Iowa State was one of the surprise teams in the conference last year finishing second in the regular-season race to Houston. Can the Cyclones sustain that momentum?
The losses suffered in Ames should be able to be overcome as most of last season's seniors were not stars. However, the Cyclones will have to find a way to keep their defensive culture in place while replacing some glue guys who helped set the tone.
Two transfer additions to watch are four star transfers Joshua Jefferson (a small forward from St. Mary's) and Dishon Jackson (a 6-foot-11 center from Charlotte). They will bring some punch to an already stout Iowa State lineup.