Four-star point guard Lindell Wigginton (COURTESY: @jwherron10 on Twitter)
The early signing period will start across the landscape of college athletics on Wednesday. That means Iowa State’s three men’s basketball commits will get their first chances to sign their national letters of intent, officially making themselves Cyclones.
Here’s a break down of the three players expected to sign with Iowa State during the early signing period.
Lindell Wigginton
Rated as the No. 53 player in the country, Wigginton is the crown jewel of Iowa State’s 2017 recruiting class. He committed to the Cyclones on Oct. 21 after a long recruiting battle, mainly with Oregon, that saw ISU head coach Steve Prohm and assistant Neill Berry visit the 6-foot-1-inch floor general almost every week.
The Oak Hill-product is the No. 12 point guard in the country, according to 247 Composite. He picked the Cyclones over the Ducks, Arizona State, Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, UConn and a whole host of other major programs.
He’s Iowa State’s highest rated recruit, per 247 Composite, of the online rankings era.
Wigginton will bring a great deal of explosiveness to the Iowa State backcourt. He’s strong, especially for a high school senior, and is very capable at scoring at the rim through contact.
He’s an able shooter, from mid-range and behind-the-arc, which helps make him a very complete offensive player. He’s capable of playing point guard and the off-ball guard spot and can guard multiple positions on the floor.
“What I like about Lindell is that he’s a two-way guy,” said Wigginton’s coach at Oak Hill, Steve Smith, after his commitment. ““He plays both ends of the court. He’s a great defender on the ball, off the ball. He likes to play defense. Offensively, he’s really improved his game in the last year or a half or so. He can play either guard spot. He’s more of a point guard, but he can play two-guard. He can score the ball. He’s got 3-point range. Great pull-up game, get to the lane, get to the basket, he’s got the whole package on offense. He’s strong. He’s 6-2 but he’s really strong. He’s worked hard in the weight room since he’s been here and it’s his third year with us. He’s physically ready to play as a freshman and a lot of kids are not.”
There’s no doubt that Wigginton is the big fish of Steve Prohm’s first full recruiting cycle at Iowa State.
Darius McNeill
The 6-foot-2-inch guard from Houston will likely be the first player to sign into Iowa State’s class when he does so during a ceremony at his school at 11 on Wednesday morning. Rated as the No. 229 player in the class, McNeill committed to Iowa State on Sept. 5 after a weekend visit to Ames.
The explosive lefty picked the Cyclones over offers from Baylor, Cincinnati, LSU and a handful of other Power 5 programs. He’s rated as the No. 48 shooting guard in the class by 247 Composite.
McNeill is a very dynamic athlete with incredible bounce. He’s got a smooth left-handed shot from the mid-range and 3-point range, plus is more than capable of finishing in traffic around the rim.
He has the physical tools to become a very good to elite defender at the college level.
“I know Coach Prohm coached (Cameron Payne) that’s with (Oklahoma City) right now,” McNeill told Cyclone Fanatic before he visited Ames. “I hear a lot that he’s big on point guards and that’s what I’ve really locked in on.”
Terrence Lewis
The first commit of Iowa State’s 2017 class, Lewis is rated as the No. 117 player in the country. He made his pledge to the Cyclones after an unofficial visit to Ames over the first weekend of August.
The 6-foot-6-inch wing has the tools to become a very solid all-around player at the college level. He’s long and athletic which leads to believe he’ll be another player that can excel defensively at the next level.
Lewis is also an above-average passer and ball-handler for his age and size, making him pretty dynamic offensively. He’s able to knock down shots from deep and finish at the rim through contact with relative ease.
“Terrence is a great transition finisher,” Lewis’ father, Tyrone, told Cyclone Fanatic after his commitment. “He’s 6-6 but really long. He can post up. We play the same style that Iowa State plays with some pick-and-roll and pop-out. He is an outstanding athlete who can play the two or the three.”
Lewis picked the Cyclones over offers from Auburn, Illinois, Marquette and a handful of other programs.
