In a season of seniority full of awards and recognition, Nebraska signatory Bryce McGowens won another award on Friday.
MaxPreps named McGowens the player of the year 2020-21 for the state of South Carolina. McGowens averaged 21.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a senior at Legacy Early College in South Carolina, and was the top scorer for the prestigious St. James NIBC Invitational, averaging 20.9 points per contest in seven participations.
McGowens played his first three seasons of high school basketball at Wren High School and ended his school career with more than 2,300 points and was nominated, but not selected, for this year’s McDonalds All-America Game.
McGowens, which is the 21st overall position in the country according to the 247Sports Composite generated by the industry, will arrive on campus in Lincoln next year with high expectations. He is the highest-rated recruit to sign with Nebraska outside of high school, and is expected to bring an immediate scoring blow in Fred Hoiberg’s third year.
Nebraska’s assistant Matt Abdelmassih tweeted his congratulations to McGowens on Friday night, with the promise of bigger things ahead for the first-year guard.
“An incredible ending to an incredible career at HS. Next stop Lincoln! I’m so excited to add an incredibly talented player, but even more so a great kid … GREAT things are coming #GBR #Nebrasketball, “Abdelmassih tweeted.
McGowens is obviously a big part of what Nebraska is entering into in the third year of the Hoiberg era. Huskers signed a Top 25 recruiting class in November, and there will likely be some changes to the list with the season now complete and individual player meetings scheduled to begin next week. Nebraska currently has no scholarships to give, but that is likely to change after these meetings.
Nebraska will likely return to a core group of players next season, instead of having to completely rebuild a squad, as it has done in the past two seasons.
“Once again, we will not have an entirely new team next year, where you will have to introduce a system and start from scratch, which is what we have practically done in the past two years. We have an established base, ”said Hoiberg last week.
Bryce McGowens will join his older brother Trey in Lincoln next year, and older McGowens said he believes the future is bright for Nebraska, even after fighting for an unprecedented season that also included a 27-day break for because of positive Covid tests and an off-season with limited practices.
“I love our group,” said McGowens. “I feel that next season is going to be the same main group of guys, and then the chemistry had arrived there at the end of the season … We will continue to work, continue to improve. A little bit off and it will be a great off-season.”