In the third installment of "Iowa State athletics have nothing interesting going on until they announce the women's brackets", we'll take a look at the 2006 recruiting class - a class that originally included Lawrence Westbrook (now at Minnesota) and P'Allen Stinnett (now at Creighton), but was filled in a hurry by new coach Greg McDermott. As an aside, this class had two JUCOs, and three high schoolers, and none made it past two years. Que sera sera. Dodie was more than serviceable as a freshman guard, and truly looked like he'd be a surefire starter down the road. He averaged just over five points a game for the Cyclones, but broke into double digits numerous times in Big 12 play. Was also developing as a shooter. Someone that would have definitely started last year and this year for the Cyclones. Now playing for the Bradley Braves after a year at Vincennes Junior College. Averaged just over 10 points a game. One of the leading scorers in Minnesota basketball history, Cory never really found his niche in his two years at Iowa State. He was a great shooter (when he decided to), but most people will remember him for his game against Greg Oden and Ohio State, when he challenged Oden. Always considered a hard worker, both he and the coaching staff agreed that a parting of the ways was best after last season, and he ended up at Valparaiso, where he redshirted. A bit of a vagabond recruit, Wes was brought in by former Cyclone assistant coach Jean Prioleau and immediately contributed at the 3. After being moved to the off guard position his sophomore year, it was revealed he was hurt worse than previously thought. Not long after, he decided to hit the road, ending up at Syracuse. No one's really sure what went on with Wes, and why exactly he decided to transfer, but it's safe to say that this year's squad would have been much better with him. McIntosh was a star in the California JUCO ranks, but he found the transition to the Big 12 to be too much for him. While he was steady while playing the point, he was hardly anything to write home about, thanks to a lack of offensive ability. He ultimately transferred to Augustana, and is now playing pro ball overseas. Taylor reeked of athleticism, and could almost score at will at times for the Cyclones during his junior campaign. While he was no stranger to turnovers and missed three point buckets, his assist numbers and ability to score in a hurry for the Clones made him one of the most dependable parts of the lineup. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite get his head screwed on right, and ultimately was kicked off the team. His story doesn't end there, as he bounced around, and became the first player ever drafted out of the NBDL. Now providing highlight reel dunks for the Los Angeles Clippers. While this group may lack the star power of a Craig Brackins, it did provide four very serviceable players, with McIntosh as a reasonable bench player for any team that didn't suck. Mike Taylor is now in the NBA, while Wesley Johnson's future probably resides there as well. Cory Johnson is a quality role player for any team, while Dunson would likely have been starting these past two seasons for the Cyclones. Unfortunately, the Cyclones get an 0-fer in terms of player retention for this class, and that's leading to a lot of the problems we've been seeing lately.
G Dodie Dunson F Cory Johnson F Wesley Johnson G Corey McIntosh G Mike Taylor
Filed under:
Loading comments...