Intensity in practice has Cyclones ready for exhibition

AMES - Steve Prohm checked his phone and saw a text message from Tulane assistant coach Shammond Williams, the squad Iowa State had just scrimmaged.

'Your guys are really engaged and they're as good as any team in the country,” it read.

Getting players to buy in, particularly on defense, has been Prohm's goal since he was named the Iowa State coach in June.

What Williams noticed about the Cyclones on defense during the recent scrimmage in Ames might have been just the tip of the iceberg on how intense preseason practices have been inside Sukup Basketball Complex.

'There haven't been any real fights, but we've almost had seven or eight,” Naz Mitrou-Long said. 'That's more than we've had since I've been here. It has nothing to do with anything personal. It has everything to do with the competitive nature we have right now.”

Friday night's 7 p.m. exhibition against Grand Valley State kicks off what is arguably the most anticipated season in Iowa State men's basketball history. The No. 7 Cyclones return four of five starters from last year and six major contributors, but are practicing like they have everything to prove.

In truth, with an early NCAA tournament exit last year against UAB, intensity in practice has been turned up.

'There have been a numerous amount of fights, but it's like playing against your brother,” Georges Niang said. 'It's that time of the year where you honestly just get sick of playing against the same person every day. I could tell you how much I hate Deonte Burton, but when he's going to be out there doing that to the next person on the court I'm going to be pretty happy.”

Emphasis on defense is what Prohm has tried to bring to the table in the preseason. He has seen the fruits of the team's labor since practices started. The first six with Niang, Mitrou-Long, Jameel McKay, Monte Morris, Abdel Nader and Matt Thomas have proved themselves, but building depth with seven to nine guys remains a priority.

'We've got a competitive group. These guys are winners,” Prohm said. 'You don't have Georges and Naz about to be the winningest class and not have winners so we've got a lot of winners out there. I think they're ready to play games.”

Hallice Cooke, Jordan Ashton and Burton - who becomes eligible Dec. 19 - are prime candidates to fill that depth, as well as freshman Simeon Carter. But from the first five to the end of the bench, everyone has embraced the intensity and is ready to channel it to outside competition.

'It gets everybody's motor going and we're able to compete at a high level when guys are engaged like that,” Morris said. 'It just shows we're focused and everybody wants to win.”

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