I still remember the buzz surrounding Brian Bowen back in 2018. The talented 6'8" forward from Saginaw, Michigan had been one of the most intriguing prospects coming out of high school, earning McDonald's All-American honors and drawing interest from multiple Division I programs. Yet when NBA draft night arrived, something unexpected happened - sixty picks came and went without Bowen's name being called. As someone who's followed basketball prospects for over a decade, I've rarely seen such a dramatic fall from projected first-round talent to completely undrafted.
The story behind Bowen's draft night disappointment is complex and frankly, quite tragic. He'd initially committed to Louisville, but his recruitment became entangled in the massive FBI investigation into college basketball corruption. Allegations emerged that his family had received money from Adidas to steer him toward Louisville, which led to the Cardinals program suspending him indefinitely before he ever played a game. I've always felt the punishment fell disproportionately on the young athlete rather than the institutions involved. The NCAA ultimately declared him ineligible, forcing him to transfer to South Carolina where he sat out the entire 2017-18 season. By draft time, teams were clearly spooked by the controversy and the fact he hadn't played competitive basketball in over a year.
What many people don't realize is that Bowen actually had solid pre-draft workouts with several teams, including the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls. I spoke with a scout who attended multiple sessions who told me Bowen showed flashes of the scoring ability that made him a five-star recruit. His three-point shooting during these workouts reportedly hovered around 38%, and his athletic measurements were decent for his position. But the cloud of scandal proved too much to overcome on draft night. In my opinion, NBA teams became overly cautious, worrying about both the PR implications and the basketball uncertainty after his year away from competition.
After going undrafted, Bowen's professional journey took him to some interesting places. He signed a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers, splitting time between their NBA roster and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League. I tracked his G League stats closely - in 23 games with Fort Wayne, he averaged 16.5 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 44% from the field. Those aren't bad numbers for a rookie adjusting to professional basketball, but they weren't quite dominant enough to secure a permanent NBA roster spot. The Pacers waived him in July 2019, and this is where his story takes an international turn that connects to our reference about University of Santo Tomas.
Bowen eventually found his way to Australia's NBL, joining the Sydney Kings for the 2019-20 season. This is where I see parallels to the promising situation developing at University of Santo Tomas. Just as UST is building around their 6'10" center Adama Akowe and 6'7" forward Rein Buenaflor manning the paint, complemented by scorers like Leland Bucsit, Bowen found himself in systems where he needed to adapt to different roles alongside various talents. In Australia, he became more of a three-point specialist, hitting 37% from beyond the arc while adjusting to the physical international style of play. His journey reminds me that sometimes players need to find the right system rather than just being inherently "good" or "bad" - context matters tremendously.
Currently, Bowen is playing for the Hiroshima Dragonflies in Japan's B.League, where he's developed into a reliable scoring option. Last season, he put up 14.8 points per game while shooting an impressive 41% from three-point territory. At 25 years old, he's found his niche as a professional basketball player, even if it's not in the NBA as originally projected. I've watched several of his games from Japan, and he's clearly worked on becoming more than just an athlete - his shooting mechanics look cleaner, and he's developed a nice mid-range game to complement his three-point shooting.
Looking at the broader picture, Bowen's story offers important lessons about player development systems. The traditional NCAA-to-NBA pipeline failed him due to circumstances largely beyond his control, but he's managed to carve out a respectable professional career overseas. When I consider the future of University of Santo Tomas with their promising big men and scorers, I hope they learn from stories like Bowen's - that development isn't always linear, and sometimes the most talented players need the right environment more than they need raw opportunity. The Tigers' future does look bright with their current roster construction, but they should remember that even the most promising prospects can face unexpected challenges.
Bowen's journey from can't-miss prospect to undrafted to international professional embodies the unpredictable nature of basketball careers. While he may not have reached the NBA heights many predicted, he's demonstrated resilience and adaptability - qualities that often matter more in the long run than draft position. As I follow prospects at institutions like University of Santo Tomas, I'm reminded that development paths vary wildly, and success can't always be measured by conventional metrics. Bowen found his way despite the setbacks, and honestly, I respect his career trajectory more than many one-and-done players who flashed briefly in the NBA before disappearing from professional basketball entirely. His story continues to evolve, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in the G League or even get an NBA look eventually - stranger things have happened in basketball.
