Thomas Dowd has risen to the occasion when Troy needed him most. Over the last 10 games, the sophomore has elevated his play, fueling the Trojans’ surge to an 8-2 record and securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament. His relentless rebounding has been pivotal in Troy’s rise as one of the nation’s top teams on the glass.
Now, as No. 14-seeded Troy takes on No. 3 Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Dowd will need to maintain his strong form if the Trojans hope to pull off the upset.
“It’s surreal,” said Dowd on play in the NCAA Tournament. “You get here, and you see all the March Madness stuff. Even the reporters – we don’t experience this much at Troy. It’s really a blessing. Every kid dreams of getting to play in March Madness. It’s just an extreme blessing, and we can’t wait to seize the opportunity.”
Troy is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and its first since 2017. The Trojans finished in a four-way tie for the Sun Belt Conference regular-season title. They then won their three conference tournament games by an average margin of 16 points to earn the automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament.
Dowd played a pivotal role in Troy’s dominant run through the conference tournament, which was part of a broader surge over the last 10 games. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 14 points and eight rebounds per game in the SBC Tournament, shooting an impressive 58.3% from the field.
In those 10 games, Dowd has been consistently productive, adding 13.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while shooting 47.8% from the field and 34.5% from beyond the arc.
For the season, Dowd is averaging 9.8 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game.
“Earlier in the season, I wasn’t shooting great,” Dowd said. “I kind of went into a slump – a really big slump. Now, I’m only shooting 30% from 3, but I have brought that up from like 20%. I have shot the ball better. The confidence that comes from shooting well leads to confidence in everything else.”
Friday’s matchup pits two of the nation’s top rebounding teams against each other. While Troy benefits from greater cohesion on the court, thanks to its established roster, Kentucky has plenty of playmakers under first-year head coach Mark Pope.
The Trojans, however, face a tough challenge ahead. They’ll need to knock down shots, play stifling defense and capitalize on second-chance opportunities to have a shot at the upset. Troy ranks 11th nationally with 13.94 offensive rebounds per game, and Dowd will play a key role in securing those rebounds.
“They’re one of the best offensive teams in the country, the way they pass the ball, shoot the ball,” Troy coach Scott Cross said. “Very difficult to defend. We’re definitely going to go out there and try and be as aggressive as we can and take some things away.
“But watching it on tape, it’s not going to be easy. This is what you live for and what you dream about. So the opportunity to go out there and play them, I know our guys are excited and ready for the challenge.”
