Bowers Injured At ABCD

TEANECK, NEW JERSEY -- Talk about unfortunate timing!

Will Bowers, the 6-11, 225 pound center from Archbishop Spalding HS in Severn, MD, was looking forward to the chance to take on top competition at this week's adidas ABCD camp held on Fairleigh Dickinson's campus. Bowers had been very impressive last month at the NBPA camp in Richmond, VA, and this would be his (and 200+ other players) chance to show his game before hundreds of college coaches.

Bowers suffered a thigh injury Monday afternoon and saw limited action in only two games. "We thought it would get better with time, but that didn't happen," he said. Unable to compete, Bowers left early on Thursday.

His list has Ohio State, Pitt, Maryland and Notre Dame leading. The other schools are St. Joseph's, Michigan, Florida State, Providence, Connecticut and Stanford. All but three have offered with Michigan and Connecticut expected to make a scholarship available for this improving big man soon. "And with Stanford, you have to apply first," Bowers told us earlier.

Bowers plans to make a decision by the beginning of his senior season. He plays with the Baltimore Select AAU program and hopefully will be able to rejoin Paul Bowden's squad later this month at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas. He's a member of the DC-area team in the 16-team 2002 USA/International Hoop Summit on Central Florida's campus the last four days in July.

Bowers plans to visit colleges next month. A good student, Bowers has a 3.4 GPA and scored 1310 on the SAT.

Bowers averaged 15.5 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two assists as a junior last season and was named to the Baltimore Sun's All-Metro second team.