Iowa State basketball enters a rebuilding year. What can we expect from a young Cyclones’ crew this season?
Any fan who’s paid attention knows this season is full of unknowns for Iowa State basketball. Four starters and six contributors are gone, graduated and off to professional teams near and far. That has left Coach Steve Prohm and his staff in an interesting position where they have to rebuild in year three. That said, few can say they’ve won the Big 12 Tournament, reached the Sweet 16, and made the NCAA Tournament twice in just two years.
That rebuild will feature mostly bench guys from last season’s Sweet 16 run, but transfers will factor heavily as they often do for Iowa State. Three graduates from other schools will try to help ISU reach its seventh straight Big Dance. They’ll join three guys from last year and three strong freshmen. The road won’t be easy for the Cyclones, but the talent is there for a surprising run.
Projected starters:
Solomon Young
Solomon is the lone starter from last year’s Sweet 16 run, but a major factor near the hoop. The Cyclones never played better than after Young was inserted into the lineup. The young man from Sacramento only averaged 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds, but he was the toughest inside guy once he got regular minutes. He will certainly be a bigger part of the offense this season and responsible for much of the interior rim protection.
Nick Weiler-Babb
The younger brother of former ISU star Chris Babb is something of a super-utility guy for the Cyclones. One-time Arkansas role player Nick Weiler-Babb could be set to rock as the team’s best wing defender with his 6’5″, 200-pound frame. He will need to improve on 4.0 points and 3.1 boards, but a year of experience and more freedom to operate could be huge for the junior Swiss Army Knife.
Donovan Jackson
A lot is expected from last year’s backup point guard. The transfer from Iowa Western CC had himself quite the campaign off the pine with an average of 6.4 points and 1.2 assists. He turned into one of the team’s best shooters as he hit 45% of his long-range bombs. He’ll start as part of a likely dual-point guard look for the Cyclones and provide some of the senior leadership. I love this man’s potential this season.
Jeff Beverly
Beverly comes to the program fresh off a year as a Texas-San Antonio Roadrunner. At 6’6″, 250-pounds, Beverly has similar dimensions to departed star Deonte Burton. The former Roadrunner star averaged 15.8 points and 5.9 points on a surprisingly competitive UTSA squad. I’m not sure what he’ll produce against Big 12 opponents, but Beverly is the sort of gritty undersized guy that will give 110% every play.
Lindell Wigginton
The 6’2″, 188-pound guard from Canada by way of Oak Hill Academy is one of Iowa State’s highest-rated recruits ever. He has the inside track to start next to Jackson as one of the more intriguing backcourts in the nation. I see him as major slasher and distributor next to Jackson’s perimeter ability. Wigginton is also one of the best early choices for Big 12 Freshman of the Year.