RECRUITING: Iowa State hosting four-star 2020 Minnesota forward on Friday

Iowa State will host four-star Minnesota forward Ben Carlson for an unofficial visit on Friday, a source told Cyclone Fanatic on Thursday. The 6-foot-9, 205-pound power forward is the son of former Cyclone Marc Carlson and is rated as the No. 71 player in the class of 2020.

Carlson, who is considered the No. 12 power forward in the class by 247Composite, also holds offers from Creighton, Iowa, Kansas State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin and Stanford.

Iowa State will be the third and final stop of a string of unofficial visits that has also included Creighton and Nebraska. He is expected to unofficially visit Michigan in September.

The Cyclones currently have two scholarships open for the 2019 class with Arkansas guard Marcedus Leech already committed to the class. That number will most likely increase to three depending on Lindell Wigginton’s professional future.

Iowa State is currently slated to lose three seniors following the 2019-20 season, but it is still early to know the exact number of scholarships they’ll have available for that recruiting cycle.

Jared Stansbury

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Jared a native of Clarinda, Iowa, started as the Cyclone Fanatic intern in August 2013, primarily working as a videographer until starting on the women’s basketball beat prior to the 2014-15 season. Upon earning his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State in May 2016, Jared was hired as the site’s full-time staff writer, taking over as the primary day-to-day reporter on football and men’s basketball. He was elevated to the position of managing editor in January 2020. He is a regular contributor on 1460 KXNO in Des Moines and makes regular guest appearances on radio stations across the Midwest. Jared resides in Ankeny with his four-year-old puggle, Lolo.

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