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June 27th,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Iowa State
Cyclones
Overall Rank:
#134
Conference
Rank: #12 Big 12
2005-06:
16-14, 6-10, 7th (t)
2005-06
postseason: none
 After
high expectations fizzled, new coach Greg McDermott will have to
do some work before lofty hopes reach
Iowa State again. I recommend
buying a program, because there are a lot of new names and faces
in Ames this year. And that isn’t really a bad thing.
Who’s Out:
Curtis Stinson and Will Blalock are gone, which is painful. The
Cyclone fans want to put the Wayne Morgan era behind them, so
instead of dwelling on the past, we’ll spend more time looking
at the future and make the out list nice and quick. Besides
Stinson and Blalock, Farnold Degand, Mike Evanovich, Shawn
Taggart and Tasheed Carr are leaving early. Anthony Davis and
John Neal have run out of eligibility.
Who’s In:
Corey
McIntosh has the early start on the point guard spot. The
reigning California Junior College Player of the Year at
Fullerton College brings experience and poise to the backcourt.
Michael Taylor, another junior college transfer, is a solid
pickup. Taylor averaged 12.5 points per game at Chipola Junior
College and his shooting ability will be much appreciated this
season at Iowa State. Incoming freshman Dodie Dunson will have
a chance to see plenty of minutes. The 6-3 combo guard can do a
little bit of everything and will cover all the perimeter
spots. Redshirt freshman Brock Jacobson can step off the bench
and hit the big three pointer. He’ll earn some minutes as a
roleplayer, but don’t expect too much yet. Wesley Johnson is an
athletic, 6-7 wing. He has a solid outside shot and can out
jump the opposition to grab some boards. Cory Johnson will
battle with returnees Jessan Gray and Ross Marsden for minutes
in the post. At 6-7 and 215 pounds, Johnson has the size and
strength to battle under the basket. Walk-on forward Mike
Smith, a transfer from Iowa Central Community College, will
provide emergency depth in the paint.
Who to Watch:
Rahshon Clark burst onto the scene last year as a sophomore,
averaging 13.1 points and 5.5 rebounds. This year, the 6-6
forward will be looked upon as a team leader and go-to-scorer.
That is a role the junior shouldn’t have a problem with and look
for Clark to continue to improve.
Final
Projection:
Jiri Hubalek and
Marsden have starting experience up front, and Gray is a decent
option off the bench. Throw in Cory Johnson and the frontcourt
doesn’t look too shabby, although Hubalek may miss part of the
season due to an ongoing NCAA investigation. The perimeter is
where the problem lies with no returning impact players on the
roster. Once the newcomers get adjusted to Ames, the backcourt
has the potential to be a positive. Iowa State will surprise
some teams and compete with more talented teams, but in the end,
the lack of depth will catch up with the Cyclones. However,
I’ve seen Greg McDermott do a lot of great things with far less
depth than ISU will offer.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected
Starting Five:
Corey McIntosh,
Junior, Guard, DNP last season
Michael Taylor,
Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season
Rahshon Clark,
Junior, Forward, 13.1 points per game
Ross Marsden,
Sophomore, Center, 2.7 points per game
Jiri Hubalek,
Junior, Center, 8.6 points per game
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