South Carolina Admits Former Louisville Recruit Brian Bowen, Who Will Try To Play Next Year

Former Louisville commit Brian Bowen, whose alleged bribery-aided recruitment was at the center of the FBI investigation that cost Rick Pitino his job, has been admitted to South Carolina, where he’ll try to play if the NCAA decides to reinstate him.

Bowen would have been contributing as a highly touted freshman at Louisville this season, but he was suspended indefinitely and benched by the team after the FBI investigation became public. The FBI alleges that Adidas gave $100,000 to Bowen’s father, with Rick Pitino’s knowledge and consent, to get Bowen to come to Louisville, an Adidas school. Bowen denies having any knowledge of these payments.

Louisville wouldn’t submit for Bowen’s reinstatement with the NCAA, so obviously, he was going to try and find another school. It was unclear what program would take a chance on Bowen, but he’ll head to Frank Martin’s Gamecock team that, despite holding a weak 10-6 record this year, is still coming off a Final Four appearance last season. USC will now apply for reinstatement, which, if the NCAA grants, would allow Bowen to play in 2018-19.