IN A tough G League season for the Rip City Remix throughout 2024/25, with the side missing the postseason after finishing in 12th spot in the Western Conference, two-way guard Bryce McGowens was immense.

Currently on a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, McGowens was a massive standout throughout his 16 games with the Remix, being named to the All-NBA G League team for his efforts over the past few months.

After playing college basketball with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, he was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 40th pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, before being immediately traded to the Charlotte Hornets.

McGowens spent two seasons with the Hornets, splitting his time with the team and its G League affiliate during that time. He was solid at NBA level in limited minutes, averaging over five points per game in both of his seasons, and appearing in 59 games in his second campaign.

After being waived by Charlotte, the guard signed a two-way contract with the Trail Blazers, making just 13 appearances throughout the 2024/25 season. Instead, he spent most of his time with the Remix, proving far too good for the G League and demanding NBA appearances in the future, although his season came to an unlucky end through injury.

He was a consistent performance for Rip City, and reached the peak of his powers in early February, being named the G League Player of the Week after an excellent patch of form on the offensive side of the ball, and proving a match-winner on several occasions.

McGowens made history when he became the first Remix player in team history to be named as the G League Player of the Week, showing just how strongly he played throughout that time as well as all season long and how impressive his scoring ability was.

At six-foot-seven, he brings plenty of height to the backcourt, and often uses his size and wingspan to shoot over the top of defenders, as well as finish at the rack. Although not his most efficient scoring season from long range, his shooting motion is certainly sound and when the triples are falling, he is a tough assignment defensively.

McGowens has the ability to score both on and off the ball, making him a dynamic player offensively and tough to predict and negate for the opposition. So many times throughout the 2024/25 season, the defence expected him to take the long-range jumper, which allowed him to burst past the defence and finish at the cup.

On the season, the guard averaged a remarkable 28.8 points per game to be one of the leading scorers in the entire competition, along with 3.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He also shot 48 per cent from the field, 32.6 per cent from three-point land and 80.4 per cent from the free throw line.

The guard showcased his ceiling with multiple 40-plus point performances, including a whopping 46 in his first performance of 2025 back in January.

His season came to an abrupt halt in late March, when he sustained a Right Rib Fracture in the loss to the Skyforce. Regardless, it was still an excellent showing from an exciting young talent, and at 22 years of age, is only going to get better in the coming years.