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Brian Bowen to stay in NBA Draft, won’t play with Gamecocks

Sigh.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

In a move that isn’t terribly surprising but is nonetheless very disappointing, South Carolina transfer forward and former five-star recruit Brian Bowen will fully declare for the NBA Draft after the NCAA failed to make a decision on his college eligibility by the deadline.

As Bowen was entangled with the FBI’s probe into college basketball corruption, the NCAA likely wanted to punt on the issue and let the feds sort it out — meaning, at minimum, Bowen would have to miss the 2018-19 season. This is a tough blow for him, since he wasn’t able to make an informed decision about his future and also hasn’t had a chance to really perform in front of scouts.

It’s also a tough blow for the Gamecocks, who are in desperate need of a talent infusion after struggling last season. I’ll admit I wasn’t really expecting Bowen to ever suit up for South Carolina, given how much heat the NCAA and the sport are currently taking, but it’s still a shame this transpired the way it did.

Here’s what Bowen had to say:

Best of luck to him, and as usual, thanks for nothing, NCAA.