Men's Basketball Recruiting Targets Reveal How Iowa State Visit Went

What did some high school recruits think of their visit to Ames?

Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team is looking to piggyback on some of the success that their football program is having.

In Week 2 of the 2025 college football season, the Cyclones faced off against their in-state rivals, the Iowa Hawkeyes. With the Cy-Hawk Trophy on the line, several men’s basketball high school recruiting targets were in attendance. A lasting memory was created when Iowa State won the rivalry game for the second consecutive year on a late-game kick by Kyle Konrardy.

Two of the high schoolers in attendance have already committed to T.J. Otzelberger’s team. Yusef Gray Jr. and Josiah Harrington, a three-star prospect in the 2026 class and a four-star prospect in the 2027 class, respectively, watched the victory. Two more players joined them that the Cyclones would love to add to the mix in the future.

Iowa State Hosts Top Prospects Donovan Davis and Baboucarr Ann

Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Priority targets, Donovan Davis and Baboucarr Ann, also joined in the festivities. Davis is a four-star product from Freedom High School in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. A member of the 2027 class, he is one of the top 50 prospects in that year. The No. 2-ranked player in his state, he is receiving interest from California, Iowa, Marquette, Syracuse and Wisconsin.

Iowa State is hoping its visit to Ames went well enough to push them ahead of the competition. It sounds like it was a successful one, with Davis noting how much fun he had at the football game and spending time with the other recruits.

"It was a fun game to be at and I talked to the other recruits there as well," Davis said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert on the 247Sports Network. "Had fun talking to them."

Let me be VERY clear—what we’re witnessing from Donovan Davis is nothing short of extraordinary. Freedom, Wisconsin, might be a small town, but this 6’8” phenom is making noise on a NATIONAL level. Ranked #41 in the country, a 4-star recruit with a 3.7 GPA, and a game that… pic.twitter.com/Dk4MSn2hog

— Dino Cook (@DinoCook7) January 28, 2025

A similar sentiment was held by Carr. A three-star recruit out of Maple Grove High School in Osseo, Minnesota, he is the No. 3-ranked player in his state. Having already visited campus multiple times, it certainly seems like Otzelberger and his staff are zeroing in on the class of 2027 wing.

The Cyclones are not alone in their pursuit of Carr, who has also received offers from Arizona State and Minnesota to this point. But, he did speak highly of his interactions with Gray and Harrington, who were certainly doing their part to hopefully have some new, talented teammates committed in the near future.

"It was an amazing overall experience," Ann said. "I got to see a little bit of the campus but really got to see, feel and indulge in the culture at Iowa State and it was surreal."

What a finish tonight in Maple Grove, @CCXSports was on site to capture Baboucarr Ann’s buzzer beater to defeat Osseo, 61-60 in the section 5AAAA semifinal.

A good look on the replay shows Osseo’s Beniam Makonnen just inches from gathering the steal. March is here. pic.twitter.com/1gnPwXZVEM

— Chaz Mootz (@ChazMootzCCX) March 9, 2024

Seeing the football team perform in front of a raucous crowd during a rivalry game is certainly an incredible selling point for the basketball team. You can bet they will try to return the favor this winter when football recruits are on campus to take in a game at Hilton Coliseum.