Foreign trip gives ISU players a chance to bond with Prohm

AMES - Getting the chance to take Iowa State on a foreign trip in his first season on the job is something coach Steve Prohm relishes.

Getting to sit next to senior Georges Niang on the flight from central Iowa to Spain was just as good of a draw. That's when the real trust building will begin.

'I've got eight hours with him and we can figure it all out by the time we get there,” Prohm said. 'That's great and hopefully he's got a couple good movies on his iPad.”

Iowa State kicked off its allotted 10 days of practice Monday in advance of the overseas trip. In Spain, the Cyclones will play four games in three cities - Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona - although the competition has yet to be fully determined, but will feature international rules, an international ball and a 24-second shot clock.

Seven scholarship players, and walk-on Jordan Ashton, will be available to play, with Naz Long, Brady Ernst and Deonte Burton on the sidelines. Burton received a waiver to travel, but will not compete with the team until he becomes eligible in December. Long and Ernst are recovering from hip surgeries and an ACL tear, respectively, in the offseason.

'We're a little beat up, but the basketball is really secondary in what's important as to why we're going on this trip,” Prohm said

Players have fully embraced the true meaning of the trip also. For many, it will be their first time overseas and when it's combined with new staff coming to Ames in the offseason, the timing was almost perfect.

'Just like with the summer league (in the NBA), the Bulls get to play summer league with Fred (Hoiberg),” said junior point guard Monte Morris. 'I feel like it's the same thing and we're just happy we get a chance to play with Coach before the big lights come on.”

'We're already a pretty close team, but I think it gives us a chance to get even closer in Coach Prohm's system,” said senior Jameel McKay. 'It gives us a chance to see what he likes and test out some of our things on defense we'll be using this year.”

From the moment he arrived in Ames, Prohm and players preached the importance of improving on defense. While the results in Spain won't necessarily indicate how the tweaks will fair in the Big 12, the aggressive mentality in which the defense has been taught comes through in workouts.

'I think the biggest thing for him is making the other team feel uncomfortable and getting them out of their rhythm and get in their passing lanes,” Niang said. 'I think that'll help us in a lot of ways and being disciplined on defense can also help us out.”

Defense will certainly be key to the success of the 2015-16 Cyclones, but so will the initial relationships made on the trip in August.

'That's the biggest thing,” Prohm said. 'It's not about winning games and playing, it's about the time together.”

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