Cyclone recruit Emmanuel Malou turning pro

AMES — Iowa State men's basketball signee Emmanuel Malou will remain in the NBA Draft and sign with an agent, the school announced Wednesday morning.

'Manny has informed us that he will stay in the NBA Draft,' Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm said in a release. 'We wish him the best as he pursues his dream of playing basketball professionally in the NBA.'

A native of Melbourne, Australia, Malou signed with the Cyclones in November while attending Yuba College in Marysville, Calif., but faced NCAA eligibility issues from the start. Malou attended ABCD Prep in Des Moines — which is now-defunct — before going to Yuba.

Malou played in 23 games at Yuba, averaging 14.7 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 54.4 percent from the field and 47.3 percent from 3-point range. He was ranked as the No. 2 junior college player in the nation and was rated as a four-star recruit by 247sports.com.

Malou spent the second semester of the 2015-16 season at DMACC away from basketball while he focused on academics. The 6-foot-9 forward is not currently projected to be drafted, according to the DraftExpress Mock Draft.

'After careful consideration, I have decided that it is time to pursue my NBA dream and sign with an agent,' Malou said in a statement. 'I know that it is going to require a huge amount of work, but I am motivated and excited for the challenges that lie ahead. I would like to thank all the staff at Iowa State for all that they have done for me. I want to wish them and the players the best of luck in the coming season.'

With Malou's decision, Iowa State now has one open scholarship heading into the summer. The Cyclones will have the option to obtain another graduate transfer — Darrell Bowie and Merrill Holden already have signed with ISU — or get a sit-out transfer from the upcoming season.

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