In spite of the early success, Lowe failed to lead NC State to the NCAA tournament, and his teams only made two appearances in the NIT. He had an overall winning record (86–78) after five years but only a 25–55 conference record.
Despite early success, Lowe's coaching at NC State was unsuccessful in leading the team to NCAA tournament qualification and only achieved two NIT appearances. His overall record was positive (86-78) but his conference record was poor (25-55).