Cut from Iowa State, Four-Star Iowa Native Xavier Foster Picks SMU

Iowa State transfer Xavier Foster is heading to Dallas, Texas to play at Southern Methodist University per On3.

Coming out of high school Foster of Oskaloosa was one of the most coveted recruits in the country. The four-star hooper had offers from some of the top basketball programs in the nation, including the 2021 and 2022 NCAA Division I national champions -- Baylor and Kansas.

His final two choices came down to Iowa and Iowa State. He chose the Cyclones.

The 7-foot center didn't spend much time in Ames, though. During the 2020-2021 season, Foster played in just seven games before having season-ending surgery on his right foot in January. The center put up four points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game that season.

Following a three-month rehab, head coach Steve Prohm being fired, and TJ Otzelberger taking over the program, Foster was dismissed from the team in October of 2021. According to KCCI, "Although a specific cause for his removal was not released by the university, Foster was accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old female in 2020."

After a nearly year-long investigation, Ames police announced in February of this year that Foster was no longer under investigation in the case due to the fact that there was not enough evidence to support charges in the case.

In the coming month, Foster received interest and offers from a barrage of schools that were intrigued by his availability:

Though not among the teams listed above, Foster visited the SMU campus this past weekend and decided to announce his commitment to the program yesterday, May 1.

The Mustangs hired new head coach Rob Lanier in March after failing to make the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive year. They went 24-9 and finished second in the American Athletic Conference in 2021-2022. Their season came to a close after losing to Washington State 63-50 in the second round of the NIT.