Iowa State Cyclones Slammed With Tough Recruiting News

The Iowa State Cyclones thought they had bagged a very solid recruit earlier in the month when three-star 2026 guard Marcus Zelee committed to play his collegiate basketball at Ames.

Well, apparently, Zelee's decision was short lived.

Zelee, who initially committed to Iowa State on July 2, has now decommitted from the program. He announced his decision on social media.

The 6-foot-3 guard originally made his choice to join the Cyclones just days after receiving an offer from T.J. Otzelberger and Co., but for whatever reason, Zelee had a change of heart.

Zelee also had offers from Arizona State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Drake, so perhaps he will be considering one of those schools instead. Or maybe a new team will swoop in.

This comes as a rather tough blow for Iowa State, which currently only has two commits lined up for the class of 2026: guards Yusuf Gray Jr. and Christian Wiggins, both of whom are the top-rated recruits in their respective states (Wisconsin and Minnesota).

Iowa State's basketball program has certainly been on the come up in recent years and has made a rather significant jump since Otzelberger took over as head coach in 2022. The season prior, the Cyclones went just 2-22, but Otzelberger proceeded to lead them to a 22-13 mark and an appearance in the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa State has made four straight trips to the Big Dance overall since Otzelberger took his post, twice advancing to the Sweet 16. The Cyclones' best season to date came in 2023-24, when they went 29-10.

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