked about forever in that, obviously with the state championships and the Mr. Basketball awards, but just what a special player it was to watch him. And with the heart, the toughness and the will to win.”
For Lowe, cutting down the nets his sophomore and junior years were surreal experiences. And while doing so his senior year was more of a relief after all the pressure he’d put on himself, it was further validation that all the hard work paid dividends again.
40 years of Deseret News Mr. Basketball recipients
- 2026 — Gavin Lowe, Olympus
- 2025 — Gavin Lowe, Olympus
- 2024 — Cooper Lewis, Lehi
- 2023 — Quentin Meza, Cyprus
- 2022 — Collin Chandler, Farmington
- 2021 — Ethan Potter, Layton
- 2020 — Dallin Hall, Fremont
- 2019 — Rylan Jones, Olympus
- 2018 — Rylan Jones, Olympus
- 2017 — Jaxon Brenchley, Ridgeline
- 2016 — Frank Jackson, Lone Peak
- 2015 — Jesse Wade, Davis
- 2014 — TJ Haws, Lone Peak
- 2013 — Nick Emery, Lone Peak
- 2012 — Jordan Loveridge, West Jordan
- 2011 — Tyrell Corbin, West
- 2010 — Kyle Collinsworth, Provo
- 2009 — Tyler Haws, Lone Peak
- 2008 — Tyler Haws, Lone Peak
- 2007 — Morgan Grim, Riverton
- 2006 — Daniel Deane, Judge Memorial
- 2005 — Jackson Emery, Lone Peak
- 2004 — Tai Wesley, Provo
- 2003 — Josh Olsen, Alta
- 2002 — Brody Van Brocklin, Davis
- 2001 — Jared Jensen, Fremont
- 2000 — Garner Meads, Brighton
- 1999 — Tim Henry, Mountain View
- 1998 — Tony Brown, Mountain Crest
- 1997 — Britton Johnsen, Murray
- 1996 — Jeff Johnsen, Murray
- 1995 — Jeff Johnsen, Murray
- 1994 — Alex Jensen, Viewmont
- 1993 — Ben Melmeth, Judge
- 1992 — JaRon Boone, Skyline
- 1991 — Justin Weidauer, Cottonwood
- 1990 — Kenneth Roberts, Bingham
- 1989 — Shawn Bradley, Emery
- 1988 — Matt Bowman, Timpview
- 1987 — Kurt Miller, Ben Lomond