Hills West's Sledge commits to Iowa State

Quick decisions on the court are a specialty for returning All-Long Island point guard Tavon Sledge of Half Hollow Hills West. Turns out he's that way off the court, too.

Sledge, a 5-8 whippet, led the Colts to the first Long Island championship in school history last year as a junior by averaging 17.8 points, 10.4 assists, 3.1 steals and had more than 50 dunks. Monday, he said he would accept a basketball scholarship at Iowa State of the Big 12.

"Once I had a gut feeling, I figured, 'what was I waiting for?' " Sledge said last night during an informal practice at Hills West. "Originally, I was going to take my time with the decision, but as each day went by, it was getting harder and harder to compare the schools."

He made the announcement around 11 a.m. Monday in the Hills West library, phoning Iowa State in the presence of his family and school officials. Sledge said he had narrowed his scholarship offers to three schools - St. John's, Texas-El Paso and Iowa State and chose the Cyclones after thoroughly enjoying his official visit last weekend.

"If I went to St. John's, I'd be playing in the Big East against the same AAU kids I've played with for years," Sledge said. "I decided I wanted to go away. I'm ready for this. I loved the campus and the school spirit. College will be a learning experience and I'm comfortable with my choice."

First-year Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg, a former Cyclones star who played in the NBA, put an all-court press on Sledge. "The coaches came to every one of my games at the Nationals and Super Showcase in Orlando," Sledge said of one of his summer AAU stops. "That impressed me. They showed me a lot of love. He told me over the weekend that he'll play an up-and-down style and that fits me."

The quicker the better.