Florida State University Athletics
Saturday, January 13
South Bend, Ind.
2:15 p.m.
Florida State
at
Notre Dame
sNOw Problem For Florida State's Taylor Bol Bowen
1/12/2024 8:41:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – For the Florida State men's basketball team, this weekend's trip to play at Notre Dame in its fifth conference game of the season will be different from most. It will be different because the weather forecast in the upper Midwest is calling for more than a foot of snow and sub-freezing temperatures while the Seminoles are in to play the Fighting Irish at the Joyce Center at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday. The game will be televised by The CW.
Different for most of the Seminoles.
But not for freshman Taylor Bol Bowen who grew up in the village of Jericho which is located at the base of Mount Mansfield and just 45 miles south of the Canadian border in the very much northern state of Vermont.
Jericho is in the Snowbelt where the annual snow fall is about 120 inches.
Jericho is also where Wilson A. Bentley (aka known as The Snowflake Man) photographed thousands of individual snowflakes and developed the equipment and techniques which continue to be used today to provide valuable records and images of individual snowflakes both photographically and scientifically. More than 500 of his snowflake photos are stored in the Archives in the Smithsonian Institution.
"Our trip this weekend isn't going to bother me one bit," said Bol Bowen as Florida State continued their preparations for the Fighting Irish before traveling to Indiana. "I'm used to the cold."
Bol Bowen is also getting used to playing basketball at the high-major college basketball level at Florida State. He's played a significant role in the Seminoles' current three-game ACC winning streak which has vaulted the Seminoles into the upper third of the conference standings.
Bol Bowen is averaging nearly 13 minutes played and has scored 15 points in the Seminoles' consecutive victories over Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest. It was his step-back 3-point shot in the first half that gave the Seminoles a seven-point lead and allowed the Seminoles to go into the locker room with a confidence-boosting 42-41 lead against Wake Forest. The Deacons had won nine consecutive games before falling to the Seminoles, 87-82 on Tuesday night in Tallahassee.
Seminole Head Coach Leonard Hamilton is certainly taking notice of his fabulous freshman whose game continues to improve as the Seminoles continue to move upwards in the ACC standings.
"Taylor is improving to the point where every game he goes in he gives us something positive," said Hamilton. "His effort is good; his attitude is outstanding, and you know what you are going to get from him every time he steps on the floor. Taylor is definitely all in with all of his heart and his soul.
"He represents the Seminole spirit. His future is very bright, and he's only scratched the surface with his potential. I think you are going to see him grow and grow with each game."
Bol Bowen's potential was on display in the first game of his career as he scored four points, pulled down five rebounds and blocked two shots in 12 minutes of playing time in the Seminoles' season-opening victory over Kennesaw State. His best game of the first two months of his freshman season came as a nine-point and six-rebound performance in Florida State's 91-75 victory over North Florida.
"I've been playing basketball my whole life," said Bol Bowen. "I get myself ready to play and really love having the opportunity to play as well as I can play within our system. We are all bought in on defense, and we have to compete on the defensive end of the floor to win. The more we compete on defense, the better our offense will be."
Bol Bowen averaged 9.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in two seasons at the acclaimed Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and committed to the Seminoles and Hamilton in June 2022 after receiving more than 20 scholarship offers. He played in the Nike Hoop Summit and was nominated to play in the McDonald's All-American game in 2023.
Though he played at a very high level throughout his high school and prep career, Bol Bowen has realized the incredible jump in talent and athleticism of the players he goes up against each night in ACC Play.
"There are better players in the ACC which I think is the best basketball conference in the country. It shows every night," said Bol Bowen. There are so many different guys with so many different skill sets. We are learning how to improve and grow every night.
Bol Bowen had a built-in advantage while making his transition from high school basketball to the rigors of not only college basketball, but to life as a college student – a relationship with Seminole forward Jaylan Gainey.
Bol Bowen has a unique bond with Gainey as the pair knew other before they became Seminoles. The two met in Providence, R.I. while Gainey was a student at Brown University and Bol Bowen was a student at Saint George School which is located in nearby Middletown.
"Taylor has been my guy since I arrived at Florida State," said Gainey. "I knew him before he came to Florida State because I used to see him all the time walking around Providence. He was a tall guy, and I was a tall guy, so it was almost natural that we became friends. When he got to Florida State everything just clicked.
"Our relationship encompasses a little bit of everything. We talk about a lot of stuff both on and off the court. I'd like to think I am a mentor for him as one of the older guys on the team. Taylor has big goals and aspirations, and we talk about keeping things in perspective. I'm very excited for him; the sky is the limit for him if he continues to work hard and do the right things."
Bol Bowen says that he is an okay skier who prefers sledding to the slopes.
