Iowa State Cyclones
2017-2018 Overall Rank: #63
Conference Rank: #8 Big 12
Conference Rank: #8 Big 12
Iowa State made the NCAA Tournament for the sixth consecutive season in 2016-17, but this year’s Cyclones squad will have a completely different look to it. Iowa State loses five of their top six scorers from a season ago, most notably their undisputed leader Monte Morris. Head coach Steve Prohm will have his hands full attempting to get a brand-new Iowa State team back to the NCAA Tournament. The Cyclones did bring in some talented transfers and freshmen, but competing in the Big 12 with so many changing pieces will be no easy task.
2016-17 Record: 24-11, 12-6
2016-17 Postseason: NCAA Tournament
Coach: Steve Prohm
Coach Record: 47-23 at Iowa State, 151-52 overall
2016-17 Postseason: NCAA Tournament
Coach: Steve Prohm
Coach Record: 47-23 at Iowa State, 151-52 overall
Who’s Out:
The Cyclones will be without many familiar faces this year. The face of the program, Monte Morris, has graduated and leaves a major hole at point guard. Morris set records with his assist-to-turnover ratio throughout his career and was named to the All-Big 12 First Team as a senior. Morris led the team in scoring and assists last season, but his on-court leadership will be missed the most. Also graduated are double-digit scorers Deonte Burton, Matt Thomas and Naz Mitrou-Long. Burton was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team behind his 15.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. Burton did a little bit of everything for the Cyclones, and his versatile play will be tough to replace. Mitrou-Long scored 15.1 points per game as a senior, earning him All-Big 12 Second Team honors. Mitrou-Long led the Big 12 in three-pointers made per game, and his ability to score in bunches will be missed. Matt Thomas scored 12.3 points per game and shot 44.5% from three in his final season as a Cyclone. Thomas was one of the best shooters in school history, ranking third in career three-pointers made. Grad transfers Darrell Bowie and Merrill Holden have both run out of eligibility. Bowie made nine starts in his lone season at Iowa State, averaging 5.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Holden made 14 starts, averaging 2.4 points and 2.0 rebounds.
Who’s In:
Coach Steve Prohm had to bring in plenty of new faces to replace all the departures. Jeff Beverly, Hans Brase and Zoran Talley are grad transfers who elected to play their last collegiate seasons at Iowa State. Beverly is a big 6-6 forward who was previously a tight end at UTSA. Beverly played basketball as a walk-on last season and led UTSA with 15.8 points per game. Brase has only played five games in the past two seasons due to multiple right knee injuries. Brase averaged 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds for Princeton in 2014-15, his last full season. Talley was named Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year last season behind 11.3 points per game for Old Dominion. All three players will add experience and scoring production for the Cyclones this year. Iowa State will also have three freshmen join the team. The stud of the group is Lindell Wigginton, a four-star guard who played well for Canada’s FIBA U19 World Cup team. Wigginton is a consensus top-50 recruit who will be groomed to replace Morris at point guard. Terrence Lewis is also a four-star guard who was ranked as the top player in Wisconsin. Lewis averaged 26 points and 10 rebounds as a high school senior. Cameron Lard will join the roster this season after redshirting his first year at Iowa State. Lard is a 6-9 forward who was a three-star recruit.
Who to Watch:
Iowa State won’t have a totally new roster as they bring back four contributors from last season. Donovan Jackson is the most productive returning player as he was fifth on the team in scoring with 6.4 points per game. Jackson was the Cyclones’ sixth man, providing a spark off the bench by shooting a lights-out 45.4% from three. Jackson will have to take on a bigger role this season and needs to keep up that shooting efficiency. Freshman Solomon Young had an impressive debut season for the Cyclones. Young stepped into the starting lineup in February, making 12 starts in which Iowa State went 10-2. Young had an 18-point, 12-rebound game against Kansas State, and the Cyclones hope to see more of that this season. Nick Weiler-Babb had a solid first season at Iowa State after transferring in from Arkansas. Weiler-Babb averaged 16.5 minutes, 4.0 points and 3.1 rebounds off the bench. Weiler-Babb will be expected to continue to grow as a junior this year. Lastly, Jakolby Long is back after seeing action in nine games as a freshman last season. Long was a four-star recruit and should see more playing time this year as a sophomore.
Final Projection:
Steve Prohm and Iowa State will have a challenge ahead trying to get an almost completely new-look team back to the NCAA Tournament. With the Big 12 always being so loaded, it’s nearly impossible to miss a beat and stay competitive in the conference. The Cyclones will have to get all the new pieces on the same page early in the season to have a chance to make noise in the Big 12. If Iowa State struggles to harmonize this season, they could get left in the dust by the conference’s powerhouses. The Cyclones have the talent to get back to the NCAA Tournament, but it won’t be easy with so many new pieces playing together.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Lindell Wigginton, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Donovan Jackson, Senior, Guard, 6.4 points per game
Zoran Talley, Junior, Forward, 11.3 points per game
Jeff Beverly, Senior, Forward, 15.8 points per game
Solomon Young, Sophomore, Center, 4.4 points per game
Lindell Wigginton, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Donovan Jackson, Senior, Guard, 6.4 points per game
Zoran Talley, Junior, Forward, 11.3 points per game
Jeff Beverly, Senior, Forward, 15.8 points per game
Solomon Young, Sophomore, Center, 4.4 points per game
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 80.8 (28th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 72.3 (181, 8)
Field-Goal Percentage: 47.2 (42, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.8 (122, 5)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 9.8 (16, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 40.0 (15, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 70.0 (178, 5)
Rebound Margin: -3.4 (292, 10)
Assists Per Game: 15.8 (38, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.1 (7, 1)
Scoring Offense: 80.8 (28th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 72.3 (181, 8)
Field-Goal Percentage: 47.2 (42, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.8 (122, 5)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 9.8 (16, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 40.0 (15, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 70.0 (178, 5)
Rebound Margin: -3.4 (292, 10)
Assists Per Game: 15.8 (38, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.1 (7, 1)
Madness 2017 Men’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#29 Lindell Wigginton
#101 Terrence Lewis
