Iowa State men’s basketball gains 5 transfers

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 27: Head coach T.J. Otzelberger of the Iowa State Cyclones reacts during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 27, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The 2026-27 Iowa State men’s basketball will feature a quintet of new faces. Leon Bond III, Tre Singleton, Taj Manning, Jaquan Johnson and Ryan Prather Jr. announced over the weekend they’ll suit up in the cardinal and gold to play for T.J. Otzelberger in his sixth season at the helm of Iowa State.

Leon Bond III, a 6-foot-5 junior transfer, is expected to make a significant impact at Iowa State after spending two seasons at Northern Iowa. Bond committed to the Cyclones on Friday. He originally began his collegiate career at Virginia, where he played alongside current Iowa State forward Blake Buchanan.

Bond is viewed as a versatile perimeter defender and a logical replacement for fellow UNI transfer Nate Heise in the rotation.

His defensive credentials include a selection to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Defensive Team and consistently high advanced metrics, such as a 98.6 defensive rating (fifth in the MVC) and a 2.0 Defensive Box Plus/Minus.

While primarily known for his defense, Bond is also an effective offensive contributor, averaging 11.9 points per game with a .473/.362/.750 shooting split, along with 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

Former Kansas State forward Taj Manning is the second to transfer in to the Iowa State basketball program for his final year of eligibility.

Manning, a 6-foot-7 forward from Missouri, spent four years at Kansas State, including a redshirt season during the team’s 2022-23 Elite Eight run and two subsequent years of limited playing time. His role increased substantially this past season as a redshirt junior, where he started 17 games and averaged 4.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest while shooting 48.5% from the field.

The Cyclones are familiar with Manning, as he faced them twice during his time with the Wildcats. In their most recent matchup in February 2026, he played 27 minutes, recording four rebounds and two blocks.

Manning’s Big 12 experience is expected to provide depth for Iowa State as they look to replace Joshua Jefferson.

The third newcomer to the 2026-27 Cyclones is Jaquan Johnson, a Milwaukee native. Johnson, listed at 5-foot-11, is coming off a stellar breakout season where he averaged 16.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.

His efficiency is notable, shooting 42.3% from the field and 38.3% from beyond the arc. These performances earned him a spot on the All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) first team, as well as the All-MVC Defensive and Most-Improved teams.

Most significantly, he was named the MVC Defensive Player of the Year.

Known by the nickname “Bully,” Johnson established himself as a dominant two-way force. During his most recent season, he became the first player at Bradley in over 30 years to achieve three 30-point games in one year.

One of his most impressive displays occurred on Jan. 13 against Evansville, where he recorded 35 points, seven assists, and six steals without committing a single turnover.

He also matched a school record by tallying nine steals in a single game against UT-Martin in November 2025.

Even as a freshman in the 2024-25 season, Johnson was a key contributor off the bench, appearing in 37 games. He set a program record for steals by a freshman with 57, demonstrating his defensive prowess.

The third and final transfer commit from Saturday is Tre Singleton. Singleton, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward, started 31 of the 34 games he played. He maintained averages of 7.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in the 2025-26 season, shooting 47.7% from the field and 73.8% from the free-throw line, though he struggled from long range, converting only 16.7% of his three-point attempts.

His best showing during the 2025-26 season came during a 94-73 win over Penn State on Jan. 29. Singleton logged a 17-point, 18-rebound double-double, where he also shot 7-of-10 on the floor, dished out four assists and chipped in two blocks and a steal.

Ryan Prather Jr. is the fifth commit of the weekend, as he committed on Sunday. He is a 6-foot-5, 205-pound guard hailing from Clarksburg, Maryland, is coming off a breakout redshirt junior campaign at Robert Morris.

Ryan Prather Jr., a 6-foot-5, 205-pound guard hailing from Clarksburg, Maryland, is coming off a breakout redshirt junior campaign at Robert Morris. During this career-best season, he started every game and earned All-Horizon League second-team honors by averaging 15.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per contest. He demonstrated efficiency across the board, shooting 44.0% from the field, 36.8% from three-point range, and an impressive 84.7% from the free-throw line.

Prather’s season was highlighted by nine 20-point performances, including a career-high 29 points in a victory over Detroit Mercy. Known for his perimeter precision, the majority of his shot attempts over the past two years have come from beyond the arc.

Over his collegiate career—which began with two years at Akron before transferring to Robert Morris—he has maintained a 37.5% career average from three-point range.

His trajectory has shown consistent growth; prior to his breakout year, he served as a key rotation player for the Colonials in 2024-25, averaging 8.3 points per game. This followed his early collegiate years at Akron, where he redshirted his first season and saw limited action as a redshirt freshman. Through 83 total career games, Prather has established himself as a notable long-range threat and a versatile offensive contributor.