Freshman Kevin Lowe and junior Aaron Harrison, a pair of Eastern basketball players, have left the team never to return.

Eastern head coach Rick Samuels confirmed the action Tuesday during a phone interview.

Lowe has left school for personal reasons and Harrison has departed with intentions to transfer to another institution.

Lowe, a 6-foot-10 center, played at Andrew High School in Tinley Park earning honorable mention All-State honors. He was his conference’s player of the year as a senior and honorable mention as a junior. Lowe also played volleyball at Andrew.

Lowe was one of two freshman recruits expected to see playing time in his initial collegiate season.

“He has good hands and has shown a knack for playing well with his back to the basket,” Samuels said before the season began. “We believe he could be a factor for us early in the season.”

Lowe appeared briefly in five games this season as a ‘true’ freshman.

Harrison played at Chicago’s Steinmetz High School where he was plagued by an ankle injury most of his senior year. He did letter three times in both basketball and football.

After high school Harrison went on to Triton College where he earned All-North Central Community College honors. Harrison averaged 14 points and eight rebounds per game and nearly two shots blocked per contest.

Along with Lowe and Aaron Patterson, Harrison was expected to give the Panthers a much desired post presence. However, Harrison had foot surgery in October and his progress was slowed to a halt.

“It was very frustrating to me because a lot of guys were expecting me to come in and play a lot of minutes,” Harrison told The Daily Eastern News on Dec. 2, 2003.

Harrison suffered a Jones fracture, which is a fracture of the fifth metatarsal of the foot at the base of the small toe, in a playground game over the summer.

Harrison got it looked at by his hometown doctor and was declared completely healthy before he came to Eastern.

Harrison began to workout with the team and realized he was still bothered by his foot.

He finally told the Panther training staff about the recurring problems. The training staff decided to take another X-ray that revealed Harrison’s foot never completely healed.

Harrison had a screw placed in his foot and was put on crutches. He was assured his injury would not be a lifelong ailment.

In an article in The News on Oct. 21, 2003, Harrison said he expected to be back practicing with the team by Nov. 17. He was optimistic he would be ready for the season opener.

However, on Dec. 2, 2003, The Daily Eastern News reported Harrison was still on crutches and because of his injury was redshirted. At that time Harrison expected to be back practicing with the team by mid January.

That obviously didn’t happen and the 6-foot-9 power forward will be taking his talents elsewhere.

“You can speculate all day on why Aaron left the team,” Samuels said.