Leon Bond Returns to Iowa State

0:00On May 2nd, Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball hit the transfer portal hard right away, losing a bunch of key guys like Cade Kelderman, Dominic, Nelson, Mason Williams, and Milan Mom Solovik on top of Tom and Lipsy, Joshua Jefferson, and Eric Mulder, leaving. That's a ton of experience out the door. But coach TJ Ozzelberger moved fast, landing a commitment from Leon Bond III from Northern Iowa to plug those holes ahead of a strong class of 2026 recruits. Bond's got detized to the program through starting center Blake Buchanan. They kicked off their careers together at Virginia Cavaliers. Bond read shirt to his freshman year, then played 24 games alongside Buchanan in the 2023-2024 season before, heading to Northern Iowa for two years. Fans are buzzing about this reunion, calling it a full circle moment since Buchanan hosted Bond on his Iowa state visit. Their old coach Tony Bennett, who knows Ozzelberger well, likely gave it a nudge too, and social media is already hyped with posts saying Bond will be.

1:03Fun to watch in Cyclone Colors. Now, Bond steps in as a versatile defender, similar to what JR Highs brought last year, but with extra size, exactly what Ozzelberger targeted after. Getting out muscled inside by Tennessee in the sweet 16 loss. With Bond back linking up with Buchanan Iowa, states building depth for run, blending portal vets with fresh talent to stay competitive in the big, 12.