Iowa State trying to bring ‘nastiness’ back as Big 12 play begins

AMES - Bring back the nasty.

That's what Iowa State men's basketball coach Steve Prohm hopes to see as his team begins an 18-game run through Big 12 play.

He's seen moments of grittiness, but with the unpredictable nature of conference play, it needs to be there at all times.

Naz Mitrou-Long took that challenge one step further.

'I'm growing out my facial hair because I'm trying to get nasty,” Mitrou-Long said with a smile. 'We're just trying to do the little things and get after it.

'Everything we do is competitive and it's about winning. If you lose, you get on the line and run. That's what we've been doing to pull that (nastiness) out of us.”

Since a win against Miami last month, the Cyclones' play has varied on a night-by-night basis. When conference play starts against Texas Tech at 5 p.m. Friday (ESPNews), the inconsistencies have to be eliminated.

The way Iowa State has tried to eliminate the wildly varied play has been rooted in getting back to the basics. Practices zero in on the less flashy things - getting a few stops in a row, rebounding and defending.

Iowa State is No. 24 on KenPom in adjusted defense, but to be successful, it can't have halves like it did in a loss at Iowa.

'What we're focusing on right now is just the grit, the nastiness, the toughness, rebounding, getting back in transition, guarding the ball and closing out the right way,” Prohm said. 'And just trying to continue to make those habits.”

Some of the issues that have tripped Iowa State also have had to be solved in a quick manner, with Big 12 play starting earlier than it has in the past. The Cyclones have never started their conference schedule before Jan. 2 and get a much-improved Red Raiders (11-1) team as their first measuring stick.

As the Big 12 standings currently show, the top five teams include Texas Tech and TCU among a group owning a combined 56-4 record. Once considered doormats, the Red Raiders' and Horned Frogs' climb out of the basement has ushered in a more challenging schedule than the league has had in years.

'I know it's big-boy time,” said point guard Monte Morris. 'I've had a hard time sleeping because I know how fun Big 12 play is, and I know the other guys feel the same way that have been there. I know the new guys are ready to adjust because they're all competitive. I'm looking forward to it and hope they're ready to play.”

Even though two of Iowa State's losses in nonconference play were to teams with a combined 23-2 record and the other to an in-state rival on the road, the margin for error in the Big 12 isn't very wide.

The old formula of taking care of home court - where Iowa State is 37-4 in its last 41 home games - and stealing a couple on the road becomes the blueprint for the Cyclones getting to a sixth straight NCAA tournament.

'No game is a gimme, none,” Mitrou-Long said. 'That'll be a great challenge for us, but that's what you want. That's why you play in the Big 12 and that's why we're looking to do everything we can to get the win on the 30th.”

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