The future of men’s basketball at Iowa State took a step forward after the signing of junior college transfers Tim Barnes and Jerome Harper Wednesday.

ISU assistant basketball coach Randy Brown said it’s hard to say how good the recruiting class is at this point, but he remains very optimistic for next season.

“We’re excited about all five guys that will be new with us next year,” Brown said. “They will be a nice blend.”

Barnes, who hails from Southeastern Illinois Community College, was named the Region XXIV Player of the Year last season after leading his team to a 26-7 record. The 6-foot-1-inch point guard averaged 19.4 points and 7.2 assists per game for SEICC last season and shot more than 46 percent from three-point range.

Barnes chose Iowa State instead of Big 12 Conference rival Oklahoma and four other Division I programs.

Todd Franklin, who coached Barnes for the last two seasons, said Barnes is very exciting to watch and should be a great addition at Iowa State.

“He is the best point guard I have seen at this level in junior college and I have seen a lot of great players,” Franklin said in a written statement. “He was our floor general, emotional leader and our go-to player when we needed a basket.”

Franklin’s opinion is not alone.

Barnes’ name has been listed high by several services that rank junior college prospects by position. Rick Ball of Ballplayers JC Report named Barnes the country’s top junior-college point guard.

Harper played with fellow ISU recruit Chris Alexander at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa. At 6-foot-5, Harper can play guard or forward. He averaged 14.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game for the Warriors last year and spurned thoughts that he may skip college to enter the NBA draft by signing with Iowa State.

Harper boasts a deadly shooting percentage of a little more than 53 percent and is known as a slashing-type player who can take over the game with time winding down. He chose the Cyclones over several other Division I schools, including Oklahoma, Illinois and Florida. Ball named him the fifth-best shooting guard in the nation with his report.

Barnes and Harper run the total number of recruits to five for next season. Alexander, Carroll native Adam Haluska and Jackson Vroman all signed letters of intent last fall.

Brown said it is never an easy transition from the junior college ranks to Division I basketball. He said that it will be up to the more experienced players to bring the newcomers along.

“There’s a major responsibility on the shoulders of the returning players,” Brown said. “They’re going to dictate the attitude of the whole team. We’re on time in this program. We go to every class in this program. That’s something you really lean on your older guys for.”