Mar 16, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Cameron Lard (2) embraces Iowa State Cyclones forward George Conditt IV (4) after a play against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half of the final of the Big 12 conference tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-USA TODAY Sports
Over the next several weeks, I will be going through the Iowa State men’s basketball roster entering the 2019-20 season and looking back at their roles in 2018-19, how those roles could change entering a new year, the places they thrived on the court and the spots they stand to make some improvements.
Up next, soon-to-be sophomore big man George Conditt.
His role was…
The 6-foot-10, 216-pound forward spent the majority of the season as Iowa State’s third big man while appearing in 26 games. He showed flashes of his potential as he scored nine points, grabbed four rebounds, blocked two shots and didn’t miss a field goal during the team’s home loss to Kansas State in January plus contributed an 11-point performance in the loss to Texas in Austin.
There were several times during the season in which Conditt showed he was capable of playing more minutes, but keeping the rotation consistent with Michael Jacobson and Cameron Lard was the way Steve Prohm went more often than not.
Regardless, Conditt was always ready to go when his number was called, probably best exemplified by when he was thrust into playing time during the Big 12 Tournament title game against Kansas. The Chicago native went toe-to-toe with All-American Dedric Lawson and never shied away from the moment.
Where he thrived…
Perhaps the most impressive contribution Conditt made in 2018-19 was his ability to block shots at a high-level as he recorded 26 swats in just 208 total minutes. He already displays an elite level talent for timing around the rim and projects as one of the top rim protectors in the Big 12, and perhaps the country over the next several years.
Offensively, Conditt is solid as the roll man in the pick and roll and that was where the majority of his offensive production came from as a freshman. He plays with a ton of energy which makes him highly capable as an offensive rebounder.
His role likely will be…
I would not necessarily say Conditt will become Iowa State’s No. 1 big man in 2019-20 with Jacobson still on the roster, but he certainly will see his role grow immensely in his sophomore year. Expect to see Conditt and Jacobson play alongside each other a lot more than we ever saw Jacobson and Lard in 2018-19.
We have seen the flashes of what Conditt can do in spot minutes but he will get his opportunity to show what he can do as a major piece of the puzzle in 2019-20.
Where he stands to improve…
The first piece of this seems relatively obvious but Conditt needs to continue to get bigger and stronger. The paint is a physical place in the Big 12 and he will have to continue developing physically in order to withstand that beating for much more extended periods of time next season.
Conditt also needs to continue developing his offensive game past playing as the roll man or an offensive rebounder. He has good touch around the rim and a solid shooting stroke that should make him capable of expanding his back to the basket game and potentially add some mid-range/3-point shooting down the road.
The Cyclone legacy far surpassed my expectations in 2018-19 considering I wasn’t sure if he would be physically ready to hold up in the post at the collegiate level. If he can continue to make strides as long as he did in 2018-19, Conditt could become a household name in Big 12 country sooner rather than later.
