Mar 18, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Steve Prohm looks on during the first half of the game against the Purdue Boilermakers in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
Iowa State enters the 2017-18 season with 12 of its 13 scholarships filled and two of them are taken by players who will not be eligible to play. Some might think that could be seen as a challenge, but Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm is not one of them.
“I don’t think it’s a challenge,” Prohm told Cyclone Fanatic at the Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Tournament on Monday. “I think it’s good to have one scholarship open. Two reasons, if a mid-year guy pops, but also with guys these days everybody wants to play. Playing time, chemistry to have one open and then sitting two guys out. If you look at my teams, really all my teams, we only play about seven, eight guys, sometimes six so I don’t think it’s a big issue. If there was any issue, it’s more on the practice end than the game end.”
Having that one scholarship open going into the season leaves Iowa State with four to fill for the 2018 recruiting cycle. We learned on Monday that three-star forward George Conditt will take an official visit to Ames on Sept. 2, which is the weekend the Cyclones’ fall recruiting efforts will really start to hit full stride.
Iowa State continues to battle for the services of Tennessee point guard Tyler Harris, Illinois guards Talon Horton-Tucker and Zion Griffin, Wisconsin guard Tyrese Haliburton as well as being listed in four-star Houston forward Jaedon LeDee’s top eight he released Monday afternoon.
With all five of those players looking to make college decisions during the fall cycle, it makes the next several weeks crucial for Prohm and his staff.
“They’re big,” Prohm said. “Obviously, this is important. We’ve got to make some headway. I thought we did a really good job last fall. Signed three really good guys early and we need to try to sign, hopefully, three, possibly four, early this year. Again, I want to get another point guard, I want to get a really good perimeter guy and then two front court guys.”
