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Men's Basketball By Aly Keys

FEATURE: Managing Time; Bowles Twins Balance Being Top Students And Athletes

In his three-year collegiate career as a Savannah State Tiger, number 30 Eleik Bowles has solidified his name in the school history books.

Eleik was part of the historic 2022 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Championship basketball team, was named to the All-SIAC First Team, and earned a spot in the HBCU Classic All-Star Game.

All of these achievements were accomplished while working a full-time job and maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Eleik is a native of Savannah, Ga., playing basketball as a kid at the local Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club with his twin brother Elavian Bowles. Both ended up playing all four years of high school ball at Sol C. Johnson, located 10 minutes away from Savannah State.

As a senior captain and basketball player, Eleik faced the challenge of balancing multiple responsibilities. He had to maintain good grades, perform well on the court, and work as a UPS supervisor.

Eleik was determined to succeed both academically and athletically during his time as a Tiger. When asked about how he managed to balance these responsibilities, Eleik said, "I have great time management skills, which I developed in high school. It required a lot of work and many nights when Elavian and I had to stay up to finish our work. We're used to it."

Eleik made significant sacrifices to achieve success in college. Elavian found it challenging to wake up early for pre-season track workouts or weights, while Eleik struggled with working after practice.

Unlike most college athletes, the two brothers had to work as UPS supervisors during the night shift, which started at 9:30 p.m. and ended at 3:00 a.m. They had to attend a 6:00 a.m. track workouts and weights in addition to classes, exams, and homework. Their dedication to their academic and athletic goals required them to sacrifice many things that most student-athletes would not be willing to do.
 
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Eleik's on the court accomplishments were also noteworthy. In the 2021-22 basketball season, he averaged 8.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 36% from the field, 67% from the charity stripe, and 29% from beyond the arc.
 
In the 2022-23 season, he had a career-high season in terms of pure numbers and efficiency. Eleik averaged 16.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and one assist per game while shooting 40% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc.
 
His teammates fondly referred to him as "Mr. 30'' not just for the number on his back but because he had multiple 30-point-plus games this past season.
 
His game against Flagler College on December 1 in Tiger Arena was particularly impressive. He posted an incredible carreer-high, 40-point game while shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the three-point line.
 
 "I knew we had a total of five high-impact guys who were graduating or going to other places," Eleik said. "When I went into the summer, I told myself that I'm going to be the number one option. And if we're going to get it done, I'm going to have to get it done. I was down here grinding in the off-season. I was hitting the wheels, trying to stay in condition. I was just trying to get better every day because I knew I had to be a leader, I had the lead." 
 
Eleik cited another reason, if not the biggest reason for his success on the court this year: his twin brother, Elavian. "We are twins, actually, it's always a connection," Eleik said. "So it's rare that we'll go out on the court together and you'll see us messing up trying to pass the ball to each other.
 
"We've been playing together for so long," Elavian said. "We have good timing for where we're supposed to be. I know what spots he wants the ball in. I know how he wants to catch the ball. I know when he wants to cut. So we developed that chemistry over a long period of time."
 
And their bond as twins became even more apparent as they both explained their post-graduation plans.
 
 "I plan to play professional basketball, whether that's here in America or overseas," Eliek said. "My backup plan is to work my way up through management at UPS. However, I will not need my backup plan, god willing."
 
Elavian, as expected, had the exact same answer as his brother but with a slight twist: "Instead of working up through management at UPS, my backup plan is to join my mother's trucking company and help run it, but I will definitely be playing professional basketball as well."
 
Of course, the twins plan to play for the same basketball team wherever they chose to go. They have been playing with each other their entire lives. 
 
"I appreciate all of y'all, being a native of Savannah I used to come up to campus growing up for basketball camps and other things," Eleik said. "I thank you all for letting us make this our home. The energy you all gave at our home games is something we will never forget. Thank you for an unforgettable career here at Thee Savannah State."
 
 
Editor's Note: Aly Keys was Eliek and Elavian Bowle's teammate for two years.
 
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Players Mentioned

Eleik Bowles

#30 Eleik Bowles

F
6' 4"
Senior
Elavian Bowles

#32 Elavian Bowles

F
6' 4"
Senior
Aly Keys

#34 Aly Keys

F
6' 8"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Eleik Bowles

#30 Eleik Bowles

6' 4"
Senior
F
Elavian Bowles

#32 Elavian Bowles

6' 4"
Senior
F
Aly Keys

#34 Aly Keys

6' 8"
Junior
F