***WBB: 2026 Recruiting Thread***

[mred]

That little fadeaway at her height could be really good.

 

[StClone]

Lemonade. Jimmy Rogers is making it. Bill too. I want our coaches and school to not only succeed with the hand they've been dealt, but to blow it up. Bill has literally scoured the globe securing talent, and I respect that immensely. I may not post much as the season rolls around, but I'll be there supporting them in spirit.

 

[loyalsons4evertrue]

Hoping she can adapt to DI hoops

 

[mred]

Hoping she can adapt to DI hoops

Yes. I do like her highlights but that is clearly not DI defense she's facing.

 

[StClone]

Yes. I do like her highlights but that is clearly not DI defense.

She will be pushed around on Defense and that will be one big adjustment.

 

[kcdc4isu]

I like that she does not shy away from contact, uses either hand with shots and was being active with her blocks Will be interesting to see how she does against D1 players.

 

[Cyfan1965]

She looks like she is a threat to pass the ball as well. I hope she can make the adjustment.

 

[StClone]

Smyle must be her preferred nickname.

To pronounce "Xiao Zhang" from resources:

1. "Xiao" sounds like "shy-ow," with a soft "sh" and a rising tone.
2. "Zhang" is pronounced like "jahng," with a nasal "ng" at the end.
3. Emphasize the first syllable in both names: "Xiao" and "Zhang."
4. Practice saying them together: "shy-ow jahng."

 

[ISU_Guy]

Pretty optimistic about this addition. See a lot of potential

 

[CloneSt8]

Saw a Facebook video that showed a lots of her blocked shots. Reminded me of Stephanie Suares in that on most she didn't swat them out of bounds but sometimes to herself!

 

[BleedCycloneRed]

The new recruit appears to play center and makes an effort to play defense. Does CBF know how to coach a player that makes that effort as we have not seen that in a while.

 

[OWLCITYCYFAN]

Is she really 6'6" ? She moves like a deer. If her experience translates into our system and stays healthy this could be a great puzzle piece. F'n awesome...does what a post should and very actively.

This is an exciting development but I'm going to temper my enthusiasm until she's in Ames and enrolled at ISU. I remember Ivan Chiriaev all too well...

 

[JimDogRock]

The highlight videos look to be from when she was playing on the Chinese U19 team in the summer of 2023.
I don’t see that she has played any sanctioned basketball since then, so this is a wildcard addition to our team at the post position where we badly needed another piece for depth.
Very exciting to get her added to the squad and see what she can bring.

 

[StClone]

The new recruit appears to play center and makes an effort to play defense. Does CBF know how to coach a player that makes that effort as we have not seen that in a while.

It maybe splitting 头发's (Mandarine for hair) but Smyle is active away from the basket which lends me to call her a post versus a center like Audi. By the way I hope she gets up to speed as she could be very effective against Audi with some specific skill development.

 

[StClone]

She is in training but there may be more current info out there:

On March 18, 2025, she won the championship of the Northeast Division in the 27th CUBAL Chinese University Basketball Association League. On July 25, 2025 (local time), she won the gold medal in the women's basketball event at the 32nd World University Summer Games with her team. In December 2025, she participated in the National Women's Basketball Training Camp organized by the Chinese Basketball Association. In January 2026, she joined the team's training as a non-roster member to prepare for the World Cup Qualifiers.

Zhang Xiao

Zhang Xiao attended Xi'an Tie Yi High School. In 2023, to bolster the inside depth of the Chinese U19 National Youth Team, she was urgently recruited to the team without any joint training.On September 21, 2021, in the 19-and-under women's basketball 5th-8th place classification match at the...

baike.baidu.com

 

[CY9008]

The highlight videos look to be from when she was playing on the Chinese U19 team in the summer of 2023.
I don’t see that she has played any sanctioned basketball since then, so this is a wildcard addition to our team at the post position where we badly needed another piece for depth.
Very exciting to get her added to the squad and see what she can bring.

Internationally sanctioned you mean? She just won a CUBAL championship with her university team like 2 days ago.

 

[Cloneman89]

Hope she does the smackdown on Audi the Crook! Sickens me that she took money and played half ass. Her demands drove off rest of team!