Gonzaga vs. Alabama showdown features pivotal matchup between ex-teammates

Given that both teams have looked dominant through the first two weeks of the season, Monday night's clash at MGM Garden Arena between Gonzaga and Alabama could very well showcase two teams destined to go on deep NCAA Tournament runs in March.

Both the Bulldogs (5-0) and Crimson Tide (3-1) have enjoyed hot starts thanks in large part to the selfless play from two versatile wings who once had aspirations of winning a national championship alongside each other as teammates at Florida State.

For Jalen Warley and Taylor Bol Bowen, the potential top 10 matchup in the Players Era Festival will serve as a reminder of how close each one is to making that dream come to fruition.

"It's just really exciting to see we're at two prominent programs," Warley told Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI. "We really have a shot to get to that Final Four and hopefully cut down some nets."

Warley, who spent three seasons with the Seminoles before taking a redshirt year with the Zags in 2024-25, was a junior when Bowen arrived to Tallahassee, Florida, in 2023 as a four-star recruit from Egypt who played high school hoops at Brewster Academy, a college preparatory school in New Hampshire known for producing NBA talents including Donovan Mitchell, TJ Warren and Devonte' Graham.

Jan 20, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Jalen Warley (1). | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Warley played a part in Bowen's recruitment to Florida State, and as one of the veterans on the roster, took the lanky 6-foot-9 prospect under his wing after Bowen committed over competing offers from Arkansas, Duke and Georgia, among others. The two would get food together, hang out, talk about life outside of basketball and check on each other periodically amid the hustle and bustle that comes with being a Division I student-athlete.

Some of those same conversations that went on two years ago are still relevant today — they're just taking place 2,000 miles apart over text instead of face-to-face inside the Tucker Center.

"It's just talking about life, making sure he's good and how he's adjusting in Alabama," Warley said regarding how he and Bowen have stayed in touch. "That was the conversation we would have at FSU — how can we continue to get better and how you always want to compete for a championship."

Jan 8, 2025; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Taylor Bol Bowen (10). | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Warley's journey to Spokane, Washington, was a bit different than Bowen's move to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, though they had their similarities as well.

Had it not been for Tony Bennett's unexpected retirement as head coach of Virginia in October 2024, there's a chance Warley would be causing havoc on both ends of the floor for the Cavaliers and not the Zags, who were able to snag the 6-foot-7 Philadelphia native in the transfer portal following the coaching change in Charlottesville, Virginia, in January 2025.

Having a legitimate shot to make it beyond the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament was a selling point for Warley to join Gonzaga, just as it probably was for Bowen in his decision to commit to Alabama this past offseason. Seeing a familiar face from the past likely played a role as well.

For Warley, the acclimation process at Gonzaga was streamlined in some ways by assistant coach Rjay Barsh, who previously worked on Leonard Hamilton's staff during Warley's sophomore year at Florida State in 2022-23.

Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Rjay Barsh. | Photo by Myk Crawford

"He's a great job of making sure that I'm always good and just checking in on me, but also allowing me to make a new relationship with other coaches," Warley said of Barsh. "Just as a man, he's been really helpful making sure I handle my business."

Similarly, Bowen already had a connection built within Alabama's staff through assistant coach Preston Murphy, who previously helped Bowen develop into a highly-touted recruit as an assistant for Bowen's AAU team, Massachusetts-based Expressions EYBL. Bowen played on a talented squad featuring future No. 11 overall draft pick Matas Buzelis and averaged 13.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 13 appearances with the 17U squad in 2022.

Florida State's wing depth didn't give Bowen many opportunities to shine as a freshman, though he upped his scoring from 3.1 to 8.0 points and was a full-time starter the following season, improving as a 3-point shooter and doubling his rebound numbers (2.6 to 5.2 per game) in the process.

"Every year I've seen him, he just keeps adding to his game, keeps putting on more weight and stuff like that," Warley said of Bowen. "Kid is a sponge, so I'm not surprised at all by his success."

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Jalen Warley. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Like Warley, a coaching change prompted Bowen to rethink his career path. Hamilton announced he was stepping down at the end of his 23rd season as the head coach in February 2025, giving his players a handful of weeks to weigh whether they wanted to return or look for opportunities elsewhere before the transfer portal officially opened.

Bowen entered the portal with two years of eligibility remaining on March 19, joining an exodus of nine players who were also leaving the Florida State program.

Now at Alabama, Bowen is averaging a career-best 12.5 points while adding 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals in 24 minutes for a likely top 10 team that's already collected a pair of ranked wins to start the season over No. 15 St. John's and No. 8 Illinois. The Crimson Tide has also been one of the nation's hottest offenses out of the gate, putting up 91.0 points and knocking down 12 3-pointers per contest through four games behind four players who put up double figures in scoring: Labaron Philip (20.5), Aden Holloway (17.7), Bowen (12.5) and former Pepperdine guard Houston Mallette (10.5).

Nov 19, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Taylor Bol Bowen (7). | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Needless to say, Monday's showdown will provide the Zags with likely their toughest test of the entire season from a defensive standpoint.

"They're gonna try to play fast," Warley said of the Crimson Tide. "We like to play fast too, so it should be a really good battle."

Gonzaga's been stout on the defensive end of the floor through the first few weeks of the season, allowing opponents to score 57.8 points and shoot 33.3% from the field under intense pressure from the Zags' perimeter players, including Warley, whose infectious intensity off the bench provides quite the spark in pivotal situations. On top of snagging 1.6 steals, he rips down 5.8 rebounds and scores 8.2 points in 21.2 minutes per game for the Bulldogs.

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Jalen Warley (8). | Photo by Myk Crawford

In a game that'll have plenty of uber-athletic players, a potent 3-point shooting team that likes to run-and-gun and a deeply experienced group that likes to dig its heels in on defense, expect the versatile skillsets of Warley and Bowen to play important roles as they try to help their respective teams earn a signature win in Las Vegas.

"I'm excited," Warley said. "I'll get a chance to match up with him too, at the four spot, so it'll be a good matchup."

Gonzaga and Alabama tip off from the MGM Grand Garden Arena at 6:30 p.m. PST on TNT. The Zags then face Maryland in their second Players Era game at 6:30 p.m. PST on Tuesday (truTV).

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