Report: FSU men’s basketball F Taylor Bol Bowen to enter transfer portal

On Wednesday, On3 and ESPN reported that wing Taylor Bol Bowen would leave Florida State and enter the transfer portal. Bol Bowen spent two years in Tallahassee, revamping his shot in 24-25 and possessing the athletic ability to guard 1-4. He averaged eight points per game on 47.7% shooting with 5.2 rebounds, over a block, and a steal per contest. Bol Bowen played high school basketball in Vermont and was born in a refugee camp before being adopted and growing up in the United States. He also said that he would be opening to returning to FSU.

Bol Bowen’s frame and potential should attract schools nationwide, as 6’10’’ wings capable of shooting do not grow on trees. His shot looked night and day from 2024-25, and he stepped up as a vocal leader during the inconsistent moments last season. However, he never could take a game over, and FSU struggled when he played, and Jamir Watkins and Malique Ewin sat. His next step at his new school will be making plays off the dribble and carrying an offense on his own.

Given his experience and versatility, he seemed like a strong fit for new coach Luke Loucks, but the player and possibly the team had other ideas, at least for right now.

Taylor Bol Bowen’s Bio from Seminoles.com

ON BOL BOWEN The future is now for the second-year Seminole as his career trajectory is as bright as any player in the nation and the ACC as his continued development under Head Coach Leonard Hamilton and his staff continues to skyrocket…an important jump in his playing time and statistics is expected for his sophomore season as he comes to understand the hard work it takes to be successful at the ACC level of college basketball…an underrated player as a freshman in the ACC who will see his stock rise as he plays among the top players in the best league in college basketball…originally in the class of 2022, but re-classified to the class of 2023 when he enrolled in Brewster Academy for the 2022-23 season...chose to reclassify because he felt he was young, had much more to learn, and to further his development before making his collegiate choice...ranked as the No. 22 overall prospect, and the No. 7 power forward in the class of 2023 as ranked by 247Sports.com...went from unranked nationally as a player at the beginning of his junior season to earning a ranking as high as No. 15 by the summer after his junior season...has an incredible outside game and can guard multiple positions which will allow him to fit right into Florida State’s offensive and defensive systems...a two-way player who can impact each game he plays in both offensively and defensively...said to be agile and coordinated with terrific timing and great hand eye coordination...moves like a player who is 6-1...a body type that allows him to possess incredible length who also looks to do damage from the outside on offense and as a rim protector on defense...a member of the Expressions Elite AAU Team...averaged 14.5 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting .520 percent from the field during the summer of 2022 EYBL circuit...led Expressions Elite in points, rebounds and blocked shots ...his game has been compared to Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors...played in the Cream of the Crop game at the Pangos All-American Camp in June of 2021...has a 7-2 wingspan…named to the 2024 All-ACC Academic Men’s Basketball Team.

AS A SOPHOMORE (2025) Scored his career-high of 17 points and tied his career-high with 6 rebounds in his first career start in the Seminoles’ season-opening win over Northern Kentucky at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Nov. 4)...scored 6 points and totaled a career-high 7 rebounds with 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocked shots in Florida State’s 73-65 win over Rice at the Toyota Center in Houston (Nov. 9)...totaled 4 points with 5 rebounds, 2 blocked shots and 1 steal in Florida State’s 72-52 win over Tarleton State at home (Nov. 12)...scored 7 points with 7 rebounds and 3 steals in Florida State’s home game against Florida (Nov. 15)...scored in double figures with 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal in Florida State’s 79-61 win over Hofstra at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Nov. 19)...totaled 7 points with 3 rebounds, 3 blocked shots, and 2 assists in Florida State’s 78-69 win over Temple in the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off (Nov. 22)...scored 7 points, with 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in the Seminoles’ 92-59 win over UMass in the final game of the Naismith Hall of Fame Basketball Tip-Off (Nov. 24)...his first career-double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds in Florida State’s 82-64 win over Winthrop at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee (Dec. 17)... a second career double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds with a career-high tying 3 blocked shots in Florida State’s 90-74 win over Syracuse in Tallahassee (Jan. 4)...totaled 16 points ona a perfect six of six shooting from the field and a perfect four of four shooting from the 3-point line to go along with 6 rebounds and 3 assists in Florida State’s 80-65 win over Miami in Coral Gables (Jan. 8)...scored 6 points with 7 rebounds and a career-high 4 blocked shots in the Seminoles’ victory over Pitt at the Donald L. Tucker in Tallahassee (Jan. 15)...totaled a career-high 20 points (on 7 of 9 shooting from the field with 3 3-point field goals) 4 rebounds in Florida State’s victory over Georgia Tech in Tallahassee (Jan. 18)....scored 9 points with 7 rebounds and a career-high tying 4 blocked shots at Cal (Jan. 22)...a team-leading 14 points with 9 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 blocked shot against Virginia Tech in ACC play at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee (Jan. 29)...scored 15 points — including the game-winner on a 3-point shot with 15 seconds remaining in regulation — to give the Seminoles a come-from-behind 72-70 win at Wake Forest...also totaled 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot in the Seminoles ACC road win (Feb. 12)...tied for the team-lead in points with 7 and steals with 1 against Clemson at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Feb. 15)...tied his career-high with 4 blocked shots in Florida State’s victory over Miami in Tallahassee (Feb. 19)...scored 8 points with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal in Florida State’s game against North Carolina at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee (Feb. 24)...totaled 7 points on 2 of 2 made 3-point field goals with 4 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, and 1 steal in Florida State’s victory over SMU in Tallahassee (March 8)...

