National Signing Day Recap: Prohm Brings in Top 20 Class

Steve Prohm and company had themselves one heck of an off-season, and it shows with their 2018 recruiting class.

Ranked as a top-20 class by several major recruiting services, Cyclone fans should feel confident about the future of the program, as the four players who signed on the dotted line yesterday should establish a very solid foundation on which future success can be built.

George Conditt - 6’10”, 200 lbs (Corliss - Chicago, IL) - @george_conditt

I get the feeling that Prohm and Co. were looking for size, and they’ve found it in George Conditt. Ranked as the 131st best player in the country and the 32nd best power forward in the 2018 class , Conditt,should provide both size and athleticism down low for the Cyclones. Conditt, whose father played defensive end for the Cyclones, had offers from the likes of Illinois, Georgia Tech, Arizona State, Maryland, and Virginia Tech along with a host of others.

The outlook for George is that while there is certainly muscle that needs to be added to his long frame, he offers the potential of a Jameel McKay type presence down low (first season Jameel, not second season Jameel).

Tyrese Haliburton - 6’5”, 170 lbs (North, Oshkosh, WI) - @TyresesPieces

The next point guard can be tough to find, but this coaching staff didn’t have to dig too deep to find one in 2018. Haliburton comes from the basketball recruiting pipeline state of Wisconsin, where ISU has struck oil several times now. Tyrese checks in as the 141st best player in the country, and is rated as a top 50 point guard. He chose Iowa State over offers from Nebraska, Minnesota, and Cincinnati along with other mid-major programs.

Haliburton is certainly poised to be the Cyclones main man at point, but can play other positions as well. Due to his size and athleticism, he will be asked to guard several positions, an will likely play as a combo-guard.

Zion Griffin - 6’6”, 208 lbs (Hinsdale South, Darien, IL) - @BabyKd14

Considered to be the jewel of this class, Griffin is a four-star recruit, and is rated as the 58th best player in the 2018 class. Griffin fits the athletic small forward role that has been played by the likes of Georges Niang, Will Clyburn, and Deonte Burton. Griffin hosted offers from Illinois, Kansas, and Pittsburgh. Relationships were key in landing Griffin, as he had previously played with Haliburton, and shared a Chicago-area connection with Conditt.

Griffin was a player who emerged late, and the Cyclones were the first high-major program to offer him. He is at his best with the ball in his hands on the wings, and the Cyclones will look to him to get to the rim and drive the bus on offense.

Talen Horton-Tucker - 6’5”, 210 lbs (Simeon, Chicago, IL) - @Thortontucker

In my humble opinion, Horton-Tucker is probably the best player in this class. THT checks in as the 125th best player in the nation, and the 33rd best small forward. He is listed as a small forward, but has the ability to play a guard role as well, not all dissimilar from Deonte Burton or Geroges Niang. THT had offers from Georgia Tech, Illinois, Xavier, Kansas, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, and many others.

The Chicago connection came into play yet again in gaining the services of THT, who actually knew all three of Iowa State’s other commits. Iowa State recruited him for nearly two years, and made Horton-Tucker a high priority.

THT will fit in the roster in the mold of the do-it-all star, a player in which Prohm has built his team around in the previous two seasons. His game should compliment Zion Griffin’s abilities on the wing, and he has a college-ready body.

In all, this class shows anyone who follows this program that Prohm understands the importance of recruiting, and attacks the recruiting trail in an aggressive fashion. In fact, he even went as far as to suggest that doubts about his recruiting fueled his entire coaching staff on the recruiting trail.

These recruits, combined with the youth of Iowa State’s current team (freshman Cameron Lard, Terrance Lewis, Lindel Wigginton and sophomore Solomon Young) leaves the roster set going forward. If Iowa State can add another top 50 talent like Tyler Harris? Look out.