Barnes, Vols add electric guard
And with the simple act of putting on a Tennessee hat, Knoxville native Jordan Bowden announced his college choice. Bowden spoke with VolQuest.com on Tuesday afternoon before announcing on his Periscope to discuss why Tennessee was the right choice.
"It was just the perfect fit for me," Bowden said. "Coach (Rick) Barnes is a great coach and he has coached a lot of players that have played in the league. It just means a lot to know I'm a Tennessee Volunteer."
After graduating from Carter High School last May, Bowden decided to attend the 22 Feet Academy, which is a prep school in South Carolina. After a great season playing with some other talented prospects, Bowden started to collect several offers. There was Utah, Marquette, Cincinnati, to go along with the Vols and others. Tennessee made sense because it's in his hometown and the family ties to the area.
"My mom is happy for me," Bowden said. "My granny is happy, and she doesn't like getting on planes so she will be able to drive just down the road and watch me play. My step-dad is happy, too."
Bowden marks the 6th piece to the 2015-16 signing class. He plans on signing with the Vols once the spring signing period begins on April 13th. Like Jordan Bone and John Fulkerson, Bowden's ties to the Volunteer State were evident and the chance to put on the orange was too great to pass on.
"A lot of people around the area never got a Tennessee basketball offer," Bowden said. "To be able to play for them and have that chance that others haven't really shows my hard work paid off. It's where I'm from so that part is special. But I'm not going to change who I am or how I work. I'll continue to push myself."
Credit the Tennessee staff, including assistant Rob Lanier who watched Bowden play last month. After the offer, Bowden came to campus two weeks ago and decided what he heard from Barnes put him at ease with his decision.
"He is just so laid-back and chill," Bowden said. "He was different than other coaches I dealt with. He told me he was excited and he is ready for me to get down there and get to work."
Looking back, the decision to not attend a smaller school coming out of high school paid off in a big way. Now he will begin his Big Orange career with five years to play four.
"I think it was a good decision for me," Bowden said. "Coming up here and playing against the best of the best with college coaches at every game gave me that X-factor. I've improved my game a lot.
"I've gotten stronger and my shot is so much more consistent. I've become a better defender going against some really good players here. I've just changed my entire game and it's because of the environment here. The practices are hard and they have prepared me for the next level."
Bowden will arrive this summer and will do so with one mind-set.
"I'm just ready to compete," Bowden said. "It's the next step and I'm ready to take it."
Rivals.com ranks Bowden as a 3-star guard in the class of 2016.