Big 12 Basketball: Each team's biggest question entering 2020-21 season

Big 12 Basketball: Each team’s biggest question entering 2020-21 season

LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 02: General view of a basketball and Big 12 logo taken before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Texas Longhorns on January 02, 2016 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech won the game 82-74. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

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AMES, IA – MARCH 03: Jermaine Haley #10 of the West Virginia Mountaineers passes the ball as Caleb Grill #2 of the Iowa State Cyclones defends (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images) /

Iowa State Cyclones – Will the Cyclones be better defensively?

Steve Prohm’s Iowa State Cyclones struggled to a 12-20 record and finished only ahead of Kansas State in the Big 12 standings. In a conference that is known for two things, defense and rebounding those are two areas where Iowa State struggled last season, unfortunately for the Cyclones, those two things go hand-in-hand and with Tyrese Haliburton and Michael Jacobsen and their 11.8 rebounds per game no longer with the program, rebounding could be even more of an issue.

Last season Iowa State finished next to last among Big 12 teams with a -1.5 rebound margin and their 34.28 rebounds per game were just 7th best. With six teams in the conference ranking in the top-60 in the country in field-goal percentage defense last season there is plenty of rebounding opportunities to go around.

But if Iowa State wants to be better at rebounding the ball they also have to be better at defending shooters to give them that chance, and their 289th ranked 45.2% field-goal percentage defense needs to improve.

That is the major question for Iowa State next season, can they improve on the two categories their conference is known for? If not, climbing in the standings may prove to be even more difficult next season.

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