Rivals can confirm that Iowa guard Dasonte Bowen has entered the transfer portal. The sophomore averaged 3.7 points and 1.1 rebounds per 11.3 minutes per game with the Hawkeyes over the last two seasons.
“We are all appreciative of Dasonte’s contributions to our program the past two years," Fran McCaffery said in a statement. "He is a tremendous, high-character young man that has a bright future ahead of him in this game. My staff and I will assist Dasonte during this transition.”
A portal entry by Bowen was seen as a possibility following his lack of playing time as his second year progressed, though he started at the beginning of the year and McCaffery made it clear he had high hopes for the Boston, Massachusetts native.
"He deserved to play more and should have played more," McCaffery said at media day in the fall. "With Dasonte, we played him at both [the one and the two]. Sometimes when you bring a guy in you only play him at one spot, he develops in that spot."
Early in the season, Bowen was living up to the high hopes at the true point guard position, starting eight games at the beginning of the year.
"He's always a threat to get the ball to the rim," McCaffery said after a Bowen put up 12 points and five assists against North Dakota in November. "He finds people in transition, he can score the ball from midrange and from three. Those things translate into winning."
"He was terrific," added Payton Sandfort. "If he can keep that ball pressure, it really takes them out of their offense. He was great in the press and great on the ball, which was huge for us."
Despite the fact that Bowen showed strong flashes of improvement at the beginning of the year, he returned to a reserve role in place of Josh Dix starting. Though his starting role was usurped, Bowen continued to play double-digit minutes until the middle of January. Freshman Brock Harding began taking more of the secondary point guard minutes as well.
Between January 15 and February 14, Bowen played in eight games and averaged just over five minutes per contest. He hasn't played since the middle of last month due to a knee injury.
He finished the season averaging 4.4 points, 2.0 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game over 13.4 minutes per game. He shot 39.6 percent from the floor, 22.2 percent from three and 84.6 percent from the free throw line.
A three-star prospect out of Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, Bowen chose the Hawkeyes over offers from programs like USC, Maryland, Georgetown, Penn State, Boston College, and Miami (FL) out of high school.
Bowen has two years of eligibility remaining.
