Austin Ash to return to Iowa men's basketball program, will be on scholarship for 2021-22 season

Austin Ash is coming back for another year of college basketball.

Iowa men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery announced Friday that Ash will return to the program for the 2021-22 season. McCaffery also announced that Ash will be on scholarship for the year, too.

"Austin earned this scholarship," McCaffery said in a release. "Austin is experienced and has been a valuable teammate on and off the floor. He knows our system and doesn’t make mistakes.

"We are excited to have Austin return for his fifth season."

Ash, a 6-foot-3 guard from Mount Vernon, has primarily served on the scout team during his Iowa career, but has also seen limited action in 26 career games, during which he's averaged 1.6 points per game on 31.1-percent shooting.

This past season, Ash scored in five of the nine games in which he played, including a season-high six points and a steal against Northern Illinois.

"It was a dream come true to get a scholarship to come back and play for the Hawkeyes," Ash said in a statement. "This is something that has been a goal of mine since I stepped foot on campus as a freshman. It means so much to me and my family.

"I am excited to get to work."

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.