Cyclones notch two important commitments

Iowa State basketball notched two important commitments on Sunday afternoon. One will make an immediate impact starting next season. The other will be a potential three-year starter down the road. 

Let’s start with Bryce Dejean-Jones, a UNLV transfer who led the Runnin’ Rebels with 13.6 points on 42.7 percent shooting from the floor last season. Dejean-Jones visited Iowa State this weekend and that was all he needed to see. He announced his decision on Twitter by saying, "Had a great weekend in Ames my first time there but won’t be the last I’ve decided I wanna be a Cyclone!"

Dejean-Jones, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, looks like a direct replacement for DeAndre Kane. If he can produce those types of numbers is still a big question. Regardless, he was Iowa State’s No. 1 target this offseason. Fred Hoiberg and assistant coach Matt Abdelmassih got their guy. 

The second commitment was a bit of a surprise. The fact that Iowa Western Community College forward Darien Williams chose the Cyclones isn’t shocking. After all, he visited Iowa State numerous times throughout the 2013-14 season. But this early? That was a refreshing snag indeed for the Cyclones. 

Williams, who won’t get to Iowa State until the 2015-16 season, will have three years of eligibility. According to this reporting by Travis Hines at the Ames Tribune, Williams will not play next season because of shoulder surgery. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 16.1 points per game last season with 6.7 rebounds to his name. Notably, Williams also made 41 percent of his 3-point attempts. 

Iowa State currently has two scholarships available for next season. CLICK HERE to view our updated scholarship chart at CycloneFanatic.com. 

Chris Williams

Chris was hired as Cyclone Fanatic’s publisher in the fall of 2009. He is Iowa State football's postgame show host on the Cyclone Radio Network and can be heard daily from 4-7 on Des Moines' top-rated sports station, 1460 KXnO. Williams, a 2007 graduate of Iowa State’s Greenlee School of Journalism, is the former publisher of the old CycloneNation.com (Scout.com). He has also written for the Des Moines Register, the Ames Tribune, CycloneReport.com and is the former sports director at KMA Radio. When Williams isn’t working, you can usually find him doing something outdoors with his wife Ashley, daughter Camryn, and Golden Retriever Dierks. He enjoys golfing, boating, country music, the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Braves and is passionate about any and all motor sports so finding Williams at a local dirt track is very common.

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