On the stage in Simeon’s auditorium Thursday night, Talen Horton-Tucker took more than a minute to reach into a bag under a table and pull out a baseball cap that would reveal his college decision.
“One second,” he said.
The suspense had been intense during Horton-Tucker’s recruiting journey, which he later called a “long, enjoyable, stressful ride,” but the four-star small forward finally ended the speculation by pulling out an Iowa State cap.
The decision thwarted what Illinois fans had hoped would be an in-state recruiting coup: adding Horton-Tucker to a 2018 class that received a commitment last week from Morgan Park guard Ayo Dosunmu, the top-rated player in the state.
“I just felt comfortable (at Iowa State),” said Horton-Tucker, the No. 4 Class of 2018 prospect in the state and No. 109 nationally, according to 247Sports.com’s composite rankings. “It was probably the best relationship I had with a recruiting staff. I felt at home there.”
Horton-Tucker said he wrestled with the decision up until 15 minutes before his announcement. He said he talked with his mother Wednesday night, and the two felt strongly about Iowa State.
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Xavier was his third finalist, but the decision came down to Illinois versus Iowa State. Horton-Tucker bowed his head and wiped away tears after announcing he will play for the Cyclones. He said the emotion came from a sense of “accomplishment.”
Iowa State was the first high-major program to offer the 6-foot-5 Horton-Tucker a scholarship in June 2016. New Illinois coach Brad Underwood made a strong pitch and offered Dosunmu and Horton-Tucker on the same day.
Speculation arose about tension between Dosunmu’s camp and his AAU team, the Mac Irvin Fire, regarding Horton-Tucker joining him at Illinois. The two played together with the Fire before Horton-Tucker left last spring to join Team Rose.
“My mom raised me to not speak out on things that are not in my control,” Horton-Tucker said. “God has a plan for everything, so that’s the approach I took.”
“I didn’t have a problem playing with Ayo. We could have done something good at Illinois. I chose a different school.”
Horton-Tucker said he talked to Dosunmu on Wednesday.
“He told me do what’s best for me,” he said.
At Iowa State, Horton-Tucker will join fellow Chicago-area prospects Zion Griffin of Hinsdale South and George Conditt of Corliss — the Nos. 5 and 6 players in the composite state rankings — and Wisconsin native Tyrese Haliburton, a friend of Horton-Tucker’s.
sryan@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @sryantribune
