Ames High
Little Cyclones

Boys Basketball

The Ames High School Little Cyclones boys basketball team is coached by Vance Downs. A member of the Iowa Conference of the Central Iowa Metropolitan League, the Little Cyclones compete in the state’s largest class of high schools.

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The program has won eight state championships, including back-to-back undefeated seasons in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Those teams were anchored by eventual NBA lottery picks Harrison Barnes and Doug McDermott. The 2008-09 team also included Bubu Palo who signed a professional contract with the Miami Heat. 

The Little Cyclones 1991 state championship team was led by Fred Hoiberg who went on to play for the Iowa State Cyclones and later in the NBA. Hoiberg has also coached in the NBA and at the NCAA Division I level.

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The Ames High boys have also won state championships in 1936, 1945, 1955, 1973 and 1976. A total of five Little Cyclones have been on an NBA roster with Dick Gibbs joining the four mentioned above.

The Little Cyclones have won eight championships in school history and became the first large school in Iowa to complete back-to-back undefeated state championship seasons in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010.