West Allis Central’s Yusef Gray Jr. (3) elevates for two during the WIAA Division 1 boys basketball sectional final against Marquette at Racine Horlick High School on Saturday, March 9, 2024. © Scott Ash / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
Iowa State men’s basketball earned its first commitment to the 2026 recruiting class Sunday in Milwaukee’s Yusef Gray Jr.
The 6-foot-5 guard said the coaching staff’s communication led to the commitment.
“Really, it was just the relationships that we’ve built over time – it was crazy,” Gray Jr. said. “The time that coach (J.R Blount) and coach (T.J. Otzelberger) took out to build (that relationship) with me – like coming out to watch me play – that meant a lot to me.”
Both Otzelberger and Blount made regular visits to see Gray Jr., which also meant a lot.
“Before the season started, coach (Otzelberger) and coach (Blount) came out to my school to talk to me for a month straight. The consistency they had taking planes for a month straight just to see me and talk to me… it just showed how connected they were.”
Gray Jr. was first offered by Iowa State before the start of his sophomore season at West Allis Central High School.
He chose the Cyclones Sunday over offers from Marquette, Creighton, Mississippi State, DePaul, Bryant and Arkansas State. He does not yet have a rating from 247 Sports.
“Really, the main consistency I had with coach (Otzelberger) – I wasn’t talking to a head coach like him. He had known my dad from a long time ago, too, and I just talked to my parents about it. It was just a great fit for me.”
Gray Jr.’s father was even high school teammates with new assistant coach and former Cyclone Diante Garrett at Harold St. Vincent HS.
“He was telling me how great of a player he was and that I could learn a lot from him.
The young prospect is the latest add for coach T.J. Otzelberger and J.R. Blount out of the Wisconsin pipeline – where two of the program’s 2025 commits in Xzavion Mitchell and Jamarion Batemon are from.
Now, Gray Jr. will join them down the road for an Iowa State team that climbed to No. 2 in the rankings last week, and is 15-2 on the year.
“I think it’s amazing,” Gray Jr. said of the team. “All of the guys playing the way they are just shows how connected they are, on and off the court.”
Below are his freshman highlights, along with clips from a game where he scored 31 points against Tyrese Haliburton’s former school.
