Five-star recruit Brian Bowen, an NC State target, heading to different ACC school

Five-star forward Brian Bowen, once a highly coveted N.C. State prospect, will play in the ACC next season. But it won’t be for the Wolfpack.

He’s going to Louisville, he announced Saturday on Twitter.

Bowen’s announcement was not a surprise. According to the Courier-Journal, Bowen has enrolled in summer classes at Louisville.

Bowen is ranked the No. 18 recruit in the class of 2017, according to 247sports’ composite rankings. He was once a coveted prospect for the Wolfpack. Former N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried recruited him heavily, and Bowen, a Michigan native who played for La Lumiere School in Indiana, took an official visit to N.C. State in the fall.

However, Gottfried was fired in February. It is unclear whether new N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts made a push for Bowen.

Bowen’s recruitment was a whirlwind. For months, he said his top five schools were N.C. State, Michigan State, Texas, Creighton and Arizona. But his choices changed over the past couple of months.

After Michigan State star freshman Miles Bridges announced he was returning for his sophomore season, Oregon came into the picture. DePaul did too after the program hired Bowen’s AAU coach and high school coach.

Then Louisville made a late push for him.

Bowen made his decision after the National Letter of Intent deadline, so he will sign a financial aid agreement. He was the last of the McDonald’s All-Americans to choose a school.

N.C. State signed three players eligible for the 2017-18 season, including Lavar Batts, the top point guard in the state; graduate senior Al Freeman, a guard and Baylor transfer; and Sam Hunt, a guard and graduate transfer from N.C. A&T.

The Wolfpack also picked up C.J. Bryce, a transfer from UNCW, and Devon Daniels, a transfer from Utah. Both players will not be eligible until the 2018-19 season.

This story was originally published June 3, 2017 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Five-star recruit Brian Bowen, an NC State target, heading to different ACC school."