The Iowa State men’s basketball team is a real source of pride for anyone in the region. Throughout their excellent history, the Cyclones have won several Conference trophies and appeared in numerous NCAA Championships. Many fans of the side will now be looking ahead to the 2020/21 campaign hoping that they have a much better time than last year. If you like to use new online casinos USA wide, why not see if your casino site also lets you place sports bets. It could help you profit from any success the Iowa State basketball team has if you think they could be a force again this year.
Of course, you need to delve deeper into what the season has in store for the team before backing them with real money. But just how are things shaping up, now the 2020/21 Iowa State non-conference schedule has come out?
Looking to bounce back from 2019/20
Although the season was ultimately cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, Iowa State were not on course for a great campaign last time out. They ended with a 12-20 record and were likely to miss the NCCA tournament for only the second time in nine years. Therefore, the side will be desperate to improve in coach Steve Prohm’s fifth year in charge.
The non-conference schedule recently released can give us a clue as to whether this might happen. The good news is that out of 13 non-conference games, eight of them are at home. Playing the majority of these matches at Hilton Coliseum should give them a good chance of picking up more wins and stop the dreadful away form of last year affecting them.
Getting a good start in their first four games that are at home will surely set them up for the rest of the season. The schedule also includes playing teams such as Louisiana Monroe, Chicago State, and Alabama A&M, who did not do well last year either. They could have an easy run of games to navigate outside the conference to pick points up.
It will be no easy ride though
Although there is always optimism around the start of a new season, the non-conference schedule recently released has some tough games to navigate. Oregon State, for example, will be the second team the Cyclones face, and they had a decent year in the PAC-12 conference last time out. South Dakota will also be no pushover after doing well in 2019, either. Although they have quite a few easy games on paper, they must still focus on the tougher ones when needed to make their mark. Coach Steve Prohm will be well aware of that and will be actively working on making sure his team performs when the pressure games come around. With so many younger players needing to play more minutes than he might like, it might not all be plain sailing.
Player recruitment will prove vital
Of course, the major bearing on any team when the whistle blows is the players it fields. If you have enough top-quality players on court for you, you have a much better chance. With Tyrese Haliburton gone to the 2020 NBA Draft, many were worried about how that might affect the Cyclones in 2020/21. The good news is that Prohm has been busy in terms of recruitment to plug gaps in his roster. Tyler Harris has come in from Memphis and looks likely to fill in at Point Guard for Haliburton. If he can live up to his potential, he could help the team in terms of ball distribution and assists.
Prohm has also been actively recruiting in the Wing position as well, due to all their previous Wings finding new homes! Prohm now has new players to call on, with Javan Johnson perhaps being the best hope. Prohm has spoken very highly of Johnson – not only for his scoring prowess but also for the improvement in his passing. With Jalen Coleman-Lands, Darlinstone Dubar, and Dudley Blackwell also coming in, it should hopefully see Iowa State improve greatly on the previous season.
Iowa State basketball needs a decent campaign
Although everyone around North Iowa always supports the men’s basketball team, the previous campaign left a lot of fans disillusioned. They do need to bounce back in 2020/21 and to post a much better showing to reward their supporters. While the non-conference schedule and quality recruits give room for optimism, many will wonder if coach Prohm can gel a very young, raw roster into a winning team. After last year’s showing, many fans around North Iowa would probably be happy with a climb back up the upper reaches of the conference table and a solid foundation set for the future.
Winning!