There’s no question the Hilton Madness event has been built for the fans. The dunk and 3-point contests, plus the mixed men’s and women’s scrimmage appeal to Cyclone fans of all ages.
That said, Hilton Madness, which for the second year in a row will go down tonight at 8 in Hilton Coliseum, is also all about showcasing what Iowa State men’s and women’s basketball brings to the table. This is what makes this event important — especially for the program’s and their efforts on the recruiting trail.
Here’s the list of men’s and women’s prospects I’m told are expected for tonight’s Hilton Madness event.
Men
Torrence Watson, 2018, Guard, St. Louis, MO
Watson has been on Iowa State’s radar since picking up an offer during the summer. Iowa State assistant Daniyal Robinson recently visited him at Whitfield High School and continued the process of building a relationship with the 6-foot-4-inch shooting guard. Watson is rated as a three-star prospect and is the No. 101 prospect in the 2018 class, according to 247 Composite.
He also holds offers from Illinois, Kansas State, Marquette and Missouri.
Rated as the No. 26 shooting guard in the class, Watson brings an ability to shoot the ball from deep, good quickness and handle that allows him to get past defenders and strength that helps him finish through contact at the rim.
A.J. Green, 2018, Guard, Cedar Falls, IA
Green is currently ranked as the No. 2 player in Iowa for the 2018 class by 247. The 6-foot-1-inch three-star hasn’t gotten an Iowa State offer yet, but he does hold offers from Minnesota, Northern Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota State.
He emerged as one of the top players in the state last season when he scored 17.4 points per game for Cedar Falls. He is very quick and handles the ball well, which makes him a nightmare for opposing guards.
He’s also got an incredibly pure shooting stroke that makes him one of the best shooters in the state, if not his whole class.
Tyreke Locure, 2019, Guard, Des Moines, IA
This 5-foot-9-inch guard hasn’t gotten an offer from Iowa State but has seen his profile rising with several Division I programs over the last few months. The Des Moines North star proved to be one of the best guards in the state during his freshman season when he averaged 13.3 points per game.
Don’t let his size deceive you. He’s strong and that allows him to be tough to handle when it comes time to finish in amongst the trees. He’s also cat-quick and sees the floor well as a passer.
Marquise Walker, 2019, Guard, Westchester, IL
As far as ratings go, Walker will be one of the biggest prospects making his way to Ames this weekend. The 6-foot, 170-pound floor general, who attends St. Joseph’s High School, is rated as the No. 83 prospect in the class by 247 and holds offers from Illinois, Illinois-Chicago and DePaul.
Walker doesn’t hold an Iowa State offer as of yet but his dad, Chikosi, is an Iowa State graduate and Marquise lived in Ames for the first few years of his life. So there is a connection there that makes this situation one to watch heading into the weekend.
Walker brings big-time ball-handling and passing abilities to the table, plus he’s tough around the rim and has the range to knock down shots from way behind-the-arc.
Xavier Foster, Forward, 2020, Oskaloosa, IA
Foster has been one of the hottest names nationally on the recruiting trail over the last couple weeks. His performance at the Junior National Team Minicamp in Colorado Springs earned him praise from 247’s Jerry Meyer and a handful of other national pundits.
Foster still has to grow into his body a little bit, but there’s no doubt that he could be the next big-time prospect to come out of the state of Iowa. 247 hasn’t done rankings for the 2020 class yet, but I’d say it is safe to assume Foster would be the top player in the state.
He picked up an Iowa State offer late last week after Iowa offer not long before that. Creighton threw their hat in the ring earlier this week with an offer, too.
Jalen Suggs, Guard, 2020, St. Paul, MN
Again, 247 doesn’t put out rankings before kids play their freshman seasons, but it is probably safe to say Suggs would be one of the more highly-rated prospects in the class. He already holds offers from Iowa State, Marquette, Minnesota, Baylor, Georgia Tech and a handful of others.
He shows impressive athleticism, a unique ability to see the floor as a passer and that he can step out to shoot from deep in highlight tape. Keep in mind, that highlight tape is from when the 6-foot-4-inch guard was in the eight grade.
He’s been a starter for his prep school, Minehaha Academy, varsity team since he was in the seventh grade.
Women
Ashley Joens, Guard, 2018, Iowa City, IA
Joens, who plays for Iowa City High School, is the first of a handful of huge recruits that will be in town for the Iowa State women. She’s rated as a five-star prospect by ESPN and the No. 16 player in the class of 2018. Based on evaluations I read, she seems to be a pure fundamental point guard that always seems to make the right play.
She averaged 19.3 points per game and grabbed 204 rebounds during her sophomore season for the Little Hawks.
Lexi Koudelka, Forward, 2018, Nevada, IA
Koudelka was the leading scorer last season for Nevada’s squad that finished second at the Class 4A state tournament. She averaged 14.7 points per game and solidified herself as one of the most dominant players in Central Iowa.
She continued to impress during the summer months while playing for All-Iowa Attack.
Maggie McGraw, Guard, 2019, Indianola, IA – IOWA STATE COMMIT
McGraw emerged as one of the best shooters in the state as a freshman last season while connecting on 54 percent of her shots from behind-the-arc. She went 10-for-10 from 3-point range during a regional playoff game against Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln last season.
She committed to Iowa State after picking up an offer last spring.
Zoe Young, Guard, 2019, Des Moines, IA
Young could be the biggest fish in the sea for Iowa State as she’s rated as the top prospect in America by ProspectNation.com. The 5-foot-10-inch guard has a college-ready frame and is capable of scoring in the lane or from deep.
She averaged 11.6 points per game as a freshman for Valley.
Grace Cumming, Forward, 2019, Des Moines, IA
Cumming, a 6-foot-3-inch post, proved to be one of the top prospects in the state last season when she averaged 11.2 points per game and grabbed 181 rebounds for Roosevelt. She’s garnered interest from several big-time programs and solidified herself as a Power 5 prospect during her summer season with the All-Iowa Attack.
Megan Meyer, Guard, 2019, Mason City, IA
Meyer is another link in the long-line of successful points guards coming out of Mason City. Her sister is a freshman at Iowa, but Iowa State still has a good chance with the 5-foot-6-inch floor general. She scored 10.1 points per game last season while playing alongside her sister, Makenzie.
