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Timberwolves hire Sidney Lowe, again, as assistant

By WTOP Staff

DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves have again hired Sidney Lowe as an assistant coach for the staff being assembled by Flip Saunders.

The Wolves announced Friday the addition of Lowe, who will coach with Saunders for the fourth time. Lowe had two previous stints under Saunders in Minnesota and also once in Detroit.

Saunders, who has been President of Basketball Operations for the Wolves for the past year, decided to make himself the head coach, too, after his search hit a dead end. Lowe reached out to Saunders soon after that and said Friday he had no qualms about taking the job with Saunders only planning to hold the position until he can find the right replacement.

“I said I’m coming no matter what. It doesn’t matter who calls, I’m coming,” Lowe said. “That’s my belief in him, my trust in him, my loyalty to him and our friendship. It didn’t matter what was out there. When he called me back, it was done.”

Lowe’s final season as an NBA player was 1989-90 with the Timberwolves in their first year as a franchise, and later he served as their head coach for a season and a half until 1994. In between those jobs, he was even a television analyst for the team for a year. More recently, Lowe was an assistant with Utah the last three seasons. Before that, he was the head coach at alma mater North Carolina State for five years.

The Saunders-Lowe relationship actually began in the CBA, when Lowe played for Saunders with Rapid City during the 1988-89 season. Lowe was ready to give up on his playing career, but Saunders talked him into sticking it out, which led to an NBA call-up with Charlotte.

The rest of the staff was still being worked on, but former Timberwolves player and ex-Toronto coach Sam Mitchell is expected to be included. With Lowe and Mitchell, Saunders has two former NBA head coaches he can turn to while multi-tasking as the chief decision-maker over the roster.

“We know what he needs, not just from the basketball side but working with the players, developing players,” Lowe said. “We’re there to take care of a lot of the stuff that he doesn’t need to worry about.”

Lowe spoke to reporters after a pre-draft workout with six prospects, including Connecticut guard Shabazz Napier, Penn State guard Tim Frazier and Ohio State forward LaQuinton Ross. The Wolves also announced a group of six more players scheduled to work out at the arena Saturday, including California guard Justin Cobbs, Michigan State forward Adreian Payne and Marquette forward Jamil Wilson. Cobbs started his career at Minnesota before transferring.

___

AP Basketball Writer Jon Krawczynski contributed to this report.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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