2017 SF Brian "Tugs" Bowen (South Carolina Commit)

[mredle]

Ok, I've read all the stuff about how we should feel and all the dire signs out there that bode ill for the Jays, particularly how all the delays in decision making indicate we are a fall back. Does that mean that Michigan State, Arizona, North Carolina State and Texas are all fall back positions? Does the rumor that Oregon is communicating with him and we think a lot of Dana Altman's abilities as a coach mean everybody is history or does the fact that he hasn't committed to them as well, mean they are now relegated to fallback option? Does all of this mean that maybe Tugs has figured out that the best place for him to go, get minutes and be the focal point of the team is to commit to IWCC?

[LynchMob]

Tugs needs to make a decision to help the mental health of a bunch of guys on a message board who should have something better to do. I love Creighton, too, but don't get your personal self-worth wrapped up in an 18 year-old stranger's college decision.

This is meant for people on both 'sides' or whatever. He'll come to Creighton, or he won't, and it will work out, or it won't, but just calm down either way.

[vivid_dude]

I tend to prefer kids who come to Creighton because he/she feels in his/her heart that the University, the team and the coaches are the right fit for them. Those that love and desire the opportunity to play for the name on the front of the jersey.

[jayball]

As for all the criticisms of Bowen for taking so much time to decide, I don't get it. I wish more kids would be this thoughtful about important decisions. It seems as if Bowen and his inner circle have a plan and they are trying to figure out which school is the best fit to achieve that plan. Seems pretty intelligent to me.

Well when a kid says he has a "final five" and says a decision is coming "this month for sure" for like 6 straight months....it doesn't look like a plan to me.

He can do whatever he wants but imo this was a bush league way to go about the process. To me it's clear the final five is meaningless and whatever enthusiasm he has for those schools has waned.

He ain't coming.

[vivid_dude]

As for all the criticisms of Bowen for taking so much time to decide, I don't get it. I wish more kids would be this thoughtful about important decisions. It seems as if Bowen and his inner circle have a plan and they are trying to figure out which school is the best fit to achieve that plan. Seems pretty intelligent to me.

Well when a kid says he has a "final five" and says a decision is coming "this month for sure" for like 6 straight months....it doesn't look like a plan to me.

He can do whatever he wants but imo this was a bush league way to go about the process. To me it's clear the final five is meaningless and whatever enthusiasm he has for those schools has waned.

He ain't coming.

I wasn't saying it was the most well-executed plan, but it's clear that he wants to get to the NBA next year. All the moving puzzle pieces at Arizona and Michigan State made it impossible for him to determine which school would be best suited to achieve that goal. So, he kept pushing it back. I agree it doesn't look the best when he delays, but if your plan is to be one-and-done, and you have no idea how a roster is shaping up on the programs you are considering, I still say it's smart to delay until you are as completely informed as you can be. Sucks for fans. Sucks for coaches trying to fill out a roster. Sucks for other recruits who could otherwise fill those slots. But Bowen and his family owe nothing to any of these groups.

If I had a kid in Bowen's position, where our goal was to get to the NBA as quickly as possible, I would encourage him to do the same thing. Be informed about your decision. That's all he's doing, IMO.

[Realhoops]

As for all the criticisms of Bowen for taking so much time to decide, I don't get it. I wish more kids would be this thoughtful about important decisions. It seems as if Bowen and his inner circle have a plan and they are trying to figure out which school is the best fit to achieve that plan. Seems pretty intelligent to me.

Well when a kid says he has a "final five" and says a decision is coming "this month for sure" for like 6 straight months....it doesn't look like a plan to me.

He can do whatever he wants but imo this was a bush league way to go about the process. To me it's clear the final five is meaningless and whatever enthusiasm he has for those schools has waned.

He ain't coming.

I wasn't saying it was the most well-executed plan, but it's clear that he wants to get to the NBA next year. All the moving puzzle pieces at Arizona and Michigan State made it impossible for him to determine which school would be best suited to achieve that goal. So, he kept pushing it back. I agree it doesn't look the best when he delays, but if your plan is to be one-and-done, and you have no idea how a roster is shaping up on the programs you are considering, I still say it's smart to delay until you are as completely informed as you can be. Sucks for fans. Sucks for coaches trying to fill out a roster. Sucks for other recruits who could otherwise fill those slots. But Bowen and his family owe nothing to any of these groups.

If I had a kid in Bowen's position, where our goal was to get to the NBA as quickly as possible, I would encourage him to do the same thing. Be informed about your decision. That's all he's doing, IMO.

... but maybe at some point stop saying "I'm definitely going to decide and announce this month."

[vivid_dude]

... but maybe at some point stop saying "I'm definitely going to decide and announce this month."

That's fair. My thinking is that when he says it, he actually means it. But then something happens, or doesn't happen, which causes him to push it back. Like I said, it's a plan - that may be executed poorly. I don't think he's messing with people. It's the biggest decision of his life and he wants to get it right.

[AttyAlum]

Well when a kid says he has a "final five" and says a decision is coming "this month for sure" for like 6 straight months....it doesn't look like a plan to me.

He can do whatever he wants but imo this was a bush league way to go about the process. To me it's clear the final five is meaningless and whatever enthusiasm he has for those schools has waned.

He ain't coming.

I wasn't saying it was the most well-executed plan, but it's clear that he wants to get to the NBA next year. All the moving puzzle pieces at Arizona and Michigan State made it impossible for him to determine which school would be best suited to achieve that goal. So, he kept pushing it back. I agree it doesn't look the best when he delays, but if your plan is to be one-and-done, and you have no idea how a roster is shaping up on the programs you are considering, I still say it's smart to delay until you are as completely informed as you can be. Sucks for fans. Sucks for coaches trying to fill out a roster. Sucks for other recruits who could otherwise fill those slots. But Bowen and his family owe nothing to any of these groups.

If I had a kid in Bowen's position, where our goal was to get to the NBA as quickly as possible, I would encourage him to do the same thing. Be informed about your decision. That's all he's doing, IMO.

... but maybe at some point stop saying "I'm definitely going to decide and announce this month."

But, in reality, has he been that definitive in his statements in the past? I agree the April comment was pretty definitive, but I do not remember the others being so definite. In fact, I believe one of the other time tables was actually supplied via a quote from his father, not from Tugs himself. I also recall at least one other comment being along the lines of "I'd like to commit by the end of the month" which is obviously different than "I will commit by the end of the month."

[blueblood]

This is like vivid_dude, CU Final Four and bird_call promising to stop posting in the global warming thread. I mean it would be awesome but in reality you know its never going to happen.

[ictjay]

Question: Does Tugs get drafted higher say he goes to any of the 5 schools with identical stats?

Would think he would have better opportunity at Creighton.