Nader the X-Factor for Iowa State so far

AMES - Abdel Nader was in a situation of flux and didn't really know what he wanted to do.

Fred Hoiberg departed for the Chicago Bulls, leaving Iowa State and its four seniors-to-be with some questions about how their final year in Ames would unfold. Nader was close to graduating and thought about exploring other options.

His uncertainty about the future almost led to him leaving the Cyclones this summer.

'Honestly there's like nerves any time there's a new coach and all that stuff,” Nader said. 'I was real close to graduating so obviously it was on my mind. I met with Steve (Prohm), had great talks, so at the end of the day I made the right decision.”

When Prohm was hired in June, he met with all of Iowa State's returning players including Nader. He had a handful of conversations with Nader about expectations and possibilities for the season, asking the 6-foot-6 forward to give him some time and let him implement his philosophy.

Nader's hesitation didn't occur because he was unwilling to buy in. He was trying to figure out what would be best for his future.

'(It was) more about whether he was going to stay,” Prohm said. '(It was) nothing about me or anything like that. More just about, ‘Hey, do I want to be here?' We talked and after the first couple weeks I was here, he was all in and has been great since.”

'He came to Chicago, sat down with my parents - my mom and my sister - so that was big to me,” Nader said. 'Showing me he would go out of his way to do that; he didn't have to do that. He's strong willed, strong faith guy. He's easy to follow.”

Nader has flourished in the second halves of the first two games under Prohm. He's averaging 15.5 and 7.5 rebounds per game in the first two contests, joining the other four ISU starters in averaging double-figure scoring.

In the off-season, Nader lost nearly 20 pounds and is playing around the basket at a much leaner 223 pounds. He scored all 14 of his points against Colorado in the second half and started the second half against Chicago State on a solo 8-0 run.

Georges Niang, Monte Morris, Jameel McKay and Naz Mitrou-Long are all key cogs into making the ISU offensive machine hum, but Nader is the X-Factor.

'He puts his hard hat on every day, scores, rebounds, defends and the biggest thing about him is he just wants to be the best defender on this team,” Niang said. 'I think that speaks volumes to his character that he's just a winner and wants to win just as bad as any of us.”

No. 7 Iowa State hosts Chattanooga at 7 p.m. on Monday in Hilton Coliseum.

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