Post by Handsome Pete on Mar 25, 2022 16:28:56 GMT -5
Bowie has been a towering presence for Kentucky throughout his college career. He was a three-time all-conference selection and one-time All-American, and was an integral part of Kentucky's Final Four run this past tournament. Scouts were extremely high on Bowie after his sophomore season, but a stress fracture in his left tibia and complications with the recovery forced him to miss two consecutive seasons, robbing him of a lot of his explosiveness and creating questions about his long-term durability in the league. Thankfully, he received a medical hardship waiver for an extra year of eligibility and was able to stay healthy all season, an encouraging sign for his recovery.
Bowie is a solid all-around player on offense, but there's not any one area where he truly stands out. He looked on his way to developing a great post game, but post-injury he was more tentative on the low block. He's got good footwork and knows how to use his length, but he seems less likely to power through opponents and his tentativeness has made it easier for defenders to pick his pocket. He's got an above average jump shot and does well from the line, shooting around 73% for his collegiate career. One thing that doesn't seem affected by his injury is Bowie's ability to rebound. He's shown a knack for keeping possessions alive on the offensive end, using his length and positioning to outmaneuver opposing players despite not being the strongest guy out there.
One of the biggest tragedies of Bowie's injuries comes on the defensive end. He looked destined to be one of the premier shot blockers in the league, but he's clearly lost some of that explosive leaping ability and expectations should be adjusted. He's still got plenty of length and should be expected to block at a strongly above-average rate, but the upside is a lot lower. He's able to hold his position in the low post against most players and can alter shot trajectories if he misses on blocks, but players who go at his chest will find that he can be scored on. Awareness and good positioning have maintained his shot blocking ability but he's become a middling defensive rebounder, and I wouldn't expect him to be starting the break or firing outlet passes. He prefers to keep the passes simple and the pace slow.
If it's not clear by now, Bowie's future development has some major red flags. His leg injuries have already robbed him of two years and while it was great to see him return to the court, he just wasn't the same level of player he was pre-injury. He's still got the size and tools to make him appealing to teams in the front half of the draft, but we might have already seen the best he has to offer on the basketball court.
