Utah Utes basketball: Star Will Clyburn heading to Iowa St.

SALT LAKE CITY — Will Clyburn is heading to Iowa State.

Utah's leading scorer and rebounder last season, who averaged 17.1 points and 7.8 boards to earn All-Mountain West Conference honors, is transferring to Iowa State at the end of the semester. As per NCAA transfer rules, the 6-foot-7 forward will redshirt next year and complete his final year of collegiate eligibility for the Cyclones in 2012-13.

"I felt like it was a good fit for me," Clyburn said.

Citing a desire to be closer to his home in Detroit, Clyburn asked new Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak for his release last week. He has practiced with the Utes since, but ultimately decided the move as in his best interest. Clyburn likes the direction Iowa State is headed after going 16-16 under first-year coach Fred Hoiberg and thinks the Cyclones are becoming a real contender in the Big 12.

"I'm not going to have any regrets about it," he said while expressing confidence that things are going to work out. "My time out here was great. I got to bond with my team. The fans here are great. It's a great community. I have nothing bad to say about Utah."

The chance to redshirt and improve his game was another factor in Clyburn's decision to leave the Utes. He had hoped to do so under ex-coach Jim Boylen, but the opportunity never materialized.

"This is something I've wanted to do since I got here but I wasn't able to," Clyburn said. "I'm really excited to do this right now."

Iowa State is near Marshalltown Community College, where Clyburn played junior college ball before transferring to Utah.

As for the Utes, Clyburn is confident things will turn around. He thinks Krystkowiak and his staff will get the program back on a good note. They were 13-18 in Clyburn's lone season.

email: dirk@desnews.com