When Bryce McGowens announced his decision to de-commit from Florida State and reopened his recruitment last month, many immediately jumped to the conclusion that Nebraska might be the obvious next destination.
And for good reason.
McGowens' older brother, Trey McGowens, was a junior guard for the Huskers who had just transferred to NU from Pittsburgh back in April.
Anyone who knew Trey and Bryce knew that the brothers were as close as could be, and the opportunity to join up and potentially play a season together in Lincoln was a major selling point.
While other schools did their best to try and sway Bryce’s decision, the allure of teaming up with his family was too much to pass up.
“It was a really difficult decision because I had great coaches and programs recruiting me,” Bryce told HuskerOnline.com. “As time went on, the thought of playing with Trey really became something that started to mean a lot to me.
“There wasn’t a specific time that I made my mind up. Over the course of the last few days, it became clear that Nebraska was the best choice for me. All the important factors for me, they checked those boxes. Most importantly, going to a place where I feel like I can contribute and help win and do something that has never been done before.”
The sibling connection certainly paid off in a big way for Nebraska. It was the reward for years of relationship building between the McGowens family and NU assistant coach Matt Abdelmassih.
The former St. John’s assistant first started recruiting Trey to the Red Storm as a junior in high school and Bryce when he was just in eighth grade.
When Trey decided to move on from Pitt after last season, the first phone call he got was Abdelmassih at Nebraska. During a year with no campus visits or in-person recruiting due to COVID-19, that relationship proved to be enough to sell Trey and his family on the Huskers despite never setting foot in Lincoln.
“He’s a person you can trust,” Trey said of Abdelmassih. “He won’t just tell you what you want to hear. He’s going to keep it real with you. That was probably the biggest thing in my decision when I transferred because I had to be right. This decision had to be perfect.
“So for me, just that trust that we’d built since my junior year, that kind of sealed for me, honestly.”
Fast forward six months later, when Bryce went back on the market after being committed to Florida State since February.
Like his older brother, Bryce had to go through his new round of recruitment unable to take visits or even speak with coaches face-to-face. Also like Trey, Bryce gravitated to those he knew and trusted.
“(Abdelmassih) recruited me when he was at St John's, so it’s a relationship that goes back to when I was in eighth grade,” Bryce said. “He was recruiting both me and Trey. Anytime you feel comfortable and, most importantly, trust someone, it’s a great situation. Knowing that Coach Matt is there was a huge factor in me going to Nebraska.”
Nebraska entered uncharted waters on Friday with Bryce's commitment, as he became the program’s first five-star signee out of high school and the highest-ranked prospect of the Rivals.com era (2002-present).
But it probably would never have happened had the Huskers not felt like family.
“Bryce comes from a great family, and we are pleased to add him to our roster next year,” NU head coach Fred Hoiberg said in a statement. “The only person in our program who may be more excited than me today is his older brother, Trey, as they will have an opportunity to play together at this level.”
