UNC Basketball: Carolina Reaches Out to Former FSU Commit Bryce McGowens
Class of 2021 Florida State commit Bryce McGowens announced that he was decommitting on October 8. He had announced his commitment to the Seminoles back on February 8 of this year, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
McGowens is a 6’5”, 175-pound shooting guard from South Carolina. He attends Legacy Early College High School in Greenville. McGowens ranks 25 nationally, third at shooting guard, and number one overall player in South Carolina in the 247Sports Composite rankings. There is already an ACC connection in the McGowens family; his brother Trey is a former Pittsburgh guard (now at Nebraska).
Where does UNC factor in?
The Tar Heels are one of a bevy of schools who have reached out to McGowens, according to sources. Roy Williams is always looking to add more shooting and securing this young man’s commitment would do just that. The coaching staff is most likely working to establish an initial connection and find out if there is any mutual interest.
Why the decommitment?
It’s unclear at this point. There’s been no public statement from McGowens, his family, or Florida State to clear up what occurred to instigate the change-of-heart. The best understanding is that the announcement was news to the Seminoles, who currently hold the number one recruiting class in the 2021 cycle (even with McGowens pulling out).
COVID-19, and the uncertainty surrounding it, might be a factor. The pandemic has certainly complicated recruiting. Players haven’t been able to visit campuses. Players have chosen to opt out. Players have transferred to schools closer to home.
McGowens has continued to rise in recruiting rankings. Another possibility is that the young man from South Carolina has his eyes on schools with a more prestigious pedigree than Florida State, even though the Seminoles have been on the rise in recent years.
Might he recommit to Florida State?
There’s a big difference in the nuanced language between “re-opening a commitment” and a “decommitment”. Re-opening a commitment typically means a player is reconsidering his or her options, including the school they originally committed to. A decommitment, on the other hand, is a more definitive announcement that a recruit will be picking a different school.
What do we know currently?
At this point, everything is up in the air with McGowens’s commitment. As of today (Wednesday, October 14) it’s been six days since the decommitment. McGowens will be considering his previous suitors and newcomers alike. His other finalists at the time of his Florida State commitment were Clemson, Georgia, Maryland and Xavier. With McGowens’s continued ascension in recruiting ranks, he will likely hear from a cavalcade of the top teams in college basketball. For example, Oregon extended a scholarship offer on October 10, just two days after the decommitment.
The Tar Heels have not yet offered a scholarship (as far as anything that has been made public). We will wait to hear more about the potentially developing relationship between North Carolina and Bryce McGowens.
Tipton Edits on Twitter put out a list of all known schools who have reached out:
Bryce McGowens Highlights
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