Former Louisville 5-Star Recruit Brian Bowen Transferring to South Carolina

Freshman forward Brian Bowen has transferred to South Carolina and will petition the NCAA to regain his on-court eligibility, the Gamecocks announced on Wednesday.

Bowen also took to Twitter with the news:

The Courier Journal's Darcy Costello and Jeff Greer reported Bowen was no longer enrolled in spring classes at Louisville and that Louisville opened the door for Bowen to transfer to another school.

Bowen was the No. 19 player overall in the 2017 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings, but he has yet to play a minute of NCAA basketball after he was connected to the FBI investigation that rocked college basketball.

ESPN's Mark Schlabach reported in September that four men collected $100,000 to provide to a recruit's family at the urging of a Louisville coach. The recruit was identified as "Player-10" in the report, yet the details of the allegations made it clear Bowen was the player in question.

Bowen's attorney, Jason Setchen, told reporters in November the FBI had cleared Bowen of any wrongdoing. Although Bowen's father, Brian Sr., was implicated in the FBI's investigation, Bowen hadn't knowingly violated any NCAA rules.

By clearing Bowen's name, the FBI allowed Louisville the opportunity to reinstate him to the team. However, Louisville confirmed Nov. 22 it didn't intend to do so and would allow him to transfer if he so desired.

By transferring to South Carolina, Bowen inches closer to making his NCAA debut, but it's equally plausible he never plays for the Gamecocks, either.

He already has to sit out this season in accordance with the NCAA rules regarding transfers, and the NCAA would still have to reinstate him before he could suit up for South Carolina for the 2018-19 season.

The opportunity to enter the 2018 draft will be on the table for Bowen, too. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman ranked Bowen 41st overall in his big board in December. Bowen was absent on Wasserman's most recent big board.

While Bowen is a big addition for South Carolina, he and the school have multiple hurdles to clear before he can assume a starring role for the Gamecocks.