AS A FRESHMAN (2024) Averaged 3.1 points (10th on the team), 2.6 rebounds (tied for sixth), and 0.5 blocked shots (fourth) while playing in 31 of Florida State’s 33 games during his first season on campus…averaged 10.9 minutes played per games as one of 11 Seminoles who averaged 10 or more minutes played per game…played in 19 of Florida State’s 20 ACC games and averaged 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds as he averaged 11.2 minutes played per game in conference play…his career-highs for points (nine at Boston College), rebounds (six at Notre Dame) and minutes played (16 at Boston College) came in ACC play as he became accustomed to playing at the collegiate level once Florida State moved into the ACC portion of its schedule…scored nearly 70 percent of his season points total (67 of his 97 points) against ACC competition including 9 points at Boston College (Feb. 6) and 8 points in the Seminoles’ second game of the season against Boston College in Tallahassee (Feb. 20)…totaled five or more points in eight games after January 1 as compared to one game of five points or more (9 against North Florida on Dec. 19) before January 1…averaged 5.0 points in four consecutive wins at the start of ACC play with four points in a win over Georgia Tech, six in a sin over Virginia Tech, five in a win over Wake Ores and five in a road win at Notre Dame…added five more against North Carolina, 17 in two games against Boston College, six at Georgia Tech and five in Florida State’s regular season win over Miami…double-figure minutes played came 13 times in regular season ACC play…earned 15 minutes of playing time in Florida State’s victory over Virginia Tech in the second round of the ACC Tournament…his season-high of 17 minutes played came against Duke and NC State in games played at home in the Donald L. Tucker Center…his career-high of six rebounds came three times – against North Florida and Winthrop in consecutive games played and at Notre Dame in the first career ACC road game…scored 4 points with 5 rebounds, 2 blocked shots and 1 steal in his career debut in Florida State’s 94-67 win over Kennesaw State at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Nov. 10)...totaled 6 points with 2 rebounds and 1 assist in Florida State’s game against South Florida in the Orange Bowl Classic (Dec. 9)...totaled 4 points with 1 rebound and 1 steal in Florida State’s game against SMU (Dec. 16)...totaled his career-high for points with 9 and rebounds with 6 with 1 blocked shot and 1 steal in Florida State’s 91-75 win over North Florida at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Dec. 19)...scored 2 points, with a career-high 6 rebounds and a career-high 3 blocked shots in Florida State’s victory over Winthrop in Tallahassee (Dec. 22)...totaled 4 points, with 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in Florida State’s 82-71 win over Georgia Tech at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Jan. 3)...scored 6 points including a free throw with 1.2 seconds remaining in Florida State’s 77-74 win over Virginia Tech at the Donald L. Tucker Center...his free throw gave the Seminoles their final margin of victory in the game (Jan. 6)...totaled 5 points and 6 rebounds in 10 minutes of playing time in Florida State’s 67-58 win at Notre Dame for the Seminoles’ first ACC road win of the season (Jan. 13)...totaled 2 points and a career-high 4 steals in 8 minutes of playing time in Florida State’s 84-75 win against Miami at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables (Jan. 17)...tied his career high with 9 points (7 in the first half) in the Seminoles’ 63-62 win at Conte Forum against Boston College (Feb. 6)...scored 8 points with 2 rebounds and 1 steal in Florida State’s 84-76 win over Boston College in Tallahassee (Feb. 20)...totaled 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 blocked shot in Florida State’s 83-75 win over Miami at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee (March 9)...scored 4 points with one rebound in Florida State’s second round game in the ACC Tournament at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. (March 14).

BEFORE FLORIDA STATE Graduated from Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire in 2023..led Brewster to a 66-14 record with a pair of Elite 8 appearances in the National Prep Championship Tournament in his two seasons...Brewster was 31-8 and the NEPSAC Class AAA Championship team during his junior season and 35-6 and the NEPSAC Runner-Up during his senior season...totaled 710 points in 79 career games in two seasons for a 9.1 points per game and a 5.5 rebounds per game average during his career at Brewster...averaged 9.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots while shooting 56 percent from the field and 66 percent from the free throw line as a senior...averaged 8.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2blocked shots while shooting 53 percent from the field as a junior...played in the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland following his senior season...a two-time NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council) honoree...nominated to play in the McDonald’s All-American game in 2023...a total of 20 Brewster Academy players have played in the NBA...since 2001, the Brewster program has sent more than 175 players to Division I schools, including former Seminole Aaron Thomas, who averaged 10.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 76 games as a Seminole (2013-15).

AT ST. GEORGE Attended St. George School in Rhode Island during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons...shot better than 40 percent from the field as he averaged 10 points, 5.0 rebounds and nearly 4.0 blocked shots per game as a freshman...was ranked as the nation’s No. 17 ranked recruit on ESPN’s Top-25 list of top prep players as a sophomore in 2021...helped lead St. George to the ISL championship his sophomore season...played with Big East Player of the Year Tyler Kolek of Marquette – who was named as the Big East Player of the Year in 2023...played for former Boston College standout Wayne Pina at St. Georgia School...credits Pina with his early development and making him into the player he is today.

PERSONAL Born May 21, 2004...was born as a refugee camp in Egypt and moved to America when he was two years old…he is the son of parents who fled the Second Sudanese Civil War…moved to Vermont where he was adopted by the Bowen family from Jericho, Vermont…moved to Jericho, Vermont (a town of approximately 5,000 people) when he arrived in the United States…has two siblings, Ashwil (a younger sister) and Deng (an older brother)…Ashwil is 16 and Deng graduated from and played basketball at the University of Vermont… developed his skills as a guard playing with his older brother after he moved to the United States…signed with Florida State on November 9, 2022...was presented with more than 20 scholarship offers during his recruitment...selected Florida State over Kentucky, Arkansas, Providence, Iowa, UConn, DePaul, Bryant, Duke, Indiana, LSU and Rutgers...major is finance.