For the second week in a row, Iowa State and Steve Prohm have scored with a Rivals150 prospect. Monday night the Cyclones added intriguing point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
A 6-foot-5 playmaker who impressed during the late summer with Wisconsin United, Haliburton pointed to his comfort level with the Iowa State staff as a reason for his commitment. He also liked the work they do with guards and the vision they had for his time in Ames.
“I think the school itself is really good fit for me," Haliburton told Rivals.com. "I get along with the staff really well and I think I could see myself flourishing there with the success that they have had with previous guards.
“I have the best relationship with these guys. I talk to them like every night and it seems like they have a plan for me of where I would fit in and how good they think I could be if I put in the work. That’s why I loved it.”
Capable of playing the point, as a shooting guard or possibly even as a small forward, Haliburton will allow for lots of flexibility when it comes to setting a lineup.
“I think I’m going to play all over," said Haliburton. "Primarily I’m a point guard so offensively I’ll have the ball in my hands more to make decisions. Defensively once I get stronger I’ll be able to guard the one and the two and maybe the three as I add strength.”
Haliburton said that the Cyclones coaches told him they saw some of former five-star and UCLA star Lonzo Ball in his game. Moving forward, he wants to focus on being great on the defensive side of the ball and beefing up his middle game.
“Defensively with my length I need to be a really good defender," said Haliburton. "I want to be a great defender, not just a good defender. My pull-up jumper could use some work, I primarily use a floater for my in between game so I could work on that for sure.”
Halburton joins four-star small forward Zion Griffin who committed to the Cyclones last week. The two have actually already played together.
"At the beginning of July we were both at the Powerade All-America camp," said Haliburton. "We didn't know each other before that but we played on the same team there and I think we play really well together."