Temple’s Aiden Tobiason revels in being the living embodiment of hard work paying off
It took a moment of self-reflection for the Owls freshman to realize that he has what it takes to be a force at the Division I level.

In 2022-23, Aiden Tobiason’s junior basketball season at Wilmington’s St. Elizabeth High School, the Vikings needed to beat Caravel to advance to the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association state playoffs.
St. Elizabeth fell short in a season-ending loss.
Around the same time, Tobiason found himself at a crossroads, unsure whether he wanted to pursue basketball at the college level, given that there was little traction in his recruitment efforts. Frustrated, Tobiason had a moment of realization after the loss.
“I looked myself in the mirror and asked myself if I really wanted to do it,” Tobiason said. “And I did. I had to come to the realization that it’s not going to happen overnight. I had to work every day. I told myself, ‘You’re going to fail, but you’ll succeed as long as you keep pushing through.’”
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This moment of self-reflection changed Tobiason’s life. Through hard work and strong performances at summer showcases, he went from receiving fringe Division II offers to becoming the Delaware High School Player of the Year in 2023-24 and committing to Temple. The freshman has been a consistent starter for an Owls team that is 14-8 overall and 6-3 in American Athletic Conference play.
“I just wasn’t good enough at first,” Tobiason admitted. “I just kept working and was dedicated; that’s really what it came down to, and stuff just started to go up. I just kept working and working and I got to where I am now.”
‘Just show out’
Tobiason’s ability to self-reflect is something that his mother, Jordan Bowen, has helped him with.
Back at home, there are mirrors everywhere in Tobiason’s house. This is done on purpose by Bowen to help show the importance of reflecting on yourself and visualizing what you want for the future.
“I teach him to look at himself in the mirror,” Bowen said. “Some people can’t do that; they can’t stare at themselves for a long time and visualize their goals, their plans for their future, and what they want. He did it, and something clicked. I feel like he’s always had it in there.”
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Mike Cassidy, Tobiason’s high school coach, noticed the dedication he put into the summer between his junior and senior seasons. The hours spent in the weight room getting stronger and working on his craft were beginning to pay off.
Tobiason played in showcases every weekend over those summers and his improvement became increasingly apparent.
During the Philly Live showcase at St. Joseph’s Prep, scouts from multiple Division I schools were there to watch other players. Cassidy pulled Tobiason to the side and told him to make some noise. Tobiason then dunked and knocked down back-to-back three-pointers in transition on the next three possessions.
“After that, somebody on social media put it out there,” Cassidy said. “We finally got people to start paying attention. It started from there. Every event after, he would just show out.”
Tobiason carried that momentum from the summer into his senior year at St. Elizabeth and had a dominant campaign, averaging 18.8 points.
As he thrived in his senior season, so did his recruitment process. He was picking up Division I offers left and right, with offers from Sacred Heart, Vermont, Delaware State, Delaware, and Temple — all within a month.
Cassidy referred to the fast jolt in his recruitment process as a “Cinderella story.”
‘Bet on yourself’
Tobiason was torn between Delaware and Temple. He confided with Cassidy on the ride home from one of his games that he was leaning toward heading to North Broad Street.
“[Tobiason] just said, ‘It’s something about [Temple],’” Cassidy said. “We were supportive of him. I told him, ‘Just so you know what you’re going into, you’re going to have to bet on yourself there. You’re going into a big pond.’ And he said, ‘I know what I’m getting into.’”
Betting on himself appears to have paid off. The 6-foot-5 Tobiason has worked his way into the starting lineup thanks to his high intensity on defense, starting 13 of Temple’s 22 games so far. He ranks fifth in steals for the Owls with 15.
Temple coach Adam Fisher has attributed Tobiason’s increased minutes to the intensity he brings on both ends of the floor, especially the effort that he puts into practice.
“His defense and his rebounding are crucial,” Fisher said following Temple’s Jan. 16 win against No. 18 Memphis. “His ability to pass and make the right basketball play, he’s a basketball player. He’s been really good for us. To get a freshman coming in and starting in this type of environment has been awesome.”
Tobiason is aware of how far he’s come. Yet he knows that there’s still work to be done. Through the highs and lows of getting to his point, Tobiason learned that success is just as much about mindset as it is about talent. He credits his mother for reminding him to stay grounded.
“My mom is one of my biggest fans,” he said. “We’ve had conversations where [she says], ‘This is where you were last year, look at how far you’ve come.’ She likes to hype me up sometimes, but I never let the overall hype get to my head. I knew the second I was satisfied, I wouldn’t be the person I am. I just have to keep staying determined, and that’s what I do.”
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