Advertisement
football Edit

Cyclones sign three in hoops

Iowa State head men's basketball coach Fred Hoiberg announced today the signing of three players to national letters of intent for the 2012-13 basketball season.
Georges Niang, who has emerged as one of the best power forwards in the nation, Sherron Dorsey-Walker, one of the best shooters in the class of 2012, and Nkereuwem Okoro, one of the best preps out of the New York area, will enroll at Iowa State in the fall of 2012.
Advertisement
Iowa State Men's Basketball 2012-13 Recruits
Georges Niang
F, 6-foot-7, 235 Pounds
Tilton (N.H.) The Tilton School
A skilled forward who can score in a variety of ways around the hoop and connect from outside...considered one of the best players on the East Coast, earning First-Team Class AA NEPSAC honors in 2011...a consensus national top-100 recruit, Niang is ranked No. 42 by Lindy's, No. 69 by Scout.com, No. 73 by Sporting News, No. 82 by ESPNU and No. 98 by Rivals.com in the 2012 prep national rankings...Scout.com ranks him as the 15th-best power forward in the nation and ESPNU has him listed at No. 18...averaged 24.2 points and 8.2 rebounds as a junior...led his team to the NEPSAC Class AA championship with a 72-56 win over St. Mark's (Mass.)...was named outstanding player of the tournament, scoring 23 points on 11-of-11 shooting from the field and grabbing nine boards in the championship game...team lost in the National Prep Championship to Notre Dame Prep (87-85), as Niang scored 31 points...ranked as the second-best player in New Hampshire and the eighth-best player in New England...his stock rose dramatically in the summer of 2011 in his play on the AAU circuit...played for the Boston-based BABC AAU team, the same program that featured former Cyclone and NBA player Will Blalock...his BABC squad won the 2011 Nike Peach Jam, one of the best AAU tournaments in the country...first name is pronounced GEORGE...last name pronounced Knee-yang...also had offers from Iowa, Providence, Texas A&M and Seton Hall.
Hoiberg on Niang:
"Georges will make an immediate impact in our program. He can score with anyone on the block and can take his defender on the perimeter and score from there. He is a throwback player who will find a way to beat you. He also plays the game with passion and is a player who will make his teammates better."
Nkereuwem Okoro
G, 6-foot-5, 220 Pounds
Bronx (N.Y.) St. Raymond
A tough bruising guard-forward who has emerged as one of the best prospects out of New York in the Class of 2012...ranked as the third-best player in New York City in the Class of 2012...Rivals.com ranked him as a top-10 player outside the Rivals150...averaged 12.5 points and 6.1 rebounds as a junior, earning First-Team All-CHSAA honors...was a Third-Team All-CHSAA selection as a sophomore in 2010...team advanced to the CHSAA sectional finals, losing to Christ The King in overtime...first name is pronounced kur-AH-whum...last name pronounced oh-CORE-oh...goes by "Kerwin"...chose Iowa State over Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Arizona and Texas A&M.
Hoiberg on Okoro:
"We as a staff fell in love with Nkereuwem's toughness and tenacity on the court. He is a big guard who can defend and rebound. He has also dramatically improved his jumpshot in the last year. He is another outstanding New York player who knows how to win."
Sherron Dorsey-Walker
G, 6-foot-4, 175 Pounds
Detroit (Mich.) Pershing
One of the top prospects out of Michigan who is an outstanding shooter with a long wingspan...rated No. 122 in the Rivals.com rankings and listed as the second-best player out of Michigan...ranked as the 24th-best shooting guard in the Class of 2012 by Rivals.com and is listed at No. 25 on ESPNU's best shooting guards...a two-year starter at Detroit Pershing...as a sophomore in high school, was teammates with McDonald's All-American and current Michigan State Spartan Keith Appling...averaged 16.2 points as a junior...earned honorable mention all-state honors the last two seasons...played for the R.E.A.C.H. Legends AAU team...had offers from Michigan, Baylor, Boston College, Florida State, Indiana and Virginia Tech.
Hoiberg on Dorsey-Walker
"Outside shooting will always be an emphasis for us and we feel Sherron is one of the best shooters in the Class of 2012. He is a tall guard with excellent range and a smooth stroke. We think Sherron will fit in well in our system and look forward to seeing him develop into a contributor for us."
Advertisement