Peterson: Nick Noskowiak latest Marquette to ISU storyThe Des Monies Register
5:36 p.m. CDT April 26, 2015
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa-state/randy-peterson/2015/04/26/nick-noskowiak-accepts-iowa-state-coach-fred-hoibergs-scholarship-offer/26369475/They might as well name the road between Marquette and Iowa State "The Cyclone Highway." Another former Golden Eagle is heading to Ames.Nick Noskowiak made official what everyone has suspected for weeks on Sunday: He accepted Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg's scholarship offer, and he actually did it during a face-to-face, player-to-coach conversation.
That's right. Three days after returning home from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nine days after undergoing his second open heart surgery in 10 years — The Mayor was back in the office.
"Fred looked great," said Noskowiak, who met with his new coach at the practice facility Sunday. "He doesn't look like a guy who just had a major surgery like that. He's a warrior."
The Sun Prairie (Wis.) High School senior committed to Marquette when Buzz Williams was the coach, then opened his recruiting when Williams went to Virginia Tech. Noskowiak signed a letter of intent with new Golden Eagles coach Steve Wojciechowski, then was granted a release in February.
"I'm in a good place," Noskowiak said in a phone interview just before signing the official papers Sunday. "This is where I want to be."
A
t Iowa State he joins Jameel McKay, who attended Marquette but didn't play basketball, and Deonte Burton, who averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 40 games during two seasons with the Golden Eagles before transferring last January. He'll be eligible in mid-December, after the first semester. Iowa State has two more scholarships available for next season.
"I'm already around guys that I know and feel comfortable with," Noskowiak said. "That's' important to me."
And don't forget Marquette transfer Scott Christopherson, who played three seasons at Iowa State between 2010 and 2012.
"Not sure what it is about Iowa State and Marquette," Noskowiak said. "All I know is that I have a great relationship with everybody at Iowa State. That's the most important thing for me."Noskowiak averaged 24 points last season. He missed 11 games for family reasons.
"I don't want to get into all that happened," Noskowiak said. "It was just some personal family struggles — nothing really beyond that. I'm not going to get into it more."Noskowiak fills an important role at Iowa State, first as Monte Morris' understudy, and then possibly the starter, should Morris turn pro after his junior season.
"It's going to be pretty cool to compete and learn every day from the best point guard in the country," Noskowiak said.
Noskowiak has a long relationship with Cyclones assistant coach T.J. Otzelberger, a Milwaukee native. He also knows Georges Niang and Naz Long, who will be seniors on an Iowa State team that ESPN and USA TODAY already has pegged as a preseason Top Five.
"I visited Iowa State when I was a sophomore," Noskowiak said. "I've been talking to T.J., Naz, and Georges ever since."
It just took him a while to find the highway that leads to where they live.
