Iowa State Basketball Will Have Wrinkle to Deal with in Donovan Davis Recruitment

With the season coming to an end for the Iowa State Cyclones, the team is now going to be focused on what’s next for the program. This appears to be a group that is heading into the right direction, but the next couple of weeks will be key.

It was a fantastic campaign for the Cyclones and this is a team that has a lot of be proud of this year. Iowa State started off the season with a 16-0 record and were ranked second in the country.

Once Big 12 play got going, the Cyclones did have some struggles. This was a team that did not play well on the road, but they defended Hilton Coliseum well and still were one of the best teams in the country.

In postseason play, Iowa State looked excellent in the Big 12 tournament and nearly took down the Arizona Wildcats. However, a buzzer beater ended their run in the conference tournament, and the team then suffered a tough blow in the NCAA tournament with star forward Joshua Jefferson getting hurt.

Now, the program is going to be focused on what’s next and that will be starting with the transfer portal and their recruiting class. One key prospect is still on the radar for Iowa State, and they will be hopeful to land him.

Four-Star recruit Donovan Davis recently spoke with Alec Busse of 247 Sports and the final upcoming pitches for schools, including the Cyclones.

"I think it'll make me be much more confident on the school I want to go to," Davis said. "I mean, these visits for me is just kind of talking to the coaches about anything they want me to hear and more of a last pitch for them and just how they operate on a daily basis."

Interesting Wrinkle in Davis Recruitment

Iowa State head coach T. J. Otzelberger, right and assistant coach JR Blount on the sidelines — Iowa State head coach T. J. Otzelberger, right and assistant coach JR Blount | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While it might be a bit late in the process, the Cyclones do have a bit of an obstacle to overcome in the recruitment of the four-star talent. Assistant coach JR Blount was the coach that was most actively recruiting him, and with him now at San Diego, it will be T.J. Otzelberger who will be trying to get the job done.

Davis will have five official visits, with the Cyclones being the final one on April 29th. Compared to the Iowa Hawkeyes, Wisconsin Badgers, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and Marquette Golden Eagles, it is Iowa State who has the most tournament appearances in the last five years, which also includes three trips to the Sweet 16.

With a lot of the production from the team in 2025, a player the caliber of Davis could come to Ames and make an impact right away. With him getting the final visit, that likely bodes well for the Cyclones, but anything could happen when it comes to recruiting.