Kentucky men’s basketball lost another target off its transfer board Friday afternoon as Florida State small forward Taylor Bol Bowen committed to Alabama.
On3’s Joe Tipton confirmed the news.
Bol Bowen was a Kentucky target for over a week, with the Cats hosting the former Seminole on campus for a visit on April 1 before the recruiting dead period.
KSR’s Jacob Polacheck had previously reported that UK Assistant Coach Jason Hart had been in contact with Bol Bowen shortly after he entered the transfer portal from Tallahassee.
Bol Bowen averaged eight points and 5.2 rebounds per night with the Seminoles and former Kentucky assistant Leonard Hamilton, who announced his resignation at the end of the season.
Standing at 6-foot-10, the sophomore shot 47% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc and quickly became a hot target for a plethora of high-level programs having plenty of power five experience under his belt.
Instead of Kentucky, however, Bol Bowen opted to join Alabama Head Coach Nate Oats in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama has seen a program emergence with Oats, making its first ever Final Four last season before falling to No. 1 Duke in the Elite Eight in the 2025 edition of the NCAA Tournament. Bol Bowen visited T-Town after he visited Lexington.
The loss for Kentucky puts a further emphasis on the decision of Indiana transfer Mackenzie Mgbako, who the Cats also hosted for a visit just before the dead period.
UK Head Coach Mark Pope is expected to return Collin Chandler, Travis Perry, Trent Noah, Otega Oweh and Brandon Garrison from last season’s roster while bringing in highly-touted freshmen in Malachi Moreno, Jasper Johnson and Acaden Lewis, but, thus far, has only locked down one incoming transfer in Tulane’s Kam Williams.
Pope has a tall task in replenishing a Kentucky roster that is losing major veterans such as Jaxson Robinson, Koby Brea, Amari Williams, Andrew Carr, Lamont Butler and Ansley Almonor with backup point guard Kerr Kriisa also entering the transfer portal.
Transfer portal season thus far has been as volatile as could be expected, with UK missing on a few key targets already in Donovan Dent (UCLA), Silas Demary Jr. (UConn) and Magoon Gwath (San Diego State).
It is to be seen who Pope brings in as the transfer portal continues to rage and more and more names get added to the pool of available talent.
