Austen Rowland (born June 27, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6-foot-1-inch (1.85 m) point guard, he played college basketball for Lehigh University and Providence College before embarking on a professional career that spanned over a decade across various international leagues.
Early Life and College Career
Rowland was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, where he was a standout basketball player.
He began his collegiate career at Lehigh University, playing for the Mountain Hawks from 2000 to 2002. As a freshman, Rowland quickly made an impact, earning the Patriot League Rookie of the Year award in 2001. He was a prolific scorer and playmaker for Lehigh.
Following his sophomore year, Rowland transferred to Providence College, where he played for the Friars from 2003 to 2005 after sitting out a year due to NCAA transfer rules. At Providence, he emerged as a key player in the highly competitive Big East Conference. During his senior season (2004-05), he averaged 14.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game, earning All-Big East honors.
Professional Career
After his college career, Austen Rowland went undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft. He began his professional career in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) in the United States, being drafted by the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Rowland subsequently enjoyed a long and varied international career, playing for numerous teams in several countries:
- Germany: He played for teams such as EnBW Ludwigsburg and Deutsche Bank Skyliners (now Fraport Skyliners) in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL).
- France: He had a stint with STB Le Havre in the LNB Pro A.
- Italy: He played for Scafati Basket in the Lega Basket Serie A.
- Greece: Rowland competed in the Greek Basket League for clubs like Maroussi BC and PAOK BC.
- Israel: He also played in the Israeli Basketball Premier League for teams including Hapoel Galil Elyon and Ironi Ashkelon.
- Turkey: He represented Oyak Renault in the Turkish Basketball League (TBL).
- Cyprus: Rowland played for APOEL Nicosia.
- Finland: Towards the end of his career, he played for Kataja Basket in the Korisliiga.
Throughout his professional career, Rowland was known for his scoring ability, court vision, and leadership as a point guard. He was a consistent contributor on offense and a reliable veteran presence for his teams.
Awards and Honors
- Patriot League Rookie of the Year (2001)
- All-Patriot League selection (multiple years at Lehigh)
- All-Big East selection (2005)