Beyond Borders – Texas, Iowa State Land International Commits
October 23, 2011
Basketball Recruiting
Texas and Iowa State both took Saturday commitments to their college basketball teams, but not necessarily from traditional sources. The Longhorns and Cyclones secured pledges from players that hail from outside of the United States’ borders to bolster both school’s already good 2012 recruiting classes. From Florida Air Academy (FL), via Greece, 6′-8″ wing Ioannis Papapetrou committed to Texas over Kansas, while Iowa State has their lead guard of the future, Naz Long of Canada.
To be frank, not much is known at the present time about Ioannis Papapetrou, whose commitment was first reported by Scout.com. He hasn’t been extensively observed in high-level American events, but one assumes that over the next several months, observers will get a first hand opportunity to see just how good he is, as he’ll be sought out after his Texas pledge. He’s been described as a big guard with mid-range game, which seemed to be somewhat of a gap in the Texas recruiting class so far.
With four other players in the recruiting class that are thought to be fairly ready to compete in the Big 12, there’s the possibility that Papapetrou could be brought along slowly at Texas. The word is that he needs to increase athleticism and adjust to the speed of competition. On the other hand, he will bring international experience to the table, as well as the bloodlines as the son of a former Greek professional basketball player. It remains to be seen just what role he’ll play at Texas, but by all accounts, he is worthy of a spot in completing the roster going forward.
With three dandy players in the fray, Iowa State has to feel good about its 2012 recruiting class as well. Their group got all the more better today, adding a point guard to quarterback the class, 6′-2″ Nazareth Long of REDA (Ontario, Canada). The former Findlay Prep (NV) player committed to the Cyclones while on an official trip.
The Cyclones now have a pair of talented wings in Sherron Dorsey-Walker and Kerwin Okoro, and an underrated forward in Georges Niang committed. If Long can get those three the ball, the Cyclones will be in good shape for the future. It’s clear that coach Fred Hoiberg has wasted no time in upgrading the talent at Iowa State, first through talented transfers, and now on the recruiting trail with incoming freshmen.
Long announced his commitment via Twitter, and made the call after taking a visit to Rice, as well. He competed well for CIA Bounce, a Canadian based AAU team, on the spring and summer circuit. With a handful of point guards already on the roster at Iowa State, Long’s initial contribution may be as a reserve, giving him time to develop.
Beyond Borders - Texas, Iowa State Landed International Commits | Hoopniks