Fresh off his official visit this past weekend, Scotland Campus Sports’ Class of 2020 guard Darlinstone Dubar committed to Iowa State on Tuesday.
The Charlotte, N.C. native was offered three weeks ago.
Feeling a sense of belonging and the opportunity to play meaningful minutes right away, Dubar pulled the trigger less than 24 hours after his flight home.
The 6-foot-6, 185-pound off guard is coming off a tremendous summer in which he emerged as a routine 20+ point scorer for BMaze Elite, including a 29 point first-half eruption to help pioneer them to a marquee and memorable win over DC Premier in the UA Elite 8.
Scotland Campus head coach Chris Chaney has long had a relationship with Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm and staff. The mutual respect and trust between the two programs ultimately played a role in Dubar’s decision.
“D-Stone has the opportunity to be a very special player at Iowa State,” Chaney said.
“Steve Prohm is known to really prepare his players offensively and D-Stone really fits their style of play and aligns with the system they run over there. He’s a very heady scorer, he’s a willing passer, he’s got a lot of tools that will lead to success there.”
As a bigger guard, Dubar poses a threat with his versatility on both sides of the floor.
Offensively, he’s a certifiable and proven three-level scorer. He has improved as a vertically explosive scorer with a knack for knifing his way to the rim and finishing through contact.
Having undergone a transformation–growing two inches and simultaneously adding strength to a once-skinny frame since his days at Rocky River High School (NC)–Dubar has kept the guard’s skill set intact while increasing his scoring rate gradually.
And while he’s shown an adeptness at hitting corner 3-pointers, Dubar boasts a crafty all around offensive arsenal.
He can hit the mid-range bank shot. He can finish around the rim ambidextrously and barrel his way into the paint.
Defensively, Dubar has exemplified a multi-positional approach with his ability to guard the 1-4.
Dubar chose the Cyclones over Wichita State, Seton Hall, Auburn, Notre Dame, and several others. He recently visited Maryland and he was able to show his scoring aptitude while playing in an open run with West Virginia during a campus visit back in September.
Prior to committing to Iowa State, the program which prioritized him and spoke with his parents prior to the official visit (Nov 1-3), Wichita State was in heaviest pursuit of him.
According to Dubar, he became cognizant he could play with anybody in the country following a 34-point outburst against Bella Vista (AZ) and Terry Armstrong while at Athens Prep (TN) last season.
He decided to do a post-graduate year at the urging of AAU coach Bobby Maze. Maze, the former Tennessee star, played under Scotland Campus head coach Chris Chaney while at the now-defunct Patterson School in North Carolina. The two coach together in the summer.
“Playing for BMaze, I kept saying to myself that I really want to play right away as a freshman in college and be an impact player from the jump,” said Dubar.
“I really wasn’t looking to redshirt as a freshman or come off the bench. That’s just not me. Coach Maze basically said I need to develop a killer instinct and not shy away from taking the big shots. He told me a lot about Scotland Campus and how it would prepare me to be an immediate impact player as a freshman. He played for coach Chaney and he coached with him so he told me this place would get me ready for my freshman year.”
