Iowa State freshman forward Cameron Lard ‘getting ready for next year’

AMES - Watching the Iowa State men's basketball team from a distance wasn't easy on Cameron Lard.

As tough as it was to know he should be with the team through the ups and downs of the non-conference season, the freshman forward felt motivated. Lard kept telling himself he would be there soon.

'That was kind of difficult, but it made me want to dedicate myself to getting better and just get here,” Lard said.

Lard joined the team a few weeks ago and began taking second-semester classes in Ames after spending the first semester finishing up high school courses at Pro Vision Academy in Houston.

The 6-foot-9, 220-pounder from Natchitoches, La., was ruled an academic non-qualifier by the NCAA and had to take three core courses at his prep school in Houston before he could enroll at Iowa State. Once he got to campus, Iowa State coach Steve Prohm has taken things slow when integrating him into the workouts.

'I don't want to overhype guys or underhype guys, he just needs to get here and get better and slowly get acclimated to what I want and really start getting good relationships with these guys,” Prohm said. 'Our guys have done a good job with him and then, like you said, manage expectations.

'At the end of the day he's still a freshman, he just got here from Louisiana and he's up in Iowa now, so there's a lot of things he's got to personally just get better at.”

Lard has essentially just been doing strength and conditioning workouts, but will be put into individual workouts on the court shortly. As for practice, he hasn't run in any five-on-five sets, Prohm said, because the paces of practices in the middle of Big 12 season don't allow much time to slow down for as many teaching moments.

In the time he's been in the Sukup Basketball Complex, teammates can see flashes of what will make Lard a valuable piece when he gets on the floor.

'I think the future is real bright for him,” said point guard Monte Morris. 'He's long, lanky and can play above the rim. He'll bring the excitement to Hilton.”

Even while Iowa State (11-6, 3-3) has struggled with front-court play throughout the season - allowing more than 50 points in the paint to TCU and Kansas in the last two games - Lard hasn't felt the itch to talk to the coaches about letting him play.

'I know they can go out there and handle their business,” Lard said. 'It's a pretty good program so I know they can go out there and handle their own and just be ready next year for them.”

Prohm said the plan is still to redshirt Lard the rest of this season, and have four years of eligibility intact when practices start up next fall. Lard said he hasn't had trouble managing his own expectations right now because he's put a heavier emphasis on academics - and making the jump to college mid-year.

'I'm not too busy worrying about (playing in games right now),” Lard said. 'I'm just trying to do good in school, and get my body ready for next year.”

l Comments: montzdylan@gmail.com