Cyclones tack Ernst onto 15 class

The first recruit of the Steve Prohm era at Iowa State had been holding out for a high-major opportunity and was even prepared to take the junior college or prep school route had it not worked out with the Cyclones.

But that won't need to happen for Clinton big man Brady Ernst, who accepted his first and only high-major offer yesterday.

The 6-foot-8 forward's recruitment went into the 11th hour until the Cyclones came through last Friday with an offer to join this season's club. It's an opportunity Ernst says he'll make the best of.

"I've had 12 mid-major offers and it was kind of late, so spots were starting to fill up," said Ernst. "If I wouldn't have gotten this high-major offer, I was talking to some junior colleges or prep schools to go play at for a year. I'm thankful for this chance Coach Prohm gave me and I'm looking to make the best of it. I'm ready to prove all those people wrong that I can play at this level. I'm looking forward to it."

Ernst, who averaged 16.7 points and 12.6 rebounds as a senior for the River Kings, will arrive on campus for the start of summer school on July 13th. He'll also officially sign with the Cyclones when he gets to Ames.

Although this year's Cyclone squad is pretty stacked as far as the starting lineup goes, Ernst realizes there will be some opportunities to play a key role in Prohm's rotation.

"They're a little thin up front, so hopefully I'll get into the rotation a little bit, get some minutes and contribute to the team," he said. "They like how athletic I am and that I can get up and down the floor, because that's how they like to play. I'm a versatile player and can shoot the three a little bit."

Ernst, who is in the middle of a five-to-six month rehab process for ACL surgery in his right knee, said he anticipates being cleared well in advance of preseason camp.

In need of some depth in the post for the upcoming season, the Cyclones and returning assistant coach T.J. Otzelberger picked up their recruitment of Ernst two months ago. But it wasn't until this weekend that the process accelerated with an offer.

"I had been talking to Coach Otzelberger since about April when Coach (Fred) Hoiberg was still there," Ernst said. "They wanted me to come visit, but with Hoiberg's surgery it didn't really work out. Hoiberg left and I was still talking to TJ, and he talked to Coach Prohm about me a lot about how much he liked my game. Coach Prohm got ahold of my film and really liked my game. I visited last Friday and he offered me, so I decided to commit."

Prohm's success at Murray State also played a big role in Ernst's joining the Cyclones.

"He has a really good track record and they had some good teams out there," Ernst said. "Plus, he's a really good guy and seems like a great person. He's a great coach, too."