Iowa State’s Talen Horton-Tucker declares for NBA Draft

Iowa State freshman Talen Horton-Tucker is declaring for the NBA Draft, he announced Monday.

Horton-Tucker averaged 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 2018-19 as the Cyclones went 23-12 and won the Big 12 tournament championship.

'First, I want to thank God for giving me the ability to play the beautiful game of basketball,' Horton-Tucker wrote on Twitter. 'I have been blessed beyond measure with so many life changing experiences that I will never take for granted and always hold on to. I would like to thank my coaches, teammates, advisors, friends and the fans at Iowa State for making this chapter in my life a great one. I'll hold on to the relationships that I've built here forever!

'With that being said, after speaking with my family and coaching staff at Iowa State, I believe that it is in my best interest to begin the next chapter of my life and declare for the 2019 NBA Draft!'

Horton-Tucker, a Chicago native, started 34 games for the Cyclones. A 6-foot-4, 233-pound guard, he shot 40.6 percent from the field, 30.8 percent from 3-point range and 62.5 percent at the free-throw line.

Along with seniors Marial Shayok and Nick Weiler-Babb, Cam Lard will not be back at Iowa State next season after deciding to transfer. Sophomore guard Lindell Wigginton went through the NBA Draft evaluation process last year before returning to ISU, but has not announced a decision yet for this year.

'I'll sit down with those guys and we'll see,' Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm said of his players' potential NBA decisions after the team's season ended with an NCAA Tournament first-round loss to Ohio State. 'It's a process that's not going to be decided for a while. But these guys need to look at their opportunities and do what's best for them, and I'll give them my insight. If they do decide to come back, this group can be really, really special.'