BOWLING GREEN — Daeqwon Plowden’s high-flying and historic career at Bowling Green State University meant quite a bit to the former Falcon.
It has helped him reach the next step of his basketball journey as a member of the Birmingham Squadron, the NBA G League affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans.
It was also meaningful enough for him to spend part of his 12-day break between games in his rookie season back in northwest Ohio to reconnect with those in the BGSU basketball community.
He called playing at BGSU “a staple point of my career.”
“I feel like BGSU allowed me to be myself over the course of five years,” Plowden told The Blade last week, “and with that, it allowed me to be in the position I’m in today.”
The 6-foot-6 guard/forward from Philadelphia appeared in all 154 of BGSU’s games from 2017 to 2022.
Plowden went undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft, but played in the Summer League and preseason for the Pelicans. In 14 games with Birmingham, he is averaging 6.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 18.6 minutes per game.
“Daeqwon has been learning the pro game, which is a lot different from college,” Birmingham coach T.J. Saint told The Blade. “He comes in every day to practice ready to work, competes at a high level, and has grown leaps and bounds throughout the season. Watching individual film with him, it is clear to see he’s a student of the game who has the inner drive to improve.
“I’m really looking forward to what I think will be the best part of his season and we embark into these last 11 games.”
Plowden said the biggest transition from college to the G League has been the need to be more attentive to details. Remaining consistent, taking everything day by day, and enjoying the moment are also his main focuses going forward.
Plowden’s work ethic, according to Saint, will be beneficial as he tries to pursue an opportunity in the NBA.
When asked what Plowden needs to improve to reach the NBA, Saint said: “Mostly his off-ball technique, whether that be recognizing when an action is coming, when he’s the low man, when he needs to attach to an offensive player, or when he needs to be the backline communicator of the specific action. That, plus being able to consistently knock down a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer.
“His attitude, work ethic, and want to get better is there, and that’s a great basis to have. Just cleaning up technical parts of his game, which is my job to teach and assist him with as a coach.”
Plowden is BGSU’s all-time leader in career games played and the only Falcon in program history with at least 1,200 points, 800 rebounds, and 100 blocks.
He finished eighth on BGSU’s career scoring list with 1,618 points. His 935 rebounds and 126 blocks rank fourth in those respective categories.
Plowden’s breakout year came in the 2019-20 campaign when he averaged 12.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He nearly doubled his average in both from the previous season.
Plowden averaged 13.4 points and 7.8 rebounds the following year, then tallied averages of 15.7 points and 6.8 rebounds in his final season.
He even made SportsCenter’s top-10 plays several times, including when he hammered home a transition dunk against Eastern Michigan in a Jan. 21, 2020, game at the Stroh Center, where he made an appearance during last week’s game against Central Michigan.
“Mainly just being out there on the floor, that packs a lot of memories within itself, and just how much fun and how much experience I’ve gained over the course of five years,” Plowden said. “It’s great seeing the guys and hearing about their experiences here now at Bowling Green and being able to share some of my own experiences now being a professional.”
BGSU coach Michael Huger and sophomore guard Kaden Metheny had plenty of positive things to say about the former BGSU standout.
They were grateful to get to see him back in Bowling Green.
“I was blessed to play with him, be a teammate of his for two years,” Metheny said. “Came in as a freshman and he and Justin Turner were [some] of the best teammates I’ve ever had. They made that transition from high school to college really easy. They’re just great leaders, great people on and off the court, so it’s always great to see their faces when they come back to town.”
Added Huger: “Everywhere he goes, they rave about him. I get calls from those guys all the time of how polite he is and how he does things the right way all the time. So he’s definitely a reflection of Bowling Green, and we’re always proud of him and what he’s done.”
First Published February 20, 2023, 5:15 p.m.
