Iowa State Basketball Continues Building Wisconsin Recruiting Pipeline

Of course, Wisconsin Badgers fans weren’t happy, as they had lost out on another recruit from their home state. And it feels like every time it’s to the Cyclones.

Iowa State has roots in Wisconsin. Head coach T.J. Otzelberger grew up in Milwaukee, the state’s biggest city. He also played college ball at Wisconsin-Whitewater before becoming a head coach.

And it’s not just Otzelberger; several players have come to the Cyclones from the state of Wisconsin along with their head coach.

Since Otzelberger took over back in 2021, Iowa State has gotten commitments from five of the top 15 Wisconsin high school players. That is Tyrese Hunter, Milan Momcilovic, Jamarion Batemon, Davis, and Leon Bond III, who just transferred in from the Northern Iowa Panthers.

In addition, one of the Cyclones’ greatest ever players, Tyrese Haliburton, also came from Wisconsin, growing up in Oshkosh. Clearly, Iowa State has a grip on the recruiting in the state.

Having a pipeline in another state to the extent that Otzelberger does is great for the Cyclones. He has been able to get consistent talent from Wisconsin down to Ames, IA, and has had them flourish into top-tier players for Iowa State.

It’s a perfect way to build a program, and it's a clear reason why the Cyclones have been such an elite program over the last decade, especially when Otzelberger took over a few years ago.

It’s simple: If you are from Wisconsin, come to Iowa State. It’s a place where you can flourish from a solid recruit into a star player for one of the best programs in the country. And in addition, you can be along with other Wisconsiners throughout your time in Ames, including Otzelberger.