NCAA Basketball: Analyzing Utah transfer Both Gach’s final 5 options
By Andy Patton
Finalist for transfer Both Gach – Iowa State Cyclones
Gach’s interest in the Cyclones could in part be because of the proximity to his hometown of Austin, Minnesota – less than two hours away from Iowa State’s campus.
Everyone likes to play close to home, but for Gach, it could also be a way to make getting a waiver to play right away more accessible, as the NCAA tends to grant them in situations where players want to come back home.
Of course, there are plenty of other reasons Gach and the Cyclones make sense together. While they had a disappointing 2019-2020 season, going 12-20 and finishing ninth in the BIG-12, Iowa State has a handful of young, talented players to build around, including transfer guard Rasir Bolton, who averaged 14.7 points last year for the Cyclones.
The team also has a clear need at guard, with Tyrese Haliburton declaring for the NBA draft and guards Prentiss Nixon and Terrence Lewis both graduating in the next two seasons.
Plugging Gach into a guard rotation with Bolton would give the Cyclones a long, athletic backcourt to build around starting in 2021, and they could pair with 2020 incoming freshmen Xavier Foster, who could be a big-time player over in Ames.
Still, Gach’s interest in Iowa State is likely proximity related, as the other schools on his top-five list had more success on the hardwood last year, including the other local option, Minnesota.