UNC Basketball: Tar Heels contact FSU decommit Bryce McGowens

UNC basketball program reaches out to recent Florida State decommit Bryce McGowens

Bryce McGowens shocked the Florida State Seminoles and just about everyone else when he announced his decommitment from the school last week.

His commitment to FSU lasted exactly eight months, and represented one of three 5-star pledges for the Seminoles in the 2021 class. Florida State still has the nation’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class even without McGowens, who has now reopened his recruitment to those who have already offered him a scholarship, and even more who have not.

A number of teams have already reached out to McGowens in the six days since his surprising announcement including Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan. North Carolina joined that group on Monday night according to multiple sources that have confirmed the Tar Heels’ interest in the top-25 prospect.

North Carolina certainly has the availability to bring McGowens on board, particularly since none of their remaining targets in the class appear to be favoring the Tar Heels. And they could use a small forward of McGowens’ caliber, despite already having a commitment from one 2021 wing, Kinston native Dontrez Styles.

A 6-foot-6, 175-pound small forward from Legacy Early College in Greenville, South Carolina, McGowens offers a terrific offensive skill set that features good ball-handling skills and a consistent jump shot beyond the three-point line. He has a great motor, moves well without the ball in his hands and runs the floor well in transition. He’s good at slashing through the lane, and finishing in traffic. His athleticism and leaping ability help him get up for big dunks. He’s still got a very physically immature body, but uses his length and quickness to be a difference-maker on the defensive end of the court. He has a chance to be a plus-defender at the college level.

McGowens, the No. 25 overall recruit in the 247Sports Composite for 2021, has a growing offer sheet that includes Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, Maryland, Oregon Virginia Tech and Xavier. That list will continue growing in the weeks ahead, as McGowens has quickly become one of the most sought after recruits in the country.

There’s no known timeline for McGowens to make a decision, or to compile a list of finalists, but Keeping It Heel will continue to follow his recruitment in the coming months. Check back with us for that, and everything else UNC basketball.