Iowa State signs graduate transfers Darrell Bowie, Merrill Holden

AMES — Hours after indicating freshman Brady Ernst will transfer, the Iowa State men's basketball team officially announced two graduate transfers with immediate eligibility.

Darrell Bowie (Northern Illinois) and Merrill Holden (Louisiana Tech) both signed with the Cyclones, the team announced Monday. Bowie committed to Iowa State in March while Holden committed on a visit during the weekend, it was reported.

Bowie (6-foot-7 forward) and Holden (6-foot-8 forward) both provide experienced frontcourt help after the exhausted eligibilities of Georges Niang, Jameel McKay and Abdel Nader. The pair will compliment an experienced backcourt led by Monte Morris, Matt Thomas and Naz Mitrou-Long.

'We are excited about the additions of Darrell and Merrill,' ISU coach Steve Prohm said in a release. 'Having multiple players graduate that played significant minutes from last year's team, including more than 30 a game each from Georges (Niang), Jameel (McKay) and Abdel (Nader), we knew we would need to find experience and we were able to do that. I look forward to having them join our program and feel they will be big contributors to our team.'

Bowie averaged 8.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in three seasons at Northern Illinois, but red-shirted in 2015-16 while he recovered from a shoulder injury suffered the season prior. The Milwaukee native averaged 13.1 points and 7.1 rebounds in his limited junior season.

Holden averaged 8.1 points and 5.0 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per game at Louisiana Tech last season. He shot 51.6 percent from the field, averaged 1.1 blocks per game and started the final 16 games last year, averaging 10.2 points and 5.3 rebounds in those contests.

After Iowa State lost Ernst, Hallice Cooke and Jordan Ashton to transfer, Prohm will bring in seven signees to the 2016-17 roster. Donovan Jackson, Emmanuel Malou, Jakolby Long and Solomon Young all signed last fall. Cameron Lard, Bowie and Holden are spring signees.

The Cyclones have arrived at 13 scholarships filled for the upcoming season. The only situation still in flux is that of Malou, who is working through NCAA eligibility concerns. Should Malou not make it to Ames, Iowa State will have one scholarship available for a mid-year transfer or use it to red-shirt a transfer that must sit out a full season.

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