Norwalk sophomore guard Bowen Born checks out the Iowa basketball program
By Dylan Burn
Iowa City, Ia – Five-star Kansas forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl might have received most of the attention, but he wasn't the only basketball recruit to visit Iowa City this past weekend.
Norwalk sophomore Bowen Born also was in town and enjoyed his visit, which included watching the Iowa football team defeat North Texas 31-14 last Saturday at Kinnick Stadium..
"The visit went great," said Born, a 5-foot-10 guard. "The coaching staff was great. It was fun watching practice and going to the football game. I got to talk to a lot of the basketball players and all the coaches. Overall, it was a really good visit."
The visit was just the first for Born, but he learned a lot and tried to gather as much information as possible.
"It was cool getting to see the locker room and the film room, but I thought the entire visit stood out, just how much (the Iowa coaches) seemed to care about the recruits," Born said. "The wave tradition was awesome. It gave me chills to see them waving back."
Born just began his sophomore year at Norwalk High School after playing his freshman season on the varsity basketball team. As of now, Born doesn't have any scholarship offers, but that could change with Iowa and Iowa State both starting to show interest.
Born likes the fast-pace style that Iowa uses under head coach Fran McCaffery.
"I'd love to receive an offer from (Iowa), just as much as I would any other college, but I do feel like I fit well into their fast playing style just from the one practice I watched," Born said.
The recruiting process is just starting to pick up for Born, who is the son of former Iowa State guard Mike Born.
The Cyclones might have an advantage with it's family connection, but Born feels no animosity towards Iowa.
In fact, it's just the opposite.
"My dad actually went to Iowa State, so I grew up liking the Cyclones," Born said. "But I've never had any hatred or dislike towards Iowa like most people do. I usually watch a few of their games every year and root for them. The only time I wouldn't was if they were playing Iowa State."
Born plays much bigger on the court than his actual size. The southpaw is able to get shots off over bigger defenders. Born also has good quickness, which makes him hard to defend on the perimeter and to keep from the basket.