Cal State Fullerton star Bruce Bowen retires

September 3, 1:13 PMCollege Sports ExaminerJacob Osterhout

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Like fine wine, Bowen got better with time.

It's official, defensive stalwart Bruce Bowen is retiring from the NBA at the ripe old age of 38.

Bowen is best known as the shut-down defender and three-point specialist on a San Antonio Spurs team that won three NBA championships between 2003 and 2007.

What most basketball fans don't know is that the six-foot-seven swingman was also a stud in college. He played four years of college ball at Cal State Fullerton, averaging 11.4 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game, which might not seem like a great stat line, but the impressive part about Bowen's game, something that continued to occur throughout his career as a professional, was that it improved each year. 

During his senior season as a Titan in 1992-93, Bowen averaged 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and was named to the All-Big West Conference First Team. He is the 15th highest scorer in Cal State Fullerton history with 1,155 points, the eighth all-time leading rebounder with 559 boards, and the fifth best shot blocker with 71 swats.

Despite his athletic prowess in college, Bowen never led the Titans to the NCAA Tournament and went undrafted in the 1993 NBA Draft. He ended up bouncing around Europe and Canada for several seasons before catching Pat Riley's eye and joining the Miami Heat during the 1996-1997 season. And the rest, well, is history.

Bowen will be inducted into the Cal State Fullerton Hall of Fame on October 10th.

For more info: Dave Ryan - College Basketball Examiner