Freshman Guard Lorne Bowman II Has Departed From The University of Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin freshman guard Lorne Bowman II has left the university and the men’s basketball program and will continue his education and athletic career closer to home.

To me, this strikes me as the best decision for both UW and Bowman. Greg Gard needs a roster he can rely on and Bowman needs to be closer to his family and put himself first.

It’s really a shame it didn’t work out. Bowman is a great kid who was well liked by everyone in the program.

“First and foremost I want to thank God for giving me the ability to play the game of basketball at a high level,” Bowman said in a statement. “I want to thank coach Greg Gard, Dean Oliver, Joe Krabbenhoft and Sharif Chambliss and the entire staff for giving me the opportunity to showcase my talents. To my teammates, I will never forget you guys. To Badger Nation, I want to thank you for all the support and love you showed me and the team this season. The University of Wisconsin will always have a special place in my heart. May God bless you all.”

Bowman appeared in 22 games off the bench for the Badgers in 2021-22, averaging 10.4 minutes, 3.0 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game and went 12-for-30 (40.0%) from 3-point range.

Bowman, the Detroit, Michigan native, went home in February to deal with what UW called a non-covid illness and he missed the final eight games of the season, including both NCAA Tournament games.

Bowman, who was a freshman this past season, was scheduled to begin his collegiate career in 2020-21 with UW, however, shortly after arriving on campus he returned home to Detroit to deal with a family matter.

Bowman’s departure leaves the Badgers with four open scholarship spots to fill this offseason. Johnny Davis entered the NBA Draft, while Ben Carlson and Matthew Mors entered the transfer portal. Mors committed to South Dakota State.

The Badgers are bringing in guard Connor Essegian (scholarship) and guard Luke Haertle (Walk-on) and the coaching staff is currently exploring and evaluating several transfer prospects.

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