I have to admit, I’ve talked to each of Iowa State’s newcomers before, but Wednesday I found myself standing in front of a group of unfamiliar faces mixed with current ISU players asking “OK, who are my new guys?”

 

Thank goodness there’s still plenty of time before basketball season starts.

 

I was excited to see just what the newest Cyclones would do on the opening night of the Capital City League, and I was impressed with their performances just days after arriving in Ames. Marquis Gilstrap scored 22 points to lead his team, “YMCA,” which ultimately lost to Scott Christopherson and Coca-Cola by a score of 98-85. Chistopherson had 15 points.

 

The other truly impressive newcomer was freshman point guard Chris Colvin, who was taken by Peak Performance with the draft’s No. 3 pick. Colvin scored 18 points while running the court with ease just days after graduating from Chicago’s Whitney Young High School.

 

The rookies weren’t the only ones to have good nights. Charles Boozer, who was stellar in last season’s Cap City League, scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Granite Transformations’ 100-81 win against Medical Oncology & Hematology Association (or MOHA, as it says on the jerseys). Dominique Buckley scored 19 points for YMCA, Diante Garrett had 22 for MOHA and Jamie Vanderbeken added 10 for MOHA.

 

Antwon Oliver was the only new ISU player who did not compete; he attended Wednesday’s games and sat on the bench with his Peak Performance teammates but did not participate. Center Justin Hamilton was not in attendance, although ISU coach Greg McDermott stopped by briefly to watch his son, Doug, who is playing in the league. And Ames High’s Harrison Barnes is scheduled to play for Peak Performance, but is in Virginia participating in the NBA Players Association camp.

 

Tomorrow’s Tribune will have a full story on the start of the Cap City League. Look for some interviews with the newcomers in Friday’s paper. And I’ll have an OT with Chris Colvin—who attended a very cool party recently—sometime Thursday.

 

Hopefully that will hold everyone over until Sunday’s round of games.