PHILADELPHIA – You almost couldn’t write a better NCAA Tournament script for the brother tandem of Cole and Cooper Bowser than opening the NCAA Tournament in the City of Brotherly Love on Friday night, when the No. 15 Furman Paladins take on the No. 2 seed UConn Huskies in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Tip-off for that contest is slated for approximately 10 p.m. Eastern.
Philadelphia, the original capital of the United States and a cornerstone of American
history, is well-suited to host another chapter of this brotherly saga — one in which both Bowsers will be a triumphant part of the overall narrative rather than the final chapter.
While the brothers share plenty of similarities, their complementary differences in their individual ‘games’ have been a major ingredient in Furman’s championship formula so far this season.
A 6-foot-11-inch junior center, Cooper Bowser has developed into a dominant mid-major big man, as he showed in Furman’s 76-61 championship win over No. 1 seed East Tennessee State, posting 21 points and 11 rebounds on 9-of-12 shooting while helping the Paladins collect their second SoCon Tournament title in the past four years.
Cole Bowser, a 6-foot-6 true freshman and athletic specimen, had arguably two of the most impactful plays in that championship win: an emphatic defensive play at a pivotal moment in the second half — a chase-down block off the backboard — which gave the Paladins the lift they needed at a critical point while demoralizing an opponent just starting to gain momentum and confidence. While the play was originally whistled as a goaltending violation, a wise coaching challenge by head coach Bob Richey and staff saw the call overturned and the points taken off the board, restoring Furman’s 13-point lead (68-55) with just under five minutes remaining.
Without either one of them, it’s hard to imagine the Paladins cutting down the nets as Southern Conference champions in Asheville last week after knocking off East Tennessee State, 76-61, in the championship game.
Despite how the narrative eventually played out to lead the Paladins to Philly, that wasn’t the original plan heading into the season. However, sometimes the adversity you aren’t prepared for is what makes a champion a champion. It’s not the plan you have; it’s how you alter the original plan that ultimately determines whether or not the goal is reached.
The Redshirt Comes off of Cole Bowser
Furman’s men’s basketball team didn’t know what adversity might be ahead of them in 2025-26, but by the time the calendar year flipped to 2026, those best laid plans to begin a championship quest being now being challenged by injuries, eventually affecting and challenging the depth of the team, but at the same time, strengthening it as a byproduct of such adversity.
In nine seasons under Richey, the injury bug had never bitten so hard. It forced Richey to make some decisions he wouldn’t have thought he would encounter entering the season.
For Cooper and Cole Bowser, the season was going to be special — being together on the same team for the first time since elementary school — even if it meant one of them — Cole Bowser — would redshirt the season, which obviously meant that the two wouldn’t be on the same floor together in year one. It was still special just being a part of the same team.
Cole Bowser has a history of being a winner that started long before he became a fixture in Furman’s rotation as a true freshman in 2025-26 for the Paladins. Furman would need his services much sooner than they had originally thought.
Prior to his career starting with the Paladins, the younger Bowser spent his prep career at the famed DeMatha Catholic, helping the Stags to a 23-7 record as a senior, while averaging 6.8 PPG and 3.5 RPG en route to helping DeMatha to 24 wins and a national ranking as a junior. As a junior, he had a season-high 31 points in a game to lead DeMatha to a win over The Heights School.
While he’s primarily been known for his ability on the boards and as a long, athletic wing that makes life difficult on that end for the opposition, his 31-point scoring effort at DeMatha shows his versatility as a potential offensive piece as a pick-and-pop perimeter threat for the Paladins.
Rated as a three-star recruit by 247 among several other recruiting services, Furman had the inside track to land Cole Bowser as a result of his brother, Cooper Bowser, who was already beginning to establish himself as a budding star for the Furman basketball program under Richey.
According to SI.com, Cole Bowser will be one of 17 players from the Chesapeake State to take part in the 2026 NCAA Tournament when the Bowie, MD, native first sets foot on the Xfinity Mobile Arena floor Friday night, and it will no doubt be a special moment for both of his parents to see both of their sons play in an NCAA Tournament game.
Playing together on the same floor didn’t even seem a remote reality for the Bowser brothers just four months ago; however, a higher power seemed to be at work to write a pretty neat March script. The dream didn’t seem a possibility, not because Furman was not capable of winning a SoCon title, but more because Cole Bowser was slated to redshirt the 2025-26 season.
However, had Cole Bowser remained under redshirt status, it’s debatable as to whether or not Furman would even be playing No. 2 seed UConn in the City of Brotherly Love in the NCAA Tournament at all.
“Cole Bowser was redshirting and comes out and makes an unbelievable impact in every game he played, and I couldn’t be prouder of Cole and what he’s done and how he’s handled himself, and just getting to see that from our guys,” senior forward Ben Vander Wal said. “We wouldn’t have had that if we were fully healthy and I’m not sure we get to the best if that doesn’t happen.”
Just before Christmas, the Paladins were hit hard by the injury bug when Cooper Bowser was forced to the sidelines for over a month late in non-conference play, suffering a toe injury in the road win over Manhattan. Already without Davis Molnar, who suffered a season-ending injury in the exhibition against Alabama, the Paladins were thin underneath the basket.
The Paladins defeated Mercer, 74-72, without Cooper Bowser in the lineup. Furman’s first SoCon loss followed shortly thereafter, as the Paladins dropped an 80-77 overtime game to Western Carolina. With Furman having been depleted on the interior due to being without the likes of Bowser and Molnar, the Paladins were severely compromised on the glass, getting out-rebounded 48-35 and allowing 18 second-chance points to the Catamounts. Richey knew he needed to make a move.
