DANSVILLE - MSU’s tireless recruitment of Dansville High senior point guard Lindsay Bowen, which started when she was an eighth-grader, proved valiant Wednesday.
In front of a crowd of Dansville faithfuls Wednesday morning, Bowen announced her intention to dress in green and white for the 2002-03 season. She said her decision was partly because of the school’s proximity to home, a love of MSU and what the university has to offer.
“Yes, (staying close to home) was part of the factor,” Bowen said. “(But) I picked Michigan State because I love the coaching staff. They have great facilities; the Clara Bell Center, very good academic programs and Michigan State is where I always wanted to go.
“I followed my heart, so that’s where I’m going.”
Bowen will bring with her to MSU a 25.05 points per game career average that still has time to grow in her senior season. She averaged 32.05 ppg as a junior last season and is a leading candidate for the Michigan Ms. Basketball Award.
Nine schools tried to land Bowen, but in the end, she said Michigan and Ball State were the only schools really in competition with the Spartans.
Dansville women’s basketball coach Stuart Thorburn said he’s spoken to the MSU coaching staff and it intends to utilize Bowen as a combination guard - splitting time at both point guard and shooting guard. Bowen said she looks forward to playing both positions.
“(I’d like to play) either the two guard or the point guard,” she said. “Because I love to shoot threes and I also like to be in control of the game as point guard.”
Although Bowen has a lust for the three-point shot, Thorburn said she is also capable of scoring with her mid-range game by penetrating to the hole. And if she is fouled, her state-leading 87.44 percent free-throw accuracy adds to her scoring punch.
“She does all three areas,” Thorburn said. “Her three-point range is a minimum of four feet behind the arc. She now has a mid-range jump shot that she can shoot off the dribble or cutting off screens, things like that.
“And she has always been able to penetrate the ball real well and draw fouls and finish. And then she’s just an outstanding free-throw shooter. You won’t find, I don’t think, a girl in the state of Michigan that can shoot free throws better than her.”
Thorburn said the offensive side of Bowen is too often the focus and there is more to her game.
“She is what I would consider an all-around player,” Thorburn said. “By that I mean she excels in all areas of the game. Primarily what people focus on is the offensive end, but she does so much more for us in terms of leadership off the court, in terms of her teammates and off-the-court activities. She’s a great student.
“And then she does the little things in a game too. She’s totally unselfish. She tries to help make her teammates better and I think that’s the real quality of a player, especially from a point guard position.”
Thorburn said Bowen will be able to perform in any offensive set MSU throws at her - she’s capable of running or slowing down the pace in either position.
“I’m hoping to lead a team to many championships and just have fun and work hard,” Bowen said. “It’s going to be a great experience and an adventure of my lifetime.”