"I only used to ski on the beginner slopes but stopped skiing last year so I wouldn't get hurt and not be able to play basketball."
Don't expect Bol Bowen to spend much time in the snow and freezing temperatures this weekend as the ACC schedule continues to heat up for the Seminoles.
Different for most of the Seminoles.
But not for freshman Taylor Bol Bowen who grew up in the village of Jericho which is located at the base of Mount Mansfield and just 45 miles south of the Canadian border in the very much northern state of Vermont.
Jericho is in the Snowbelt where the annual snow fall is about 120 inches.
Jericho is also where Wilson A. Bentley (aka known as The Snowflake Man) photographed thousands of individual snowflakes and developed the equipment and techniques which continue to be used today to provide valuable records and images of individual snowflakes both photographically and scientifically. More than 500 of his snowflake photos are stored in the Archives in the Smithsonian Institution.
"Our trip this weekend isn't going to bother me one bit," said Bol Bowen as Florida State continued their preparations for the Fighting Irish before traveling to Indiana. "I'm used to the cold."
Bol Bowen is also getting used to playing basketball at the high-major college basketball level at Florida State. He's played a significant role in the Seminoles' current three-game ACC winning streak which has vaulted the Seminoles into the upper third of the conference standings.
Bol Bowen is averaging nearly 13 minutes played and has scored 15 points in the Seminoles' consecutive victories over Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest. It was his step-back 3-point shot in the first half that gave the Seminoles a seven-point lead and allowed the Seminoles to go into the locker room with a confidence-boosting 42-41 lead against Wake Forest. The Deacons had won nine consecutive games before falling to the Seminoles, 87-82 on Tuesday night in Tallahassee.
Seminole Head Coach Leonard Hamilton is certainly taking notice of his fabulous freshman whose game continues to improve as the Seminoles continue to move upwards in the ACC standings.
"Taylor is improving to the point where every game he goes in he gives us something positive," said Hamilton. "His effort is good; his attitude is outstanding, and you know what you are going to get from him every time he steps on the floor. Taylor is definitely all in with all of his heart and his soul.
"He represents the Seminole spirit. His future is very bright, and he's only scratched the surface with his potential. I think you are going to see him grow and grow with each game."
Bol Bowen's potential was on display in the first game of his career as he scored four points, pulled down five rebounds and blocked two shots in 12 minutes of playing time in the Seminoles' season-opening victory over Kennesaw State. His best game of the first two months of his freshman season came as a nine-point and six-rebound performance in Florida State's 91-75 victory over North Florida.
"I've been playing basketball my whole life," said Bol Bowen. "I get myself ready to play and really love having the opportunity to play as well as I can play within our system. We are all bought in on defense, and we have to compete on the defensive end of the floor to win. The more we compete on defense, the better our offense will be."
Bol Bowen averaged 9.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in two seasons at the acclaimed Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and committed to the Seminoles and Hamilton in June 2022 after receiving more than 20 scholarship offers. He played in the Nike Hoop Summit and was nominated to play in the McDonald's All-American game in 2023.
Though he played at a very high level throughout his high school and prep career, Bol Bowen has realized the incredible jump in talent and athleticism of the players he goes up against each night in ACC Play.
"There are better players in the ACC which I think is the best basketball conference in the country. It shows every night," said Bol Bowen. There are so many different guys with so many different skill sets. We are learning how to improve and grow every night.
Bol Bowen had a built-in advantage while making his transition from high school basketball to the rigors of not only college basketball, but to life as a college student – a relationship with Seminole forward Jaylan Gainey.
Bol Bowen has a unique bond with Gainey as the pair knew other before they became Seminoles. The two met in Providence, R.I. while Gainey was a student at Brown University and Bol Bowen was a student at Saint George School which is located in nearby Middletown.
"Taylor has been my guy since I arrived at Florida State," said Gainey. "I knew him before he came to Florida State because I used to see him all the time walking around Providence. He was a tall guy, and I was a tall guy, so it was almost natural that we became friends. When he got to Florida State everything just clicked.
"Our relationship encompasses a little bit of everything. We talk about a lot of stuff both on and off the court. I'd like to think I am a mentor for him as one of the older guys on the team. Taylor has big goals and aspirations, and we talk about keeping things in perspective. I'm very excited for him; the sky is the limit for him if he continues to work hard and do the right things."
Bol Bowen says that he is an okay skier who prefers sledding to the slopes.
"I only used to ski on the beginner slopes but stopped skiing last year so I wouldn't get hurt and not be able to play basketball."
Don't expect Bol Bowen to spend much time in the snow and freezing temperatures this weekend as the ACC schedule continues to heat up for the Seminoles.
Players Mentioned
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