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Iowa State Basketball: 5 keys for a successful 2018-19 season

By Lukas Harkins

AMES, IA - FEBRUARY 10: An Iowa State Cyclones cheer on her team in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on February 10, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 88-80 over the Oklahoma Sooners. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - FEBRUARY 10: An Iowa State Cyclones cheer on her team in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on February 10, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 88-80 over the Oklahoma Sooners. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /
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AMES, IA – FEBRUARY 10: An Iowa State Cyclones cheer. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA – FEBRUARY 10: An Iowa State Cyclones cheer. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /

Iowa State basketball suffered a down season this past year but there were flashes of a bright future. What might be in store for 2018-19 in Ames?

Most people expected Iowa State basketball to experience a down season this past year considering the team had to say goodbye to four of the best players in program history. While this certainly was the case, the Cyclones still showed plenty of potential moving forward. Amidst an otherwise tough year for Iowa State fans to witness, several stars shone brightly throughout the year, giving hope that the future holds some great things.

For the season, the Cyclones finished just 13-18 (4-14 Big 12). This placed the team in last place in the Big 12. Considering the program had reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the prior six seasons, this can certainly be considered a down year. However, it does not look like the program will be down long. Of the six players who averaged more than five points per game this past season, five of them will be returning for the 2018-19 season. While that loss of Donovan Jackson will hurt, there are many reasons to be excited for this coming year as an Iowa State fan.

For starters, the previously mentioned five returning contributors from last year will be back and better than ever. With an entire offseason to grow together, the expectation is that those players can take their games to new heights during this upcoming campaign. In addition, head coach Steve Prohm is bringing in some dynamite freshmen. With four signees (No. 26 class in the nation) from the 2018 recruiting class, headlined by top-100 recruit Talen Horton-Tucker, the program is not only bringing in a bright future but also some players who can play immediate roles.

In addition, transfers Marial Shayok (Virginia) and Michael Jacobson (Nebraska) will be playing their first minutes in Cyclones’ uniforms. There is clearly plenty to be excited about in Ames, so let’s jump into five keys for Iowa State to be successful in 2018-19.

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