Why Taylor Bol Bowen Transferred to Alabama

Alabama landed a commitment from the transfer portal on April 4 in former Florida State forward Taylor Bol Bowen.

In 29 games (28 starts) and 25.0 minutes per game this season, Bol Bowen averaged 8.0 points, 5.2 rebounds (1.2 offensive) and an impressive 1.5 blocks for the Seminoles.

Bol Bowen will be a junior at Alabama next season and is really looking forward to playing with the Crimson Tide as he moves into Tuscaloosa this weekend.

"Coach [Nate] Oats is an elite coach," Bol Bowen told On3's Joe Tipton during an Instagram Live on Tuesday night. "I mean, they were the No. 1 offense in the country last year. I really improved my shooting as a catch and release shooter, and I really like how they play really fast. They get up and down in transition––I'm really good at transition, so I think we can make sure that it will really unlock my game."

Bol Bowen explained that Oats' system, which created the most possessions in the country last season, is a big reason for him transferring to Alabama. That said, the long-term effects of the system added another element to the decision.

"As a team, we're trying to win championships," Bol Bowen said. "Going to Alabama has given me more of a purpose because I really like competing for championships. They're winners. They went to the Final Four, the Elite Eight, they've got SEC championships. And it's different when you're waking up really going after a championship and it's different going to a school like Alabama now, so I'm excited for that."

Oats created a blue-collar scoring system a while back and it's used in every practice and game. Players are given a certain amount of non-scoreboard points for deflections, steals, blocks, rebounds, and loose balls. Offensive rebounds, diving on the floor and drawing fouls are also methods of gaining blue-collar points, and whichever player tallies the most at the end of the game or practice is rewarded with a construction worker hard hat.

"I think that Nate Oats is extremely innovative and smart," Bowen said. "I think that over the past few years, his offense has been so efficient and productive. And the numbers speak for itself. You know, he's big into numbers. He's a math guy. I'm studying finance, I took classes like business calculus and stuff like that.

"So I understand how he's saying to get good looks and open looks and get high percentage shots and making sure we're making our open shots and the efficiency and everything. When I sat down with him and he explained it to me and how his analytics is...he's got it. That's all I'm going to say. It makes a lot of sense."

Bol Bowen is one of Alabama's four offseason additions from the transfer portal. All four of them signed with the Crimson Tide on May 13 and Oats gave a preview for each of them. Here's what he said about the former Florida State forward:

“Taylor is a tremendous athlete with great size at 6-10 and a 7-2 wingspan," Oats said. "He can spread the floor with his three-point shooting and is one of the best two-way players in the country. He is elite on the defensive end and is one of the best weak-side rim protectors I have seen.”

Looks like both parties are super excited for next season.

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