Big 12 Basketball: Who is the 2017-18 star player on each team in the conference?

Iowa State – Solomon Young

4.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.8 bpg, 64 FG%, 18 minutes per game

Iowa State’s roster was decimated by graduation as six players, including four starters, exhausted their eligibility. The lone returning starter is Solomon Young and the sophomore center is in line for a much bigger role this season. Young is a powerful and athletic post player who can also protect the rim on defense (1.8 blocks per 40 minutes).

Young broke into the starting lineup in February and played a key role from that point on. In Iowa State’s final 14 games, Young averaged 5.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg in 26.5 minutes per game and started to show his talent. While these stats don’t jump off the page, you need to acknowledge that Young was the fifth option on offense behind talented seniors Monte Morris, Naz Mitrou-Long, Matt Thomas, and Deonte Burton.

With these players gone, Young will have a much bigger role in the offense and could double his production from last season. Unfortunately, this also means that Iowa State will not be nearly as good as they were last season after losing so much production. Even after adding multiple graduate transfers, the Cyclones are just too inexperienced and their talent does not measure up to the rest of the conference.

This should benefit players like Young and Lindell Wigginton, who can get valuable experience this season which will further their development. Solomon Young is a key piece for Iowa State’s future and he should be the Cyclones’ best player this season.