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We interrupt your regularly scheduled coaching coronation to bring you brief recruiting news.
Even on the heels of Iowa State's transition from Fred Hoiberg to new head coach Steve Prohm, 2016 SF Miles Bridges (No. 21 overall) has officially pared down his list of college choices from 15 to eight.
Iowa State made the cut.
My Top 8 schools in no particular order. MSU Michigan Kentucky Indiana UNC NC State Iowa State Louisville
— Miles Bridges (@MilesBridges01) June 9, 2015
Among the finalists, North Carolina State was the first to offer nearly a year ago, with Kentucky joining the courtship process late. After an unofficial visit to Lexington last fall, John Calipari didn't formally offer Bridges until Apr. 28. The Wildcats lead 247Sports' current Crystal Ball projections.
Iowa State's last contact appears to be Mar. 26, when Fred Hoiberg — unable to check in on Cheick Diallo due to weather — paid a visit to Bridges instead.
In an intriguing article by the wizard Jerry Meyer, Bridges (unofficially, it appears) cut his list to five schools on May 24 at the Nike EYBL in Minneapolis. Kentucky, Michigan State, Michigan, Iowa State and latecomer North Carolina were reported to be all Bridges' was "focused on" at the time.
With an unofficial visit last fall already under his belt, Bridges in all likelihood will take an official to Ames in the coming months. I would expect Prohm and his lead-recruiter-to-be-named-later to make the jaunt to Huntington as well.
Given that Hoiberg and Matt Abdelmassih were the ones recruiting Bridges initially, this would be a heck of a get for Prohm. Iowa State's inclusion among the finalists is obviously a great sign and could very well be motivated by the apparent playing time available. Bridges is lauded as a relentless and physical scorer and would add much-needed size to a barren frontcourt in 2016-17. Georgios Tsalmpouris as well as Nick Babb and Deonte Burton, both 6-4 and swingmen by trade, are the Cyclones' most imposing bodies on scholarship as of this moment.
As we cycle out of Coaching Search 2015 and into the dog days of summer, we'll be sure to keep you up to speed on this and all things recruiting. Bridges reportedly will wait as long as the winter months to make a final decision.