Bowes: From playground
shooter to Lincoln rooter

By Joe Mason
Times Sports Editor

On the blacktop, Brandon Bowes could do just about anything he wanted.
The 6-foot speedster is one of the fastest guys you’ll ever see, and he has a great handle on the basketball.
They are the skills that make a playground basketball player the first pick when you’re choosing sides.
Which is why Bowes usually stars when playing at Tarken, Max Myers, or any outdoor place with a rim.
Before this year, Bowes was only a fine streetballer — which is different from a fine basketball player.
"I think you have more freedom outside, when you’re playing with your friends," Bowes said. "You can just go out and do whatever you want. It’s fun, but I’m quickly learning that that’s not basketball. That’s street ball."
Bowes still enjoys a lofty status on his local courts, but he’s quickly building a legacy at Abraham Lincoln High School.
The emphasis is on the word quickly.
Bowes is the starting point guard for the Railsplitters this year. Having scored just 144 points as a junior, Bowes already has doubled that total so far this season. In fact, he’s the team’s leading scorer.
That’s not his primary responsibility, though. As the point guard, Bowes has the job of bringing the ball up the court. He’s the traffic cop — making sure his teammates run when they need to, slow the pace when they need to, especially when a fast-break isn’t available.
When Lincoln coach Steve Gittleman calls out a play, Bowes has to know where his teammates are and the roles they’ll play. The life of a point guard demands a quick mind and quick feet, and Bowes initially struggled with those demands.
His life on a basketball court used to mean being a scorer. Now he’s in a position to make others around him better by becoming a passer.
The priority now is team first, his stats second. He seems to be making the transition.
"I just try to do what’s best . . . sometimes that’s going to the rim and other times that’s just sitting back and getting my team the ball," Bowes said, moments after he scored a game-high 24 points in Lincoln’s 77-49 victory over Samuel Fels High School in a Public League B Division game on Jan. 9. "I like to score, but that’s not my only role. I’ve accepted the role of playing the point, and I know what that means.
"It means I have to get the ball out on the breaks and score," he explained. "If that’s not there, then I have to pull the ball out and set up the other guys. It’s all about taking what the other team gives us."
In the game with Fels, it was Bowes’ speed that led the way — 12 of his points came on fast breaks.
He probably would have had about 30 points, if his hands moved as fast as his feet. He missed three uncontested lay-ups in the game, but twice he grabbed his own rebound and set up teammates for easy baskets.
Bowes finished the game with six assists and four rebounds.
He also did the bulk of the damage, scoring 12 points in the third quarter, when the Railsplitters turned a 34-31 halftime edge into a 56-43 lead after three quarters.
"I just wanted to win. That’s how we’re playing right now — we don’t care about numbers, we only care about winning," Bowes said.
So far, Lincoln has been doing a lot of that. The team is 5-2 in Public League B Division play, and 9-6 overall. There still is room for improvement, but that’s a good start for the Railsplitters in the tough Public League B Division.
Last year, Lincoln seemed to be on the way to a postseason spot, finishing 8-5 in league play, but the Railsplitters fell just short of a playoff berth. This year, the division is wide open and Bowes thinks the Railsplitters have a legitimate shot of being a playoff team.
His coach likes the job Bowes is doing on the court.
"Brandon has come a long way," Gittleman said. "Sometimes he goes back and makes some mistakes, but for the most part, he’s been very reliable.
"He’s a solid player," the coach added. "He has matured a lot and he’s getting better all the time."
At the moment, Lincoln is focused on that playoff goal. A trip to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Class AAAA playoffs would make for the perfect season.
"If we can make the playoffs, I really want to get to states," Bowes said. "I think we have the talent to do it, but we need to play like a team. Last year we had a very good team but we made a lot of mistakes . . . we didn’t play great as a team. This year, that’s the first thing we need to do. Our talent will help, but teamwork is what will carry us to wins."
Since this is his senior year, Bowes has started to give thought to the future. He’d like to continue his basketball career; he sees a future that involves sports.
"I’ll either be a scout or maybe even a sportswriter," Bowes said. "Maybe coach, do something. I love being around the game, watching basketball, playing, so I could see myself teaching it.
"I spend all my free time on the court," he said, "so it would be nice to someday get paid for being around it." ••
Sports editor Joe Mason can be reached at 215-354-3035 or jmason@phillynews.com