If Brian Bowen ever plays NCAA basketball, it will be as a South Carolina Gamecock.
That’s a big if, of course.
Bowen was identified as the player whose family allegedly was offered $100,000 to secure his commitment to play at Louisville. This circumstance was cited in Justice Department documents that did not mention him by name, but presented facts about the timing of his commitment that only could describe Bowen. In an interview with ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, he declared that he was unaware of such an arrangement.
MORE: NCAA should give Bowen a break, let him play
Wednesday, Bowen told Goodman he had been admitted to the University of South Carolina and would petition the NCAA for reinstatement as a student-athlete.
Other schools in recent weeks had contacted the NCAA about Bowen’s situation and were not given firm, clear answers about how they should proceed.
Bowen is a 6-7, 195-pound forward who was rated the No. 19 player in the 2017 recruiting class by 24/7 Sports. Originally from Michigan, he played in high school at La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., and was named a McDonald’s All-American.
Louisville suspended Bowen upon learning of the arrangement described in the Justice Department documents. In November, an attorney for Bowen told the Louisville Courier-Journal Bowen had informed Louisville the player was free from “investigative impediments” that had been in place by the Justice Department and could seek reinstatement. Louisville later determined it would not be re-joining its basketball program, which led Bowen to look for opportunities elsewhere.
Wednesday afternoon South Carolina issued a statement announcing Bowen's enrollment.
"Brian is an exceptional young man and a basketball player with a very high IQ for the game," Gamecocks coach Frank Martin said. "He brings a high-level skill set to the court and will make an immediate impact on our team with him joining us on the practice courts this week. He is a strong, athletic small forward, who can really shoot the ball and rebound.
Brian deserves a fresh start and I would like to thank our University administration, President Pastides, our Board of Trustees and Ray Tanner for their hard work and guidance in helping Brian become a member of our Gamecock family."
He even did a photo shoot, sporting a Gamecocks uniform, but who knows how long it'll be until he plays? Under the NCAA's current transfer rules, Bowen must sit out at least two semesters before taking the floor.
"Over the coming months, we will work diligently with the NCAA through our compliance office to ensure that Brian is eligible for competition," South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said.
Hey #Gamecocks help us welcome Brian Bowen II to the Carolina family! 🏀🐔🤙 pic.twitter.com/bRVOOAhbEf
— Gamecock MBB (@GamecockMBB) January 10, 2018
South Carolina is an interesting choice, because it was one of the schools that had employed an assistant coach who was arrested as part of the case. Lamont Evans worked at South Carolina prior to moving to Oklahoma State for the 2016-17 season; he was dismissed the day after the charges were presented against him in September.
Documents charged Evans, while at South Carolina and OK State, had accepted bribes from business managers and financial advisers interested in gaining access to basketball players.
