BYU Keeping Men's Basketball Recruiting Streak Alive Is Bad News for Iowa State

The Iowa State Cyclones have done a great job every year restocking the roster with talented players.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger and his staff deserve a lot of credit for identifying and securing commitments from players who perfectly fit what they are trying to do. Whether it is on the transfer portal or right from high school, they continually find gems.

Alas, they aren’t the only school that has had success in recent years securing talent. In the Big 12, they face major competition on the recruiting trail, going up against schools that have a lot more NIL money to spend.

That makes pursuing five-star players difficult for Iowa State, but not for some of their rivals, such as the BYU Cougars, who recently extended an impressive streak that is bad news for the Cyclones.

Bruce Branch III commits to BYU

Prolific Prep Crew guard Bruce Branch III driving against CIA-Bella Vista Bears guard Lyris Robinson. — Prolific Prep Crew guard Bruce Branch II (3) drives to the basket as CIA-Bella Vista Bears guard Lyris Robinson (21) guards him during the first quarter of a City of Palms Classic Signature Series game at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla., on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. | Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bruce Branch III, a five-star senior ranked in the Top-10 of the Class of 2026, has committed to BYU. He announced his decision on March 3 while appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today.

"I wanted to go to a place that felt like a family, had great academics, and was really focused on basketball," Branch told ESPN. "I can see myself leading this team to a championship. It just felt right."

The Prolific Prep star is a McDonald’s All-American with a 94 scouting grade from ESPN. They have him as the No. 3 player at his position (small forward), No. 4 in the region and No. 2 in the state of Arizona behind power forward Cameron Williams, who is heading to the Duke Blue Devils.

Those are impressive rankings when taking into consideration that he is younger than most of his peers. Originally a member of the Class of 2027, he reclassified in November and immediately began drawing interest.

A visit to the USC Trojans was taken, but the Cougars quickly emerged as a favorite for the talented forward.

Before announcing his college commitment to BYU, Bruce Branch III got emotional talking about his mom 🥺

He is the No. 6 recruit in the @SCNext Class of 2026. pic.twitter.com/EhxTcxd60F
— ESPN (@espn) March 3, 2026

"Their plan is to put me in a position to be the best version of myself," Branch said. "Coach talked about his experience coaching my archetype and how the type of player I am can be very successful in his system, and how it leads to winning, which is most important to me."

This is the third consecutive year that head coach Kevin Young has been able to land a five-star recruit. He certainly has experience working with players similar in build to Branch.

In his first year at the helm, he had Egor Demin, who would be picked No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. In Year 2, he has superstar AJ Dybantsa, who leads the country, scoring 24.8 points per game. He is a virtual lock to be selected within the first three picks of the 2026 NBA Draft.

Will Branch follow the same trajectory? By reclassifying, he is eligible for the 2027 NBA Draft and could very well give BYU another star to build a team around next season.

Having to deal with another legitimate NBA talent in the Big 12 is yet another obstacle Iowa State will have to overcome. The Cyclones have yet to beat the Cougars with Young as head coach and this addition will only make it more difficult.