Big 12 Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2020-21 season

Finding a way to replace the outgoing Tyrese Haliburton was always going to be the key part for Iowa State this offseason. They did as well as they could, landing DePaul grad transfer Jalen Coleman-Lands, along with Memphis eligible-transfer guard Tyler Harris. They, along with returning lead scorer Rasir Bolton (14.7 ppg) and Tre Jackson make a good scoring backcourt but there are some concerns with this group.

Besides some concern about the lack of size among the four, there’s also no clear-cut true point guard in the group. Bolton did his best once Haliburton was injured by the Cyclone’s offense was just never the same. Harris is the most likely to take that lead role but at Memphis, the 5’9 guard did better when off the ball instead of being a lead facilitator.

That’s not the only thing Iowa State has to deal with. Ole Miss transfer Blake Harris was set to be the team’s starting small forward but in this past week, declared himself out for the upcoming season due to medical issues. That leaves 6’6 Troy transfer forward Javan Johnson, who sat out per NCAA rules. If he can’t do it, look for the team to deploy a three-guard offense, using Coleman-Lands at the three-spot.

What could help Iowa State move up the conference ladder is the frontcourt. Solomon Young is back for his senior season and should take the lead role, while the team adds four-star center freshman Xavier Foster. But the player to watch is junior George Conditt IV, who averaged 7.0 ppg and 4.9 rpg last season in 16 mpg. That equates to 17 ppg and 12 rpg per 40 mpg, meaning that a bigger role could yield great results for both him and the team.

There are lots of questions for the Cyclones but the potential is also there. If Bolton can be the star player for this team on a consistent basis and the frontcourt also provides production, this team could be much more competitive in 2020-21. For now, it’ll have to be proven on the court.