news-record.com

Sidney Lowe II is an extraordinarily fortunate young man.

Someone else almost certainly would have drawn hard prison time for the serious crimes committed in Greensboro last year. But Lowe's father is N.C. State basketball coach Sidney Lowe, a beloved figure for his role in the Wolfpack's magical 1983 national championship and a man who could hire top defense attorneys.

The elder Lowe was in Guilford County Superior Court Tuesday as his son appealed to Judge Henry Frye Jr. for leniency. Lowe II said he's overcome the drug habit that prompted his participation in armed robberies. He said he'd never been in trouble before - not true - and promised to make the most of another chance.

"I just hope you can put your trust in me, that I won't disappoint you. I can be somebody great. I will be somebody great," he vowed.

Frye responded by sentencing Lowe to 15 months at the minimum-security Guilford County prison farm, an astonishing break that can only be attributed to Lowe's family connections.

But perhaps the judge saw more in those family connections than a famous father. He saw a father who was standing behind his son, and other family members who were there to support a young man who needed them.

Not every defendant can count on those advantages. With his family in his corner, Lowe II may have a better chance than most to overcome his mistakes and forge a better life. If he does, the next 10 or 20 years can be better spent outside prison.

Frye's decision is still open to question. Lowe II was 21, not a teenager, when he committed dangerous crimes. He'd been through a drug-education program after he was charged in 2004 with possession of marijuana. And relatives blamed the environment at N.C. A&T, where Lowe II was a student, for his troubled behavior - scapegoating that Frye should have rejected.

After his 15 months of easy time, Lowe II will have another chance to prove himself. If he fails, his luck will run out, family or not.