Iowa State Basketball: Terrance Lewis commits to Cyclones

On Tuesday afternoon, Iowa State basketball grabbed their first big recruit for the class of 2017.

It’s no secret that the cupboard will cleaned in Ames once the upcoming 2016-2017 season closes.

Six scholarships are up for grabs when seniors Monte Morris, Matt Thomas, Naz Mitrou-Long, Deonte Burton, Merrill Holden, and Darrell Bowie graduate in May. Even if the bench guys behind them are studs, suddenly having six empty roster spots might cause most coaches to have many sleepless nights.

It’s a good thing then, that head coach Steve Prohm and the Iowa State staff has been out watching recruits everywhere, from Minnesota to Mississippi. Their hardwork finally paid off this week when they received a commitment from the 65th ranked recruit in ESPN’s top 100, Terrance Lewis out of Milwaukee, WI.

The four-star wing is a massive boost to the future Cyclone attack and has a good shot to be a star from day one.

Right now Lewis stands at 6’6″ and weighs 195 pounds. He chose Iowa State over Illinois, Marquette, and UNLV, thanks to several unofficial visits.

As a junior, the future Cyclone put up truly outstanding numbers, 22.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, while playing for his father. He has stated that his goal is to continue rounding out his current game and getting stronger, with the target of building his body up to 205-210 pounds.

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A number of folks have Lewis pegged as the next potential Abdel Nader. The former Cyclone and current Maine Red Claw was a tremendous asset during his senior year due to his defense and ability to both slash and hit the outside jumper. There was one stretch where Nader put up over 20 points in three straight games.

With his current blend of athletic defense and attacking ability, there is no reason Lewis can’t follow Nader and a proud tradition of talented Iowa State wings. He fits fantastically into the style of offense that the Cyclones like to play and his defense will help the program continue to tighten up against high-powered Big 12 opponents.

Lewis’ big issues, like many players his age, are getting stronger and more consistent. He has a tremendous game right now, but developing his outside jumper to a higher degree will be a major focus in order to make him as difficult a defensive assignment as possible.

Lewis is by no means the only guy that ISU has targeted for the 2017 class; McKinley Wright, Lindell Wigginton, and Elijah Joiner are just some of the high-profile names that the team has targeted heavily over the past few weeks.

There are still five open spots on the current scholarship chart, so don’t expect the staff to take much of a break to celebrate the first big snag.

Next: Providence off-season questions

Look for the program to add one or two freshmen, while filling out the rest of the roster with either traditional or graduate transfers. This strategy of combining experience and youthful potential is what has made ISU one of the top Big 12 programs, and attendees of five straight NCAA tournaments.

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