Linn-Mar senior will get chance to earn scholarship at Iowa

Two of the three most prolific scorers in University of Iowa history will have sons on next year's men's basketball team.

Darius Stokes, a 6-foot-8 forward from Linn-Mar, will join the Hawkeyes as a walk-on this fall. His father, Greg Stokes, ranks third all-time in scoring at Iowa with 1,768 points. Darius will join Devyn Marble, son of Iowa's all-time leading scorer Roy Marble, on next year's team.

The thought of following his dad's Iowa legacy was pivotal for Darius Stokes in deciding to walk on at Iowa.

“I've always wanted to follow in his footsteps. He's always wanted me to be a Hawkeye,” Darius Stokes said. “I was thinking about Kirkwood for one or two years to develop my game and hopefully go D-I.”

Darius Stokes, who stands nearly 6 feet, 8 inches, met Tuesday with McCaffery and Iowa's coach offered him the chance to play right away.

“I've always been a Hawkeye so when he gave me that opportunity, I couldn't turn him down,” he said. “(McCaffery) said he's not going to treat me like a walk-on; he's going to treat me like everyone else on the team. If I put the work in and I get on the weights, I might have a chance to play next year. He said after a year if I show what I can do and if I can improve on my game, I'll have a chance to earn a scholarship.”

Darius Stokes, 18, averaged 5.6 points and 3 rebounds for the Lions last year. He primarily plays at forward but could grow into a center.

“I think my dad said he was 6-7 when he got to Iowa. He grew a couple more inches,” Darius Stokes said. “I think I still have got a couple of inches left.”

Darius Stokes said he'll play in the Prime Time League this summer and could take a couple of summer classes before playing in the fall.

“I've always dreamed of wearing the black and gold,” he said. “I'm just excited for the opportunity.”