Iowa State basketball: Watch for Jakolby Long
By Doug Winkey
Iowa State basketball will feature many new faces this year. Jakolby Long is one such youngster that might be a key rotation piece.
A new era of Iowa State basketball is about to begin in roughly six months. Gone are six seniors who helped the Cyclones reach its second Sweet 16 in three years and sixth straight NCAA Tournament. A minimum of four new faces will don the cardinal and gold in November. That doesn’t include little-used sophomore Jakolby Long, who I think could make an impact in the rotation.
The 6’5″, 208-pound wing played in just nine games for ISU last year while averaging 1.2 points and 1.1 assists. His best game was a six point, two rebound, one assist game in the opening win over Savannah State. That isn’t much to evaluate, but there are reasons to view the former top 100 recruit with optimism.
The first thing to note with Long is he should be healthy this season. Getting his shoulders in order will greatly help his shooting and defensive ability. Having more freedom of motion is especially important in defending opposing guards. It helps players keep their hands up longer to intercept passing lanes and disrupt dribbling. This is the second-most important observation I can make with the young sophomore.
The second and most important fact that could help Long’s playing is the sheer necessity of his presence. The Cyclones graduated four of the best guards in school history. Replacing those four are a combination of two former bench players and two incoming freshmen. Unknowns always follow with increased roles, so Long has a prime opportunity to show off why he was a top 100 recruit out of high school.
Next: Winners and Losers from the NBA Draft
Now, I’m not expecting the Oklahoma all-stater to set the world on fire; he is still just a sophomore and will battle equally talented guys for time on the perimeter. However, to think he can’t improve over the summer and crack an eight or nine-man rotation is foolish. 12-15 minutes a night in his second year is a perfectly achievable goal in 2017-2018.