Bowers Selected As 2024 SEC Basketball Legend

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – On the 20th anniversary of Mississippi State's 2003-04 SEC regular season championship, Timmy Bowers will be celebrated as the program's SEC Basketball Legend announced Wednesday by the league office at next month's SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville (March 13-17).

The SEC Legends Program Presented by Allstate was started in 1999. Bowers will be recognized at halftime of State's first game at the SEC Tournament in addition to a group introduction during intermission of Saturday's first semifinal matchup.

Bowers, a two-year captain and co-captain on State's 2003-04 SEC Championship squad, is one of the prolific guards to wear the Maroon and White. His teams posted 92 victories, an average of 23.0 wins per season, highlighted by three NCAA Tournament appearances. The 2001-02 SEC Tournament champion squad set a program single-season record with 27 victories.

Bowers, a 2002-03 All-SEC Third-Team and 2003-04 All-SEC First-Team honoree, finished his career as one of only two players in program history to rack up at least 1,300 points, 300 assists and 150 steals (Ray White). Since then, three more players (Dee Bost, Craig Sword, Quinndary Weatherspoon) have joined Bowers and White in the 1300-300-150 club.

Bowers spot in State's record book has stood the test of time for two decades after his playing career has ended. His 1,300 points (12th when career ended; 22nd currently, 301 assists (10th when career ended; 16th currently) and 161 steals (4th when career ended; 8th currently) are all still prominently featured.

Bowers drained 197 three-pointers which was the second-most in program history after his career finished and currently sits in sixth place in the State record book. He is one of four players to lead the State program in three-pointers made during three consecutive seasons.

Bowers played well on the biggest stages for the Maroon and White. Facing an 18-point second half deficit and five-point hole in the game's final 15 seconds at Alabama in 2003-04, Bowers buried home a three-pointer and a contested runner in the lane to force overtime. Then, in the extra session, he hit a driving layup for the game-winner with one second left that clinched the SEC regular season crown.

Only Bowers and Darryl Wilson are ranked among State's top 5 in points, assists and steals in NCAA Tournament games. He holds the program's single-game record with five steals versus McNeese State in 2002 and shares the program's single-game mark with nine assists against Monmouth in 2004 for a NCAA Tournament game. Bowers also is one of seven players to score over 100 points for State during his SEC Tournament career.

2024 Allstate SEC Basketball Legends

Timmy Bowers – Mississippi State
Dwayne Curtis – Ole Miss
Cliff Ellis – Auburn
Taurean Green – Florida
Richard Hendrix – Alabama
Derek Hood – Arkansas
Chris Lofton – Tennessee
Darrel Mitchell – LSU
Joe Rhett – South Carolina
Frank Seckar – Vanderbilt
Orlando 'Tubby' Smith – Kentucky
Willie Smith – Missouri
Elston Turner – Texas A&M
Rashad Wright – Georgia

Mississippi State's Allstate SEC Basketball Legends
1999 – Bailey Howell
2000 – Jim Ashmore
2001 – W.D. Stroud
2002 – Jeff Malone
2003 – Joe Dan Gold
2004 – Greg Carter
2005 – Jack Bouldin
2006 – Rickey Brown
2007 – Richard Williams
2008 – Wiley Peck
2009 – Tony Watts
2010 – Kermit Davis, Sr.
2011 – Darryl Wilson
2012 – Chuck Evans
2013 – Horatio Webster
2014 – Erick Dampier
2015 – Doug Hutton
2016 – Mario Austin
2017 – Dontae' Jones
2018 – Ray White
2019 – Lawrence Roberts
2020, 2023 – Jerry Jenkins
2024 – Timmy Bowers

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs open the March portion of their schedule with a trip to No. 11 Auburn on Saturday. Tip time is slated for 3 p.m. CT from Neville Arena. The game will be televised by ESPN 2 and available online courtesy of the ESPN app.

Mississippi State is selling single-game tickets for its last regular season home game versus No. 18 South Carolina on Saturday, March 9. Fans are encouraged to visit www.HailState.com/Tickets for more information.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its official social media accounts by searching 'HailStateMBK' on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Bowers Selected As 2024 SEC Basketball Legend

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