RECRUITING: Cyclones set to host three transfer targets

With the college basketball dead period in the rearview mirror, Iowa State is set to host three official visitors via the transfer portal this weekend.

Nevada forward Darrion Williams and UNLV guard Keshon Gilbert are expected to be on campus Thursday and Friday while Wofford guard Jackson Paveletzke will be in Ames on Saturday and Sunday.

The trio includes two players who were named Freshmen of the Year in their respective leagues with Williams winning the honor in the Mountain West and Paveltzke taking the Southern Conference’s award.

Williams, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound Las Vegas native, averaged 7.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as a freshman at Nevada this season. He shot 41.4 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from 3-point range. He’s regarded as the No. 39 player currently in the portal by On3.

Gilbert, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard from Las Vegas, averaged 11.4 points, shot 46.4 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from 3-point range this season for the Rebels. He’s already played two seasons of college basketball and is considered the No. 20 player in the portal by On3.

Paveltzke was one of the best freshmen in the country this season, averaging 15.1 points per game while shooting 39.3 percent from deep and 49.3 percent from the field. The Kimberly, Wis. native is considered the No. 25 player in the portal by On3.

Landing all three players visiting this weekend could be seen as a home run for T.J. Otzelberger and staff early in the transfer portal cycle and pairing this trio with the returning players and the highly-rated incoming recruiting class would have Iowa State as a borderline top-25 team going into next season.

Stay tuned to Cyclone Fanatic for more on this story.

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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