Rashad Vaughn sat courtside Sunday as Iowa State stunned No. 7 Michigan, 77-70, at Hilton Coliseum.
Iowa State fans showed out for Vaughn, too.
“The atmosphere was crazy,” Pete Kaffey, a Findlay Prep assistant and Vaughn’s mentor, told SNY.tv. “The fans all brought Fatheads [of Vaughn]. The whole time they were chanting his name. It was nice to hear.”
As recruiting tools go, this was a strong job by the Cyclones in terms of impressing an elite recruit.
“Yeah I liked it a lot,” the 6-foot-5 Vaughn told SNY.tv by phone Monday night.
“I just liked the atmosphere. The fans are amazing. [I was] hanging out with coach [Fred Hoiberg], the family and the coaching staff, building some relationships.”
Asked where Iowa State stood with him right now, the Henderson (NV) Findlay Prep guard said, “I’m feeling them strong.”
He’s still working with a list of seven schools — Arizona, Minnesota, Iowa State, UNLV, Baylor, North Carolina and Kansas. He visits UNLV next weekend and will trip to North Carolina at some later date.
“UNLV visit next week and North Carolina sometime after that,” Vaughn said.
He may cut his list at some point coming up, too.
“I’ll probably trim it sometime, I don’t know when,” Vaughn said.
Kaffey said Vaughn is still considering the other schools on his list for now.
“He likes those schools, Baylor, Kansas, those type of schools, even Arizona is coming hard, too,” Kaffey said.
UNLV is a quasi-local school for Vaughn now. Even though he’s a Minnesota native, he’s now going to school in Las Vegas.
As for North Carolina, he nearly committed there last spring and is looking forward to visiting again.
“I like them,” he said of the Tar Heels. “I’m waiting to go on a visit and see a game and stuff like that.”
Still, Iowa State remains in good position with Vaughn.
“Iowa State was great,” Kaffey said. “The way they play fits Rashad’s style. They go up and down, they use their guards. They exploit a lot of mismatches.
“He’s had a relationship with that whole staff since he was 13.”
And Vaughn could fit in there well next season.
“They’re going to have a good team next year,” Kaffey said. “They’re looking for that guy to come in and put them over the top. Without him they’re still going to have a good team.”
Kaffey said Vaughn is averaging 23 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals for Findlay Prep, while playing the one and the two.
“We’re winning lot of games and he’s playing hard,” Kaffey said.
“College coaches are going to want to have that versatility, that he can play the two or the one. His stock is going to keep going up. He’s one of the only guys left, along with Myles Turner and Justise Winslow, who hasn’t committed.”
Vaughn likely won’t sign until late.
“He’s still shooting for a spring date to commit,” Kaffey said.
