Ranking the Contenders: Five-star Bryce McGowens
One of the more intriguing recruitments in this cycle, the race to land Bryce McGowens has had some twists and turns. The five-star guard was once committed to Florida State, but backed off that pledge last month. These days, McGowens boasts a public top five and is yet to announce a commitment date. Here is a ranking of the contenders in order of how likely they are to land the South Carolina-based star.
1. NEBRASKA
The Huskers seem more likely to pull this off with each passing week. Obviously, the big draw is the fact that McGowens’ older brother is already at Nebraska. The fact that head coach Fred Hoiberg has strong NBA ties is alluring, sure, but it also seems as though the bond he has with five-star prospect has galvanized since McGowens backed off his pledge to FSU. The Huskers are no lock, but they are the sturdy favorite as things stand. Hoiberg zoomed with McGowens again on Thursday afternoon, and that conversation may have inched the Huskers closer to sealing the deal.
2. GEORGIA
Georgia has made a move in recent weeks, as the Bulldogs provide an opportunity for the South Carolina product to stay somewhat close to home. That’s no small selling point during a pandemic. Add in the fact that McGowens was on campus at UGA multiple times pre-pandemic, and it’s easy to see why the Bulldogs have hung around long enough to give themselves a real chance. I would have ranked Georgia much lower a few weeks ago. The longer this goes on, the more of a shot UGA seems to have.
3. LSU
Will Wade has made McGowens a priority from the moment he decommitted from Florida State, and the LSU head coach remains in hot pursuit. The Tigers aren’t out of the running, as the race to land the five-star seems to be tightening up. That said, there’s still work left to do. LSU didn’t offer until after McGowens parted ways with FSU. so they’ve had to build a relationship at warp speed.
4. MICHIGAN
Counting Juwan Howard out of anything wouldn't be wise -- not in 2020, anyway. The Wolverine probably aren’t going to add McGowens to this loaded class, but I certainly wasn’t going to leave the hottest team in the country off this list completely. Michigan hopped in the thick of the race at a relatively late juncture, and things are getting pretty crowded in Ann Arbor as is.
5. FLORIDA STATE
You don’t see many re-commitments in college basketball. Most broken pledges happen for a reason, after all. FSU isn’t completely out of this, but it would be a surprise if it was able to coax McGowens back into the fold. The Seminoles are still trying, and McGowens is listening. Alas, the history of decommitments suggests this is a long shot at best.