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| Steve Prohm could take Iowa State where ‘the Mayor’ never did | Steve Prohm could take Iowa State where ‘the Mayor’ never did |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Steve Prohm took over as coach of the Iowa State men’s basketball program in June with all the advantages and pressures that come with succeeding a legend. The Cyclones had reached a program-record four consecutive NCAA tournaments under Fred Hoiberg, the beloved hometown player turned coach known around campus as “the Mayor.” They headed into this season coming off back-to-back Big 12 tournament championships and with an experienced roster that included the previous season’s conference defensive player of the year and a selection on the preseason all-American first team. | Steve Prohm took over as coach of the Iowa State men’s basketball program in June with all the advantages and pressures that come with succeeding a legend. The Cyclones had reached a program-record four consecutive NCAA tournaments under Fred Hoiberg, the beloved hometown player turned coach known around campus as “the Mayor.” They headed into this season coming off back-to-back Big 12 tournament championships and with an experienced roster that included the previous season’s conference defensive player of the year and a selection on the preseason all-American first team. |
| This weekend, Prohm, 41, will again feel his predecessor’s shadow, coaching the Cyclones in the NCAA tournament Midwest Region semifinals at United Center, Hoiberg’s new professional home as coach of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls. But this time he’ll have a chance to guide fourth-seeded Iowa State beyond where it reached in Hoiberg’s five years in Ames: to a win in the Sweet 16, on Friday night vs. top-seeded Virginia, and the team’s first Elite Eight appearance since 2000. | This weekend, Prohm, 41, will again feel his predecessor’s shadow, coaching the Cyclones in the NCAA tournament Midwest Region semifinals at United Center, Hoiberg’s new professional home as coach of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls. But this time he’ll have a chance to guide fourth-seeded Iowa State beyond where it reached in Hoiberg’s five years in Ames: to a win in the Sweet 16, on Friday night vs. top-seeded Virginia, and the team’s first Elite Eight appearance since 2000. |
| [How rule changes made the NCAA tournament more watchable] | [How rule changes made the NCAA tournament more watchable] |
| “I feel great for the kids, because it’s about them,” Prohm said Monday of the Cyclones’ tournament run. “. . . That’s what you want to do, influence your kids and give them good experiences. They have stayed the course, they stayed together, they bought in. | “I feel great for the kids, because it’s about them,” Prohm said Monday of the Cyclones’ tournament run. “. . . That’s what you want to do, influence your kids and give them good experiences. They have stayed the course, they stayed together, they bought in. |
| “It’s a blessing to be in the Sweet Sixteen, now we have to go make the most of our opportunity.” | “It’s a blessing to be in the Sweet Sixteen, now we have to go make the most of our opportunity.” |
| For those players, especially the three senior starters, that Prohm has guided the Cyclones (23-11) to their second Sweet Sixteen in three years feels like validation for believing in their new coach. | For those players, especially the three senior starters, that Prohm has guided the Cyclones (23-11) to their second Sweet Sixteen in three years feels like validation for believing in their new coach. |
| That didn’t always come easily. Jameel McKay, a 6-foot-9 senior and last season’s Big 12 defensive player of the year, locked horns with Prohm earlier in the season and served a two-game suspension in January for what the forward at the time termed a “practice related” issue. Sophomore reserve Hallice Cooke was also suspended for one game in January for a violation of team rules. | That didn’t always come easily. Jameel McKay, a 6-foot-9 senior and last season’s Big 12 defensive player of the year, locked horns with Prohm earlier in the season and served a two-game suspension in January for what the forward at the time termed a “practice related” issue. Sophomore reserve Hallice Cooke was also suspended for one game in January for a violation of team rules. |
| [Toughest path to the Final Four, and more on the NCAA tournament] | [Toughest path to the Final Four, and more on the NCAA tournament] |
| Prohm, who won 104 games in four seasons at Murray State before being hired at Iowa State, said the discipline was an important part of enforcing the ground rules of his program. The message seems to have stuck. McKay has nothing but praise for his coach. | Prohm, who won 104 games in four seasons at Murray State before being hired at Iowa State, said the discipline was an important part of enforcing the ground rules of his program. The message seems to have stuck. McKay has nothing but praise for his coach. |
