Feb 10, 2026; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger looks on from the bench against the TCU Horned Frogs during the first half at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Josiah Harrington Pitching Iowa State to Fellow Class of 2027 Star Recruit

Originally posted on Iowa State Cyclones on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Feb 18, 2026 6:00 PM ET

The Iowa State Cyclones have one of the best environments for college basketball in the country at Hilton Coliseum.

An electric atmosphere normally, things are ratcheted up even more when premier matchups are being held, such as a recent one against the Kansas Jayhawks. The Cyclones had revenge on their minds when the No. 9 team in the country came to Ames, looking to avenge a loss from earlier in the season.

That is exactly what they did, with Iowa State dominating their rivals to the tune of a 74-56 victory. It was a great experience for recruits who were in attendance, such as Josiah Harrington and Baboucarr Ann.

"It was an amazing visit," Ann said about his visit to Ames, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required). "It's my first time seeing Hilton Coliseum with the students in it as well. So, it was an electric atmosphere, and I felt the energy. It got me riled up to play with them at one point."

Josiah Harrington helping Iowa State recruit Baboucarr Ann

Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Harrington and Ann shared the experience together, right near the student section in Cyclone Alley. It is something that Harrington, a top 50 recruit in the Class of 2027, has already committed to being a part of in the future.

He has been committed to T.J. Otzelberger for more than a year, and with each visit, that becomes more and more secure. Now, he is looking to help the program land another star prospect in Ann.

The two spent a lot of the visit to Ames together, and Ann revealed that they have a budding friendship that should only help the Cyclones in their pursuit of the 6-foot-5 wing.

"I can call Josiah a friend of mine now because we talk a lot," Ann said. "Even when I'm not at Iowa State, we talk on the phone. It's just building a connection and a relationship with other people."

Baboucarr Ann would be major addition to Class of 2027

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A product of Maple Grove High School, hailing from Osseo, Minnesota, Ann is ranked No. 62 in the 247Sports Composite. He has received an elite 0.9780 rating and is a four-star prospect; the No. 2-ranked player in the state and No. 17-ranked small forward.

Having Harrington lay some groundwork can only help Iowa State because they are going to face stiff competition for the top-70 recruit.

He has received seven offers in total, all from Power Conference programs, including three other Big 12 schools: the Arizona State Sun Devils, Oklahoma State Cowboys and West Virginia Mountaineers, in addition to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Wisconsin Badgers.

The Jayhawks are another team to keep an eye on, according to Busse.

This article first appeared on Iowa State Cyclones on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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