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Iowa State Cyclones (Last Year: 15-17, 4-12 in Big 12)
2010-11 Projected Depth Chart:
C: Jamie Vanderbeken (Sr)/Jordan Railey (Fr)
PF: Calvin Godfrey (Fr)/Eric McKnight (Fr)
G: Scott Christopherson (Jr)/Melvin Ejim (Fr)
G: Jake Anderson (Sr)/DeMarcus Phillips (Jr)
PG: Diante Garrett (Sr)/Bubu Palo (Fr)
Gone: PF-Craig Brackins, SF-Marquis Gilstrap, SG-Lucca Staiger (overseas), PG-Chris Colvin (transfer), C-Justin Hamilton (transfer-LSU), PG-Dominique Buckley (transfer-Toledo), SF-Charles Boozer (transfer), PF-LeRon Dendy (transfer-Middle Tennessee State), SG-Antwon Oliver (transfer), PF-L.A. Pomlee (kicked off team)
2010-11 Outlook:
When you are a power-conference team and your head coach decides to leave for a mid-major school, that is never an encouraging sign about the direction of your program. However, Iowa State experienced just that this offseason when Greg McDermott chose to leave Ames for Creighton (By the way, Iowa State plays Creighton this year in Des Moines… that should be interesting scene.) McDermott was not the only person to flee the struggling team as star player Craig Brackins entered the NBA Draft and eight other players have left the program since the start of the 2009-10 season.
So Iowa State turned to one of its most famous alumni and hometown hero to help transform the image of Cyclone basketball; Fred Hoiberg. The Mayor left his front office job with the Minnesota Timberwolves organization to return to the place where he was raised and created a tremendous legacy. Now, the rookie head coach will have his hands full during this challenging season of transition.
Two transfers should step in and help right away. Highly recruited power forward Royce White joins the Cyclones after not suiting up in a single game during his freshman year at Minnesota due to off-the-court issues. Jake Anderson comes from Northern Illinois and will not have to sit out a year since he has already graduated but still has one year of eligibility remaining. The only other players returning who saw significant minutes last season are point guard Diante Garrett and sharpshooter Scott Christopherson who will be asked to lead this incredibly young squad and try to make Hoiberg’s return to Ames not as overly-stressful.
Player to Watch: Royce White, PF
The former Minnesota Mr. Basketball was supposed to make an immediate impact for his hometown Gophers last season but did not play a single minute for Tubby Smith’s team. Two off-the-court run-ins with the law sidelined White to the point that he created a youtube clip announcing his retirement from basketball. The retirement did not last long as White decided to transfer from Minnesota.
There still comes an issue of eligibility with White. Since he did not officially leave the Gopher program until February, he will need an NCAA waiver to be eligible for the Cyclones at the start of the 2010-11 season. If White is not granted the waiver, he may be forced to sit for some if not all of the up-coming season which will set back Iowa State even further than it already is.
(UPDATE: White will not be eligible for the upcoming season and will have to sit out a year joining Michigan State transfer Chris Allen who will also suit up for the Cyclones in the 2011-12 season.)
Key Non-Conference Games:
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