With Taylor Bol Bowen leaving Florida State following the retirement of head coach Leonard Hamilton, where could he end up next season?
Taylor Bol Bowen’s Top 5 Transfer Landing Spots
When Hamilton retired, a void and opportunity, Bowen immediately jumped into transfer portal. The Vermont native, by way of a Sudanese refugee camp in Egypt, wants to find a new home.
NEWS: Florida State forward Taylor Bol Bowen is entering the transfer portal, he told @On3sports.
The 6-10 sophomore averaged 8.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this season. Shot 47.7% from the field and 41.4% from three. https://t.co/VSKPPpWEtv pic.twitter.com/oGcJkKYn87
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 19, 2025
Luckily for him, more than a couple dozen teams will drool over a 6’10” stretch four that can make 3s and block shots. Bowen averaged eight points and five rebounds while shooting 47.7 percent from the line. With that said, where should he look for a new home?
North Carolina
Despite making the tournament in the worst way possible, Hubert Davis still needs frontcourt help. For example, the Tarheels ranked 104th in rebounding, 120th in blocks, and 71st in three-point percentage. The team will lose guard R.J. Davis to graduation.
Davis became the Tarheels’ best scoring threat, and the roster looks thinner than two-percent milk, in regard to scoring. Inserting Bowen into the lineup gives UNC a player with the ability to provide matchup headaches. He’s too tall for most small forwards and quicker than many college power forwards.
Georgia Tech
Damon Stoudamire continues to slowly build back the long-irrelevant program. The Yellow Jackets struggled with scoring point, averaging 73.1 points per game, good enough for 202nd. As a former scoring guard himself, Stoudamire wants to push the pace and get the tempo moving.
However, he just doesn’t have the horses to implement that aspect of the offense. Bowen, in concert with Baye Ndongo, Tech could start to control the paint and make opponents collapse on them, freeing the guards for open jumpers. Tangentially, Stoudamire played with one of the earliest stretch-fours in Rasheed Wallace. He understands what that could mean for his team.
Bryant
Granted, Bryant may not readily jump off the page, but the school does meet a few requirements that Bowen could ask for. First, as a finance major, Bryant ranks as one of the best business schools in the country. Next, growing up in Vermont, Smithfield, R.I. isn’t that far away, so the forward can venture home at a moment’s notice.
From a basketball viewpoint, Phil Martelli, Jr is an up-and-coming head coach. The team plays a style that would welcome Bowen into the mix immediately. The Bulldogs are a three-and-defense team that will attack the glass and run up and down the court.
Memphis
The Tigers lineup, senior-laden, needs an infusion on not only size but leadership. With seven seniors, their imminent departure will cause a talent void. Bowen will step into that role and help motivate the scores of young players.
On top of that, Penny Hardaway, a former NBA All-Star, with the help of a staff composed of former NBA and veteran college coaches, can definitely smooth out the junior’s rough edges. On the court, for the first time, Bowen would serve as an offensive focal point. In return, that would raise his eventual NBA Draft stock.
Missouri
A dark horse candidate, the Tigers always look like they sit on the precipice of something great, only to fall apart late in the season. For Bowen, he would enter the SEC as a point of emphasis on the team.
While no one expects double-doubles every night, Mizzou’s fast style (84.9ppg) would allow the athletic transfer to get out on the break and display the athleticism and ability to score in various ways to get the team over the hump. As it sits now, the Tigers will continue to operate as a middle-of-the-road SEC team.
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