Wallace chosen by Seahawks in draft

Former ISU quarterback Seneca Wallace was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the NFL Draft Sunday.

Wallace, who threw for 5,289 yards and 26 touchdowns in two years with the Cyclones, was taken as the 110th pick overall. The Seahawks padded their secondary with their first two draft picks, choosing Washington State cornerback Marcus Trufant with the 11th pick and Arkansas safety Ken Hamlin with the 42nd overall choice.

Known as a passing and running threat, Wallace became Iowa State’s all-time leader in total offense last season as he concluded his ISU career with 6,201 yards. He led the Cyclones to back-to-back bowl games in 2001 and 2002 and was a consensus All-Big 12 Conference second-team pick last season.

Wallace has made known his preference to play quarterback in the NFL despite some teams’ desire to convert him to a wide receiver. Matt Hasselbeck emerged as the Seahawks’ starting quarterback last season and is backed up by Trent Dilfer, a former starter for the Buccaneers.

The Seahawks are coached by Mike Holmgren and won their last three games of the 2002 season to finish 7-9. They open the 2003 preseason against the San Diego Chargers on Aug. 9.

Wilson chosen by Suns in WNBA draft

Former ISU women’s basketball star Lindsey Wilson was chosen by the Connecticut Sun in the third round of Friday’s WNBA Draft.

Wilson, who was a three-time All-Big 12 Conference performer for the Cyclones, was taken with the 34th overall pick in the three-round, 42-player draft.

“I am very proud of Lindsey,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said in a statement. “It’s nice to see her dream come true. She’s worked very hard for this opportunity and I am excited to see her be able to continue her basketball career in the professional ranks.”

Wilson, a 5-foot-9 point guard, led Iowa State in scoring (19.0) and assists (4.9) per game last season. She holds the school record for career assists and is the single-season leader in assists (207), field goal attempts (472) and 3-point percentage (.537).

Six ISU players have been picked in the WNBA Draft. Angie Welle and Tracy Gahan were picked up in last year’s draft and Megan Taylor went to the Minnesota Lynx after her selection in the 2001 draft. Desir‚e Francis and Stacy Frese became the first Cyclones to enter the WNBA when they were both picked in the 2000 draft.

The Sun became the 14th WNBA team in January and will play its first season this summer. The most notable member of the Sun is former UConn star Rebecca Lobo, who came to the Sun from the Houston Comets.

Mens basketball team adds to roster

The ISU men’s basketball team signed 6-foot-8 power forward Damion Staple Thursday, reuniting him with his former teammate at Southeastern Illinois Community College, Tim Barnes.

Staple earned second-team junior college All-American honors after averaging 15.3 points and 8.6 rebounds last season. He helped lead Southeastern to a 34-2 record and chose Iowa State over Western Kentucky, Georgia and Mississippi State. Staple will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Another post player, 6-foot-9 Reggie George, committed to Iowa State last week. Iowa State also signed three players in the early signing period last fall, including top-100 players Curtis Stinson and Will Blalock. George, Stinson and Blalock will all be freshmen in the fall. Justin Holt, who was the 2002 Washington state player of the year, rounds out the recruiting class and will have three years of eligibility left.

“Time will tell in determining how great this class will be, but we feel very good about the players we have coming in,” ISU head coach Larry Eustachy said in a statement. “With Staple and George it gives us what we needed, size and depth. I definitely feel Blalock and Stinson will fit in at Iowa State as well and will be instrumental in our team’s success. Both had tremendous senior seasons and both are ranked in the top 75 in a number of recruiting services.

“We are losing a number of great players after this season, so we feel confident that we are building a strong base for the future with this class.”

HoopScoop ranked Iowa State’s 2003 recruiting class No. 18 nationally before Staple was added to the mix.

— Jeff Raasch