| “Coming from Fred, it was a home-run hire,” McKay told reporters of Prohm on Monday. “Us making the Sweet 16 just proves it. And we’ve still got games to go.” | “Coming from Fred, it was a home-run hire,” McKay told reporters of Prohm on Monday. “Us making the Sweet 16 just proves it. And we’ve still got games to go.” |
| Reggie Miller, a Hall of Fame player who will be the color commentator for the CBS broadcast of Friday’s game, said of Prohm’s leadership: “He really grabbed at that locker room and those seniors, and when your upperclassmen believe in the message, it’s so much easier for the rest of the team to buy in.” | Reggie Miller, a Hall of Fame player who will be the color commentator for the CBS broadcast of Friday’s game, said of Prohm’s leadership: “He really grabbed at that locker room and those seniors, and when your upperclassmen believe in the message, it’s so much easier for the rest of the team to buy in.” |
| Miller described Prohm’s situation as similar to that of Steve Kerr last season with the Golden State Warriors. | Miller described Prohm’s situation as similar to that of Steve Kerr last season with the Golden State Warriors. |
| “Steve Kerr was walking into a ready-made, veteran team with young superstars. And he added his twist to it, shore up what he thought was their shortcomings. . . . and they go on to win the championship,” Miller said in a phone interview Tuesday. “Well, Coach Prohm did the same thing with Fred Hoiberg. Shored up their defense — what he felt was their shortcoming — really didn’t tinker too much with the offense because it worked for Iowa State, and continues to be good. And they continue to play at a high level.” | “Steve Kerr was walking into a ready-made, veteran team with young superstars. And he added his twist to it, shore up what he thought was their shortcomings. . . . and they go on to win the championship,” Miller said in a phone interview Tuesday. “Well, Coach Prohm did the same thing with Fred Hoiberg. Shored up their defense — what he felt was their shortcoming — really didn’t tinker too much with the offense because it worked for Iowa State, and continues to be good. And they continue to play at a high level.” |
| [Why Jim Larranaga claps for Miami’s mistakes] | [Why Jim Larranaga claps for Miami’s mistakes] |
| The Cyclones, consistently praised as one of the most efficient and dangerous offensive teams in the nation under Hoiberg, will pose one of the stiffest tests of the season for Virginia (28-7). The Cyclones have the most efficient offense of all remaining tournament teams, according to the statistical website KenPom.com, and second in the nation to Michigan State. They rank in the top 20 among Division I teams in points per game (82.1), field goal percentage (50.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45). They had nine wins over NCAA tournament teams in the regular season. | |
| They also have Georges Niang, one of the Big 12’s most versatile and dominant scorers who seems poised to make the all-American team after earning the honor in the preseason. The 6-8 senior forward averages 20.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game and poses a nightmare matchup for Coach Tony Bennett’s Cavaliers. Bennett compared Niang to the likes of ACC super-scorers Jaron Blossomgame from Clemson and Brandon Ingram from Duke — but said Monday that Niang was probably “the best we’ve faced.” | They also have Georges Niang, one of the Big 12’s most versatile and dominant scorers who seems poised to make the all-American team after earning the honor in the preseason. The 6-8 senior forward averages 20.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game and poses a nightmare matchup for Coach Tony Bennett’s Cavaliers. Bennett compared Niang to the likes of ACC super-scorers Jaron Blossomgame from Clemson and Brandon Ingram from Duke — but said Monday that Niang was probably “the best we’ve faced.” |
| Niang was just as much of a linchpin off the courts as one of those veteran players who helped ease Prohm’s transition. | Niang was just as much of a linchpin off the courts as one of those veteran players who helped ease Prohm’s transition. |
| “He’s just a great dude,” Niang said of Prohm on Monday. “I have the utmost respect for him, and I’m thankful that I got the opportunity to work with him. He’s the real deal, man. When we got him here I thought it was a great fit for us, just because he’s such a humble guy and really came in and wanted to meet us halfway, do things the way he’s done but do things the way we’ve done. You don’t find that too much in college basketball.” | “He’s just a great dude,” Niang said of Prohm on Monday. “I have the utmost respect for him, and I’m thankful that I got the opportunity to work with him. He’s the real deal, man. When we got him here I thought it was a great fit for us, just because he’s such a humble guy and really came in and wanted to meet us halfway, do things the way he’s done but do things the way we’ve done. You don’t find that too much in college basketball.” |