Iowa State Men's Basketball Signs Three to Letters of Intent

AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State men's basketball program made a positive step toward building a solid foundation for the future with the announcement of its signees for the recruiting class of 2002-03 today. The Cyclones signed three players to national letters of intent in a class that has been ranked among the top 10 in a number of recruiting services. The class consists of two junior college players: Chris Alexander (7-1, 235, Center, Indian Hills {Iowa} CC) and Jackson Vroman (6-10, 230, C-F, Snow {Utah} CC) and prep Adam Haluska (6-5, 205, G, Carroll HS, Carroll, Iowa).

"As a whole, this group can come in and have an impact on the program immediately," ISU head coach Larry Eustachy said. "The combination of the new recruits and the young talent already in our program has me extremely optimistic for the future."

Iowa State Signee Capsules

Adam Haluska (pronounced Ha-LUH-ska)
Guard, 6-5, 205, Freshman
Carroll, Iowa (Carroll)
High School
Generally considered one of the top players in Iowa and a top-75 national recruit, Adam Haluska was one of the earliest commitments in Cyclone basketball history...Haluska, arguably the best prep athlete in the state, committed to ISU and Larry Eustachy prior to his sophomore year in high school in November of 1999...the 6-5 guard has the ability to shoot from long range and the athleticsm to score and drive to the hoop...Eustachy saw Haluska's potential early on, but it wasn't until Haluska competed at the Adidas ABCD camp in the summer of 2001 when he started receiving national recognition...the Carroll prep was outstanding at the Adidas camp, making the senior all-star team, earning top-five shooting guard honors and was ranked among the top 25 players at the camp...he followed that camp with some impressive AAU performances, increasing his stock dramatically...Haluska's name appears in the following prep individual national rankings: FoxSports.com, No. 32; Bob Gibbons All-Star Report, No. 59; PrepStars.com, No. 72; ESPN.com, No. 43; HoopScoop, No. 59; TheInsiders.com, No. 78; Basketball News, No. 50; Sporting News, No. 71; Athlon Sports, No. 10 shooting guard; ESPN.com, No. 7 shooting guard...though not a national name until this summer, Haluska has been known for some time in Iowa...as a four-year starter for Carroll, Haluska has averaged over 17 ppg since his freshman year in high school...a two-time first-team Des Moines Register Class 3-A all-state selection as a sophomore and junior, Haluska averaged 17.6 ppg and 6.9 rpg as a freshman, 21.5 points and eight boards as a sophomore and 29.8 points and 11 rebounds as a junior...as a freshman, shot 61 percent (136-223) from the field and 50 percent (19-38) from three-point range...as a sophomore, shot 55.8 percent (186-333) from the field and 79.2 percent (57-72) from the foul line...as a junior, shot 53.6 percent from the field (288-537) and 37.7 percent (52-138) from three-point range...was the Class 3-A state player of the year as a junior in 2001...has earned first-team all-conference honors all three seasons and his squad has won the Raccoon River Conference title all three years...is already Carroll's all-time leading scorer with 1,518 points...also lettered in baseball, football and track and field...his track and field exploits have been well documented...was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the 2001 Iowa State Track and Field Championship as a junior...was the Class 3-A state champion in the 100-meters (10.84), 200-meters (21.67) and long jump (23-3 1/4)...his times in the 100 and 200-meters were Class 3-A state records...also won the Class 3-A long jump title as a sophomore...son of Steve and Kim Haluska...his father is the principal at Carroll High School...high school coach is Keith Stribe.

Eustachy Says:
"This has been a long time coming. He is the earliest commitment in ISU basketball history. With how early he committed and the proximity of this hometown (Carroll), I think he will adjust quicker than anybody."

Chris Alexander
Center, 7-1, 235, Junior
Chicago, Ill. (Thornton Township/Indian Hills CC)
Indian Hills Community College
One of the top centers in junior college...is a good scorer and is a solid shot-blocker...helped Indian Hills to the Region II title and a fourth-place national tournament finish...Alexander missed eight games and was hampered the majority of his freshman season because of a broken jaw...averaged 5.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 1.0 bpg in a reserve role after the injury...prior to the injury, scored double figures in three-straight games, including 20- and 21-point nights...was a 59 percent shooter from the field...picked ISU over DePaul, Oklahoma, Fresno State and Kansas State...picked as the sixth-best junior college center by Van Coleman's FutureStars...Greg Swaim picked Alexander as the 11th-best junior college prospect...Rick Ball of Ballplayers JC Report has Alexander listed as the 10th-best center in junior college...coached in junior college by Mike Marquis and Lorenzo Watkins.

Eustachy Says:
"Chris has unlimited potential. He is by far and away the quickest, most athletic big man I have ever had the opportunity to coach."

Jackson Vroman
Center, 6-10, 230, Junior
Bountiful, Utah (Viewmont/Snow CC)
Snow Community College
Another late bloomer who has emerged as one of the top junior college prospects...was not recruited heavily out of high school because he attended four different high schools...his parents relocated so frequently, he never established eligibility until his senior year...can run the floor well, is physical inside and has a 35-inch vertical leap...Vroman earned first-team Scenic West Conference and Region 18 all-district honors as a freshman after leading the team in scoring (10.8 ppg) and rebounding (5.6 rpg)...because Snow utilized an 11-player rotation, Vroman averaged only 13.1 minutes per game...started 18 games and shot 54.3 percent (132-243) from the floor...tallied 13 blocks and 20 steals...scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds vs. Ricks College...snared a career-high 14 rebounds vs. College of Eastern Utah...team finished 26-6 his freshman season...is a fourth-team preseason junior college All-American from Street & Smith's...FutureStars picked him as the second-best junior college center...Greg Swaim has Vroman listed as the fourth-best junior college prospect...selected as the ninth-best junior college center by Rick Ball Ballplayers JC Report...chose ISU over Utah, Utah State, Wyoming and Purdue...coached in junior college by Curtis Condie, who was an assistant coach for Larry Eustachy at Utah State...father, Brett, played basketball at UCLA and UNLV and was drafted in the fourth round of the 1978 NBA Draft.

Eustachy Says:
"At 6-10, Jackson is a Martin Rancik-type player. He can shoot and he is extremely active and has unlimited potential."