March 22--Before thriving in March, Iowa State suffered in February.
The month began with a home loss to West Virginia, continued with the two-game suspension of top rebounder Jameel McKay and hit a low point with an overtime defeat at Baylor that left the Cyclones 7-6 in the Big 12.
The players huddled for a meeting without their first-year coach, Steve Prohm, who was charged with replacing a local legend. You remember him: Fred Hoiberg.
Players described the Feb. 18 gathering as emotional, with McKay saying at the time: "There were tears almost coming out of people's eyes."
Improved communication appears to have helped No. 4 seed Iowa State reach the Midwest Region semifinals at the United Center. The Cyclones overwhelmed both Iona (94-81) and Little Rock (78-61) to make their fifth Sweet 16 -- and second in the last three years. Only in 2000 did they advance to the Elite Eight.
Here are five more things to know about Iowa State:
By Georges: Few high-major programs were convinced that Georges Niang, would thrive in a major conference. Hoiberg thought otherwise in 2011, calling the 6-foot-7 power forward "a throwback player who will find a way to beat you."
Bingo. Niang (pronounced knee-yang) scored 56 points in Iowa State's tournament victories, hitting shots from 3-point range (5-for-10) and inside the arc (17-for-31). And he's as consistent as a Big Mac. His stat lines in the two victories: 28 points, six rebounds, three assists (plus two turnovers and two fouls).
CBS Sports college basketball analyst Steve Lappas called Iowa State's two games in Denver and caught some grief for saying Niang is "Larry Bird-like."
"He's not Larry Bird," Lappas said Monday, "but he's (almost) 6-9, can handle the ball, he's not fast but he can shoot, pass, he'll post up, shoot 3s. They say he's not athletic enough, but he's one of those guys who can just play."
Not built in a day: Prohm (rhymes with Rome) came to Iowa State after an excellent four-year run at Murray State (104-29). Hoiberg left behind an accomplished, veteran team, albeit one that was ousted by No. 14 seed UAB in the first round of the 2015 NCAA tournament.
Prohm changed very little. Lappas, who guided Villanova to four NCAA tournament appearances, put it this way: "Instead of coming in with his own ego and saying, 'It has to be my way,' he kept it the same."
Too legit: Before the tipoff against Little Rock, Prohm asked his players: "Are we real?" He also had "REAL" written on the grease board. That emphasis might reflect Iowa State getting thumped last year as a No. 3 seed or how doubters such as ESPN's Dan Dakich predicted the Cyclones would fall to Iona.
Niang, described by a local media member as having "rabbit ears," actually mentioned Dakich in an ESPN Radio interview after the win against Little Rock.
Take a seat: McKay, a 6-9 senior from Milwaukee, is an elite rebounder who pulled down 19 against Iona and Little Rock. He also carries baggage, having transferred from a junior college in Iowa to Marquette without playing a game there.
Prohm suspended him Feb. 6 for an unspecified incident that occurred in practice. McKay has produced reliably since then, though he did all miss six free throws against Little Rock.
Odds are: Iowa State is 9-2 to win the Midwest Region, according to Bovada.lv. Virginia (10-11) is favored, followed by Gonzaga (3-1), Iowa State and Syracuse (7-1).
tgreenstein@tribpub.com
