Why Ryan Prather Jr. Is Perfect Sixth Man for Iowa State Basketball

Ryan Prather Jr. could thrive for the Iowa State Cyclones in a sixth man role.

Mar 20, 2025; Cleveland, OH, USA; Robert Morris Colonials guard Ryan Prather Jr. (2) shoots during practice at Rocket Arena. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have been absolutely rolling in the transfer portal.

First, they got Leon Bond III, who played with the Northern Iowa Panthers. Then, they got Taj Manning from the Kansas State Wildcats. After that, Jaquan Johnson from the Bradley Braves and Tre Singleton from the Northwestern Wildcats.

It was an unbelievable 24-hour stretch. Iowa State went from a solid roster with intriguing pieces to a national contender essentially overnight.

Many Cyclone fans thought it was over for portal additions at that point, but there was still one more player who was on a visit to Ames, IA that weekend. To cap off their haul, Iowa State received a commitment from Ryan Prather Jr.

Ryan Prather Jr. offers a lot to like for Cyclones

Nov 4, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Robert Morris Colonials guard Ryan Prather Jr. (2) goes to the basket as Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) defends during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Prather Jr. began his career in the Midwest, playing for the Akron Zips. But unfortunately, things didn’t really go his way there.

He averaged 1.7 points per game, playing just over five minutes a night as a redshirt freshman. After the season, he decided to take his talents to Pennsylvania to play for the Robert Morris Colonials.

He played much better in a new system. Prather averaged 8.3 points per game in his redshirt sophomore year, starting 12 of 35 games for the Colonials.

But it was in his junior year that he really took a step up. He averaged 15.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game this past season, becoming the best player on the squad. It led him to the portal for a second time, ending up in Ames with Iowa State.

Prather is a great pickup for the Cyclones. He brings three-level scoring to the squad, as well as great playmaking and solid rebounding for a guard. He seems like a perfect addition in many ways for Iowa State.

Let’s go!!!

Ryan Prather Jr is a Cyclone.

I love this addition to round out the transfer portal for the Cyclones.

Can get the shot off so quick. Will be a key player for us next year. pic.twitter.com/uwQFFwywcX https://t.co/3iQbSnjlL8

— Francis Gene O’Reilly (@ChiClone69) April 12, 2026

Unfortunately, the Cyclones recently got a commitment from Johnson, who likely will be their starting point guard, leaving Prather to come off the bench. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Prather will be able to have a similar role with Iowa State as he had with Robert Morris, except this time, it will be with the second unit. He will be able to lead, score the ball, and be a playmaker.

Sharing the court with players such as Dominykas Pleta, Manning, Bond, and potential freshmen will allow him to flourish. He will also likely be one of the top scorers on the Cyclones, even though he is coming off the bench.

Prather is a perfect addition to the squad and could be the perfect sixth man for the Cyclones next season.