Early Thoughts On Next Season?

[LLCoolCY]

Everyone relax... Every college team is going through transition right now (other than Mich) due to players declaring for the NBA, transferring out and coaching changes. We are hyper sensitive to ISU current roster but there roster is far from set and to predict ISU will or wont be a NCAA team in April is to difficult especially with out knowing if Wiggington or THT will return right now. If they leave a grad transfer will likely be added in May and for anyone to know that Lewis, Griffin, Nixon, and the incoming freshman wlll perform in the Big 12 right now is just speculating and probably going to be over negative. Just too many unknowns.

Once the team is all on campus and working this summer we'll hear if they look ready like we did with Shayok, Jacobson, and Haliburton and we can make educated guesses on expectations. I doubt many on here would have predicted Haliburton and Jacobson would be starters all year last April and the team win the Big 12 tourney and be a 6 seed.

 

[spitfyr36]

Not a tournament team at all. That is one scary looking offense although we might be alot better at defense and rebounding.

But if this year is an outlier, some not so good teams made the tourney with the focus more on power 5 teams vs mid majors. Crazier things have happened.

 

[FinalFourCy]

Conditt
MJ/Solo
Lewis/Zion
Prentiss (spell?)
TH/Jackson

I think it would almost necessity, I dont think we have the fire power to play 3 ball next year.

With 3 more scholarships to give out. Hopefully at least one starter and a rotation guy.

You didn’t mention Anderson, but if want to play some semblance of our offense from the past 9 seasons, he’ll have a shot to see as much time at the 4 as a guy like Griffin.

 

[Cyclad]

You play two bigs if you think it creates an advantage. I don't think that was the case with Jacobson and Lard this year. If I was an opposing coach and they were on the court together, I would play four guards and make one those guys try to guard someone on the perimeter. On the other end, both guys are ok in the low post but neither guy scares me.

I actually think Conditt paired with Jacobson or Solo makes playing two bigs more likely. I think Conditt is more comfortable guarding in space than Lard. Plus I could see those guys being more effective in a high post/low post offensive set.

I agree with most of this. However, I have not seen our bigs demonstrate the ability to guard on the perimeter. If they cannot, they will be a liability as I do not see them as offsetting offensive threats on the other end. Net advantage = small ball. Time will tell.

 

[NoCreativity]

But if this year is an outlier, some not so good teams made the tourney with the focus more on power 5 teams vs mid majors. Crazier things have happened.

I guess thats one way to look at it, if the Big 12 continues to be strong we can get in with 8-10 type records, although sneaking in as an 11 seed doesnt sound that appealing considering we usually get in the 3-6 range.

 

[CloniesForLife]

If Wigginton stays we will be good. If he goes we need to find a go to guy that can break his man down and create. We also lose a ton of our outside shooting so hopefully find a few guys to replace that. Might have to play bigger next year and improve on our defense and rebounding at the expense of some offense.

 

[spitfyr36]

With 3 more scholarships to give out. Hopefully at least one starter and a rotation guy.

You didn’t mention Anderson, but if want to play some semblance of our offense from the past 9 seasons, he’ll have a shot to see as much time at the 4 as a guy like Griffin.

Yeah I always seem to forget about him.
Maybe I'm too optimistic, but I think Leech, another guy I seem to forget about. will play a big part of our offense as well. I'm still holding put hope for an impact xfer guard.

I guess thats one way to look at it, if the Big 12 continues to be strong we can get in with 8-10 type records, although sneaking in as an 11 seed doesnt sound that appealing considering we usually get in the 3-6 range.

Definitely not appealing, but a tourney appearance is always the goal.

 

[isucy86]

I agree with most of this. However, I have not seen our bigs demonstrate the ability to guard on the perimeter. If they cannot, they will be a liability as I do not see them as offsetting offensive threats on the other end. Net advantage = small ball. Time will tell.

Its a bit unfair to say our bigs can't guard on the perimeter because we switched almost everything this year so a lot time Jacobson and Lard were forced to stop guards/wings. No post is going to win that battle. With 2 post players, if a post gets switched onto a guard, there is another post who can rim protect. This year if Jacobson was guarding the perimeter on the switch- most likely a 6'4"ish guy was our rim protector.

