One of the biggest individual winners from the AAU EYBL season was NaVorro Bowman Jr., a 6’3 combo guard prospect who has risen into a consensus five-star prospect in the 2027 college basketball recruiting class. This summer, his scoring took center stage, with Bowman putting up a ton of elite games and showing he can score anywhere on the court.
Bowman’s recruitment has taken another step, with visits being set up with five different notable programs. While an official list hasn’t been announced, it’s safe to say that these teams are in contention for the five-star prospect.
North Carolina is another program expected to receive a visit from 5⭐️ NaVorro Bowman Jr., source told @LeagueRDY.
— Sam Kayser (@KayserHoops) August 17, 2026
The Tar Heels and Mike Malone are making a push for one of the top guard prospects in high school basketball. https://t.co/d7hKdrdbuA pic.twitter.com/NZEe68I0zf
Here’s a closer look at how he fits with each option.
Arizona Wildcats
Arizona’s guard situation is somewhat complicated, even if incoming top-10 overall prospect Caleb Holt does leave for the NBA Draft after one year. Their two transfer guards, JJ Mandaquit (Washington) and Derek Dixon (North Carolina), both could be breakout players and future lead guards for the program. Bowman could still play alongside them in the backcourt but would have to wait until the season to know the exact scenario at Arizona where he’d be joining.
Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois’ backcourt situation is interesting, as their projected starting backcourt will be Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks, along with top-30 incoming guard prospect Quentin Coleman. If Coleman does end up as a one-and-done, that opens up the spot for Bowman to come in and have a big impact early. Otherwise, it may not be the ideal landing spot for now.
North Carolina Tar Heels
The backcourt is set for next season at UNC with incoming transfers Terrence Brown and Neoklis Avdalas. Depending on how their campaigns go, they’re either good enough to go pro or not good enough and have to transfer out. New head coach Michael Malone can use his NBA head-coaching experience to appeal to someone like Bowman, whose game is similar to Denver Nuggets star point guard Jamal Murray.
Texas Longhorns
After landing five-star prospect Marcus Spears Jr. to join them this upcoming season, can Coach Sean Miller continue the positive recruiting momentum? Texas’ backcourt core is just as young as Arizona's, led by Colorado lead guard transfer Isaiah Johnson. Even if Johnson isn’t an NBA Draft prospect yet, he and Bowman could play together and, with Spears, would be an elite team to watch for 2027-28.
UConn Huskies
Playing for a two-time national champion head coach (Dan Hurley) makes plenty of sense, especially considering his history of guard development. Braylon Mullins could’ve been a first-round pick in the recent NBA Draft, but he elected to come back. He’ll likely be gone a year from now, along with starting point guard Silas Demary. Jr. and potentially either Colben Landrew or Junior County, two incoming freshmen already receiving plenty of hype. As long as at least two of these guys leave, Bowman can come in and be a lead guard alongside Solo Ball in the backcourt.
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