Cyclones sign four as expected

Iowa State head men's basketball coach Greg McDermott announced today the signing of four players to national letters of intent for the 2008-09 basketball season.

Those signing with ISU on Wednesday are:

Dominique Buckley, a true point guard who is one of the top playmakers in Michigan; Wes Eikmeier, a sharpshooter who was named Nebraska's Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior; Justin Hamilton, a skilled post player with tremendous upside; and Clinton Mann, one of the best players in the Kansas City area. All will enroll at ISU in the fall of 2008.

"We are fortunate in the sense that these four young men come from very successful high school basketball programs and have won at a very high level during their high school careers," McDermott said. "They understand what it takes to be successful, and they are committed to being successful scholastically as well as working hard on the basketball floor. Those are really the attributes with which we are trying to build this program, and we feel we have found that in this recruiting class."

Buckley, who averaged 14.4 points and 6.3 assists last season, is ranked No. 124 in the ESPN 150 Class of 2008 rankings. The Detroit, Mich., native returns as one of the best guards in the state of Michigan after earning second-team Class A (large schools) all-state honors by the Detroit Free Press as a junior last year.

"We identified Dominique early in his high school career and were impressed with his ability to run a basketball team," McDermott said. "In my opinion he is an 'old school' point guard, he believes his job is to run the team first and score second. He really possesses all the attributes of a great point guard - leadership, toughness, and an outgoing personality. All the things that make for a good floor general are all wrapped up in Dominique. I'll be surprised if he doesn't show up on campus and make an immediate impact."

Eikmeier is one of the best shooters in the Class of 2008. The Fremont, Neb., native averaged 26.5 points as a junior en route to first-team Super State honors by the Omaha World Herald in 2007. Eikmeier was one of just six juniors to earn state player of the year honors by Gatorade in 2007.

"We recruited Wes because of his ability to shoot the ball," McDermott said. "He is very passionate about the game of basketball and about preparing himself to be the best player he can be. Since we began the recruiting process, he has made several positive changes to his game. His offensive game is very complete in that he can score off the dribble as well as shoot the 3-point shot."

Hamilton is a skilled post player who is just learning the game. The Alpine, Utah, native did not start playing basketball until he was 15 years old. A late-bloomer, Hamilton garnered interest from a number of schools in the summer AAU circuit.

"Justin's playing situation is somewhat unique as he didn't start playing basketball until he was 15 years old," McDermott said. "However, he has the size, great hands, can run the floor very well, and has a tremendous worth ethic. I believe Justin's best basketball is ahead of him. He will make impressive strides when he gets to Iowa State and plays against great competition each day."

Mann is a hard-working wing who is rated as one of the best players in Kansas. The Overland Park, Kan., native was a Kansas City All-Metro pick last year after averaging 15.1 points and 10.2 rebounds for St. Thomas Aquinas High School in 2007.

"We are very impressed with the way Clint approaches the game," McDermott said. "He is a tough player and extremely versatile on both ends of the floor. We expect that he will be able to play multiple positions for us. I am confident that his size, strength, and quick feet will enable him to be one of our best defensive players."

Iowa State Men's Basketball 2008 Recruits

Dominique Buckley

PG, 6-foot-2, 190 pounds

Detroit (Mich.) Romulus

High School: A true point guard who is considered one of the top floor leaders in the class of 2008...ranked as the 124th-best player in the nation according to the ESPN 150 rankings...named second-team Class A all-state as a junior by the Detroit Free Press, averaging 14.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 6.3 assists...shot 39 percent from 3-point range and 72 percent at the free-throw line...was first-team all-West Detroit selection...team won conference and district titles in 2007...made two free-throws with no time on the clock to secure a 66-65 semifinal victory over Belleville...averaged 12.3 points, 5.5 assists as a sophomore...has been starting since his freshman season...led his team to the state title game as a freshman...choose ISU over Wisconsin, Penn State, Xavier, Miami (Fla.) and Dayton...committed to ISU prior to his junior season.

Wes Eikmeier

SG, 6-foot-3, 175 pounds

Fremont (Neb.) Bergan

High School: One of the best shooters in the class of 2008...named first-team Super State by the Omaha World Herald and was selected as Gatorade Nebraska Player of the Year as a junior in 2007...was one of only six juniors to earn state player of the year honors by Gatorade in 2007...named captain of the Fremont Tribune All-Area team...averaged 26.5 points, 5.5 assists and 2.7 steals for a team that finished 19-5 and advanced to the Class C-2 state semifinals...shot 53.4 percent from the floor...tallied a school-record 45 points in a game as a junior...averaged 22.6 points, 2.9 assists and 2.1 steals as a sophomore...chose ISU over Creighton and Northern Iowa...committed to the Cyclones prior to his junior season.

Clinton Mann

PF, 6-foot-7, 220 pounds

Overland Park (Kan.) St. Thomas Aquinas

High School: An athletic and hard working power forward who is one of the top players in Kansas...averaged 15.1 points and 10.2 rebounds as a junior last season at St. Thomas Aquinas...a first-team all-Eastern Kansas League (EKL) selection in 2007...named second-team all-state in Class 5A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA)...a Kansas City all-Metro pick...chose Iowa State over Iowa, Creighton and Loyola Chicago.

Justin Hamilton

C, 6-foot-11, 220 pounds

Alpine (Utah) Lone Peak

High School: A skilled post player who did not start playing basketball until he was 15 years old...a late-bloomer who will play varsity for the first time this season...impressed recruits with his play in the AAU summer circuit...received offers from Pepperdine, Weber State, UC Davis and St. Mary's...has size 17 shoes.