If we go to a two post offense, then the defense changes. The perimeter guys will have to fight through screens or the post hedge out hard and allow the guard to recover. There are a lot of elite defensive teams that figure a way to guard with 2 post players in the small ball era.

Another option is to play more zone.

 

[CyFanInChiLand]

Unless Prohm hits it out of the park on the Grad Transfer market, seems like next year might get ugly. Assuming both guys stay in the draft that's a lot of talent to lose from a team that got knocked out of the 1st round of the NCAAs.

 

[acody]

Unless Prohm hits it out of the park on the Grad Transfer market, seems like next year might get ugly. Assuming both guys stay in the draft that's a lot of talent to lose from a team that got knocked out of the 1st round of the NCAAs.

Three players gone in one week. Is it possible that some of these players just don't want to play for Prohm?

 

[jbindm]

Three players gone in one week. Is it possible that some of these players just don't want to play for Prohm?

It's equally possible that two guys have dreams of playing in the NBA and one just had too much of a history in Ames and needed a fresh start.

 

[megamanxzero35]

Three players gone in one week. Is it possible that some of these players just don't want to play for Prohm?

Dude. This is a ill informed take.

A dude who has had problems his whole career here transferred. A dude projected to go in the first round of the NBA draft is leaving. A dude whose dream it is the play in the NBA who was a fringe first round pick last year is also leaving.

 

[ISUCubswin]

Three players gone in one week. Is it possible that some of these players just don't want to play for Prohm?

Obviously Lard doesn’t because they don’t mesh.

It’s hard to blame Lindell. Prohm clearly broke a lot of trust in that relationship. Wisely, he apologized for it. But Lindell has every right to doubt any of Prohms promises for next year.

I think THT and Prohm had a great relationship but I think THT was one and done no matter what.

I think it’s fair to say Prohm only had a good relationship with 1 out of those 3.

And now we’re replacing 6 out of 13 scholarship players, assuming no one else leaves. Not ideal.

 

[State43]

Looking honestly at who we have so far, bubble seems like best case scenario. Hope we get a solid grad transfer

 

[CycloneVet]

Three players gone in one week. Is it possible that some of these players just don't want to play for Prohm?

With all due respect....THT is projected to go in the 1st round, he needs to go. LW needs to go and be a full time player to be able to have a shot at the NBA at this point he is not getting younger. The GLeague is more legitimate than before and has been kind to recent Cyclone studs. Lard, what else could Prohm have done?

 

[ISUCubswin]

Looking honestly at who we have so far, bubble seems like best case scenario. Hope we get a solid grad transfer

If this is how rosters shake up, that would be surpassing expectations, imo.

We’re returning 2 of our top 8 players, and they were both in the bottom half of that.

 

[Cdiedrick]

#******

 

[ISUCubswin]

With all due respect....THT is projected to go in the 1st round, he needs to go. LW needs to go and be a full time player to be able to have a shot at the NBA at this point he is not getting younger. The GLeague is more legitimate than before and has been kind to recent Cyclone studs. Lard, what else could Prohm have done?

I don’t think he’s saying Prohm is a bad coach, I think he’s asking if the players simply didn’t want to play for Prohm.

Lard didn’t.
Wigginton wasn’t satisfied with how he was utilized this season

THT should test the waters, even if Prohm and him were best friends.

 

[CycloneVet]

I believe Lindell was going no matter what

 

[Sigmapolis]

Man, next year could be hairy on offense.

Maybe we can make up for it with pace and locking down on defense.

FOR SURE STARTERS
Nixon
Jacobson (doubt Prohm would bench him after last year and he is a senior)
Haliburton

STARTING OR HEAVILY IN THE ROTATION
Young (oh goodness, do I hope he is healthy going into next year)
Conditt (starting where he left off, pretty sure in his development)

WOULD BE REALLY NICE IF THESE GUYS DEVELOPED
Lewis
Griffin
Jackson
Leech
Anderson

+3 that we can find in the spring

I think we have five players good enough to play at the Big 12 level. The problem is that three of them are big men, and the pieces are kind of an awkward fit.

I think you need 7-8. So we need at least another two.

Having in 1-2 of Lewis, Griffin, Jackson, or Leech be ready for a big role immediately would be really nice, sort of like Haliburton was coming into last season.

Finding 1-2 useful pieces from the transfer market would be nice, too.