That move would come shortly before the tip-off of Furman’s second game of the season against defending champion Chattanooga. As I walked into McKenzie Arena just before the tip-off between Furman and defending SoCon regular-season champion Chattanooga, Paladin basketball media relations director Jordan Caskey informed me that Furman would be removing the redshirt from true freshman Cole Bowser and putting him into the lineup. It was a move that Richey hadn’t hesitated to make.
The debut for the younger Bowser was one that would show what type of profound impact he could have. In his debut against the Mocs, Cole Bowser brought the energy, defense, and rebounding to the Furman lineup. In his first game, the true freshman snagged 10 rebounds and posted six points to help the Paladins to the 78-67 win.
“Cole [Bowser] had a huge piece in the game tonight,” Richey said at the time. “Six points and he had 10 rebounds and played tremendous defense and just did an unbelievable job of doing some of the gritty things that we felt like we were missing on Saturday and that all went into this decision to play him. We’ve got to try to continue to win these games and build our team and we’re not going to make any excuses and we’re not going to talk about who’s out…we’re going to talk about who’s in.”
In keeping with the Bowser tradition established by his older brother Cooper throughout his Furman career, Cole Bowser was a perfect 3-of-3 from the field in his first game as an NCAA Division I basketball player. He also added a pair of assists on the offensive end of the floor, while turning it over only once in his NCAA Division I college hoops debut.
It could be argued that Bowser’s steal and powerful dunk just before the half — which capped a 15-0 run to end the half and saw the Paladins head to the locker room with a 39-30 lead to the break — was a definable turning point for the Paladins.
For Bowser, it was a fitting way that his first collegiate points came on a two-handed hammer dunk, which also kept with the theme of excited rim-rockers he has provided throughout his Paladin career to this point.
Bowser’s performance on the boards and his defensive energy were a small sample size of-Furman’s overall sacrifice and dedication in both areas, which was evident from the outset of the contest. The Paladins posted a 39-32 edge on the glass after getting outrebounded 48-35 and held the Mocs to just 37.5% (24-of-64) from the field, as Furman posted one of its best all-around defensive performances of the season.
Cole Bowser’s impact would also be notable in Furman’s road win at Samford, in which the Paladins were limited to just eight scholarship players. In that game, he would again end up being a huge piece in what ended up in a 77-73 road win over the Bulldogs, which proved to be one of the biggest of the season.
In the road win in Homewood, Cole Bowser had another strong effort in 18 minutes of floor time, garnering his first-ever start in a Furman uniform. He finished the game with eight points and four rebounds, which included a pair of corner threes, which would indeed become a big part of his game and one of his strengths as the season progressed.
Richey indicated that there is a reason for everything, and that Cole Bowser’s impact after his redshirt was removed due to so many injuries may have been a big reason the Paladins cut down the nets in Asheville. While there’s no definitive answer to that question, there is a definitive impact noted from his presence on the floor in nearly every game he’s played this season for the Paladins.
Cooper Bowser’s Journey
Like his brother, there was an initial thought given to redshirting the 6-foot-11, athletic Cooper Bowser for the 2023-24 season when he arrived on campus for the preseason from Woodbridge, VA.
That thought was quickly nixed, however, by Richey when Cooper Bowser showed he could be a significant piece, especially on the defensive end of the floor, in his first season with the Paladins.
In that first season with the Paladins, Cooper Bowser ended up logging action in 32 of 33 games for the Paladins, which included making three starts as a true freshman. He certainly was influential in several games for the Paladins, with two that come to mind the most being in road wins at The Citadel in overtime, as well as on the road at East Tennessee State. Cooper Bowser ended his true freshman season by averaging 3.9 PPG and 1.6 RPG and blocked a team-high 27 shots during his rookie season.
The 2023-24 season would see Cooper Bowser become a main fixture in the lineup on a Paladin team that would go on to win 25 games and qualify for the NIT. By the time the 2024-25 season came to an end, Bowser earned some recognition, garnering a place on the SoCon’s All-Defensive Team after garnering starts in 34 of 35 games, as he helped lead the Paladins to the championship game of the Southern Conference Tournament, which Furman would lose, 92-85, to Wofford.
The elder Bowser would finish out the season averaging 8.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG, while leading the Paladins in field goal percentage, shooting a blistering 64.6% from the field. His inclusion on the league’s all-defensive team had much to do with his 57 blocks and 26 steals on the season. Bowser also showed the ability to share the ball well on the offensive end of the floor, finishing the season with 59 assists. He enjoyed one of the best games of his young career in a home win over Samford, posting 21 points
Bowser has become the centerpiece of Furman’s offense and is on a developmental track that current Indiana Pacer Jalen Slawson underwent during his Paladin career. Despite the injury this season, Bowser has really blossomed into an offensive weapon in the paint this season, increasing his scoring average by almost five points per game.
Without both Bowsers in action this season, the Paladins would certainly not have reached their version of best, which would have denied us the opportunity to see the two brothers play on a national stage in the city of Brotherly Love. Sometimes God does have a funny sense of humor. With the two Bowsers, they make the Paladins a formidable foe for just about any team they face.
Hopefully, we will get to see more of this talented brother duo next season. If both return, they could make Furman a distinct favorite in the SoCon heading into next season as well.
