Nebrasketball Profiles: Bryce McGowens

So, here we are. Looking at what is the highest ranked recruit in Nebraska basketball history. How high you ask? Well, we are looking at the first five star commit to join the Cornhuskers out of high school.

Bryce McGowens

This guy is big. Not necessarily big in frame and stature though he is 6’7” and 179lbs which will play well. But big in talent, ability, and ceiling. There has not been a bigger get for Nebraska in recruiting. Bryce had plenty of suitors. We are talking about Florida State, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Maryland, Oregon, Wake Forest, Xavier...the list goes on and on. The Huskers have rarely gone up against schools like this in basketball and won.

He was originally a Florida State commit but decommited to weigh his options. Fortunately for Nebraska they had a bit of an ace in the hole helping them out. Bryce’s younger brother Trey was already playing here. Setting up a nice intro for Fred Hoiberg and his staff to get to know Bryce. I’m not saying this made his decision a slam dunk, but it certainly helped. In fact, the brothers already have their own podcast and have been repping Nebraska hard already this season.

So, we know Bryce was a five start recruit coming out of high school. As you can imagine that is just the tip of the iceberg. To add to his resume he was a top 25 recruit for both 247 and ESPN. His senior year he averaged 21.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. He scored 2,341 total points in high school. Shot 41% from beyond the arch. He was one of the top 30 players to attend the Jordan Brand Classic. Gatorade player of the year and also Max Preps Player of the year for South Carolina.

Take a deep breath...

Yeah, this kid is good. Good enough to already start popping up on NBA mock drafts for 2022. Bleacher Report has him as the number one interchangeable wing. Should we worry about losing him after one year? Sure, that’s a possibility but let’s get through the season before we have to worry about that. If anything, we should be happy we are starting to get talent that gets that type of attention.

Will he be the savor that will take Nebrasketball to the promised land? It’s too early to say. He will be starting this season. Adding a very versatile threat to Hoiberg's arsenal. As noted above, he can shoot but he can also play defense. Something that will be big once conference play starts up. You can’t win in the Big Ten without a good defense and Bryce will be key to that.

I could go on and on about his basketball instincts. His ability to adapt to the game. He is quick and has the speed to take him all over the floor. He can not only work well out of the paint but inside too. Making him a threat all over the court.

Bryce McGowens alone will help sell tickets to Pinnacle Bank Arena this season. Expect to hear his name a lot. With the rest of the very talented team around him, it might just make this squad the one to not only make the NCAA Tournament but to also bring home the programs first win. With Bryce leading the way.