Cyclones land immediately eligible post for 2015-16

A few weeks ago, I wrote that an Iowa State commitment by former SMU signee Simeon Carter would essentially be “Christmas in July” for new head coach Steve Prohm.

Santa rules.

Assistant coach Daniyal Robinson closed the deal during Thursday afternoon’s practice for Iowa State’s upcoming trip to Spain when Carter, a 6-foot-8 forward, made his commitment. 

 Iowa State made the news official Friday morning.

 “We are really excited to add Simeon to our program,” Prohm said in the release. “He has a really bright future. He comes from a very good high school program in West Charlotte and we think he’s going to be a really good player in the Big 12 for a really long time.”

According to a source, Carter had already signed a financial aid agreement with the school. 

Scout.com first reported the commitment news. 

Carter averaged 14.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.0 blocks during his senior season. Out of high school, Carter reportedly held offers from South Carolina, Kansas State, Nebraska, Temple, Virginia Tech and SMU.  

This time around, Carter, who did not qualify at SMU, chose Iowa State over Oregon and Illinois.

It’s a huge get for Prohm whose top eight for his inaugural season as Iowa State’s head coach is loaded, but severely lacks depth in the frontcourt. Carter, who Rivals tabs as a 3-star, will bring just that.

“Simeon was a highly recruited player that is going to bring really good depth to our team and front court this season,” Prohm said. “We spent a lot of time talking to his high school coaches and Larry Brown (SMU) and in the end we all felt like this was a perfect fit for Simeon and Iowa State.”

 Here’s ISU’s release Friday morning about Carter’s commitment:

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm has announced the addition of Simeon Carter, a 6-8 forward from West Charlotte, North Carolina, to the Cyclones’ 2015-16 roster.

“We are really excited to add Simeon to our program,” Prohm said. “He has a really bright future. He comes from a very good high school program in West Charlotte and we think he’s going to be a really good player in the Big 12 for a really long time.”

Carter, a three-star recruit according Rivals.com and 247sports.com, averaged 14.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game as a senior at West Charlotte High School. West Charlotte went 24-4 in 2014-15, falling in the state semifinals. He scored a season-high 24 points against Hopewell and had four or more blocks in a game 15 times. He also grabbed double-digit rebounds in 15 games, while playing against North Carolina’s biggest high schools.

Carter was a Class 4A all-state selection by ncpreps.com, while earning MECKA 8 All-Conference honors from the league’s coaches.

Carter, who was previously committed to SMU, is immediately eligible for the Cyclones.

“Simeon was a highly recruited player that is going to bring really good depth to our team and front court this season,” Prohm said. “We spent a lot of time talking to his high school coaches and Larry Brown (SMU) and in the end we all felt like this was a perfect fit for Simeon and Iowa State.”