The following is a press release from Iowa State Athletics Communications:
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head men’s basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger has announced the plans to redshirt a pair of freshmen for the 2023-24 season. JT Rock and Jelani Hamilton will sit out their initial year in Ames.
“After discussion with Jelani and JT, we have decided that it’s in their best long-term interest to redshirt this season,” Otzelberger said. “Player development is at the forefront in everything that we do in our program and that will serve Jelani and JT well this season.”
Rock, the youngest player on an NCAA Division I men’s basketball roster this season, reclassified and enrolled a year early at Iowa State. The Sioux Falls, S.D. native was a four-star recruit and ranked in the top 100 by all three national outlets.
Hamilton, a four-star recruit from Marietta, Ga., was ranked No. 111 in the country by Rivals.