If you thought that the “transfer era” was over at Iowa State, think again.
On Friday morning, ChicagoHoops.com first reported that former Northern Illinois forward Abdel Nader is transferring to Iowa State. Nader, who averaged 13.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last season for the Huskies, will sit out next season and have two years of eligibility in 2014-15, 2015-16 for Iowa State.
A source is telling Cyclone Fanatic that Nader will sign a financial aid agreement with Iowa State today or early next week.
That would put the Cyclones at 14 scholarships for next season. Putting pieces of the puzzle together, expect a Kerwin Okoro to transfer release from Iowa State any day now.
Upside
Nader only averaged 13 points per game last season but don’t forget that he was a heavily recruited prospect out of high school, gathering offers from Baylor, Marquette, New Mexico and USC to name a few. He chose Northern Illinois as the time due to academic issues.
Last season was an absolute disaster for Northern Illinois, who went 5-25 overall and 3-13 in the MAC. It was a toxic situation and I’m sure a change of scenery will be a breath of fresh air for Nader.
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Think of Nader as Melvin Ejim’s replacement in two years. He’s an energy guy who can score and rebound the ball. He has the potential (and quite frankly should) to be a two-year starter at Iowa State. A best-case scenario is that he could be an All-Big 12 contender as a senior. Worst-case, he’s a solid contributor off of the bench during his Cyclone career. When you consider Iowa State’s desperate need for bigs in the future, that isn’t a terrible thing.
You know that this guy can play at the division one level. With JuCo’s or even high school prospects, sure things are hard to find.
We’ll have more on this story in the coming days so stay tuned.
