UConn men’s basketball landed its first high school recruit of the 2027 class on Thursday.
Consensus five-star point guard NaVorro Bowman Jr. has committed to UConn, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Bowman becomes the highest-ranked player from the 2027 class to commit thus far, also becoming the highest nationally ranked recruit to commit to UConn since Liam McNeeley in the class of 2024. Both 247 Sports and Rivals have Bowman ranked 11th nationally, while ESPN has him slotted in at 12th.
A rising senior at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, Bowman averaged 20.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals on the Nike EYBL Circuit this past summer.
Bowman also won gold with the USA Basketball 2026 Men’s U17 National Team at the 2026 FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup, averaging 11.9 points and 3.6 assists across seven games and one start.
The son of a former NFL All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman, the 6-foot-3 Bowman Jr. is smaller but of similar height to recent UConn success stories at point guard, such as two-time national champion Tristen Newton (6-foot-5) or the incumbent Silas Demary Jr. (6-foot-4). 247 Sports Scouting Director Adam Finkelstein described Bowman as one of the best two-way guards in the 2027 class while comparing his tenacity to that of a football player.
“He brings a similar grit to [the linebacker] as well and is excellent laterally,” Finkelstein wrote in a scouting report published in July. “He’s aggressive, physical, able to absorb contact and willing to sit down and guard.”
Bowman visited Storrs over the weekend before cancelling scheduled visits with Illinois, Texas and Arizona, according to 247 Sports. The Illinois visit was scheduled for Thursday, according to 247 Sports.
Bowman stands as a potential replacement for Demary should the All-Big East first-teamer and defender decide to make the jump to the NBA following this season, a choice the 22-year-old mulled over following last season before opting to return for another year. Bowman would be in line to compete with freshman guard Junior County, who is likely to serve as Demary’s backup in 2026-27.
Depth guard and first-year Husky Jaye Nash will also have eligibility remaining following this season; both Nash and Demary gained an extra year of eligibility for 2027-28 following the adoption of NCAA’s new age-based eligibility model this summer.