Iowa State basketball: Simeon Carter transferring from Cyclones
By Doug Winkey
Iowa State basketball took a small hit to its depth Tuesday as sophomore forward Simeon Carter is transferring away from Ames.
It was no secret to anyone this year that Iowa State basketball went small a lot. Only two players in the normal rotation stood taller than 6’5″. That limited what ISU could do on defense and left many fans wondering what would happen in the front court.
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The team’s depth at forward took a small hit Tuesday when the program announced sophomore forward Simeon Carter would transfer. This isn’t a big surprise but still opens up another scholarship for depth going into coach Steve Prohm’s third year.
Carter was originally part of Prohm’s first hastily-signed class after Fred Hoiberg bolted for the Chicago Bulls. The 6’8″, 215 pound Charlotte native had originally signed with SMU before switching to the more stylish Cardinal and Gold. Carter never made a big impact with the Cyclones, scoring just 16 points in 19 career games. However, he was a big supporter from the sidelines and got a ton of fan support for his positive emotions. The bench will need a new boss next year.
Carter transferred largely because the Cyclones were recruiting his position heavily for the future. The team was already using freshman Solomon Young ahead of Carter. Three-star forward Cameron Lard and Tennessee transfer Ray Kasongo are also scheduled to hit the floor next season. That doesn’t even count ISU pursuing potential transfer options from the JUCO or D1 ranks. Carter just felt like he needed to go elsewhere to reach his ceiling. He should have plenty of options around his hometown in North Carolina given his previous recruiting hype. I wish the young man all the luck in finding a good next home.
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Carter wasn’t an impact guy, but now Coach Prohm and the Cyclones have four scholarships to fill for next year as opposed to three. The team will hit the transfer trail to fill some of the gaps and is linked to several forwards in the junior college ranks.