1. How well is Solomon Young?
It’s unclear, to me at least, whether Solomon Young had Covid. It sounds like he didn’t, but in the four games since returning, Young has notched three of his four worst offensive performances of the year, by KenPom’s offensive rating (which is an efficiency metric developed by Dean Oliver). Part of this may be that his usage rate’s been especially high—he was used on 30%, 19%, and 24% of possible possessions in those three games, compared to 21% over the season as a whole—but something does appear to be off, and whether it’s health or just being out of a groove, it’s tough for him and for the Cyclones.
2. Jaden Walker has a lot of room to grow.
We’ve talked about this before. We don’t want to hate on Jaden Walker. He’s played admirably these last six games since being thrust into a starting role. We want him to grow, and we’re seeing him grow (after the six-turnover performance against West Virginia, he’s only turned it over four times in the last three outings, with zero giveaways last night). But Walker shouldn’t be viewed as a program-saver in any way. His ceiling, at the moment, appears to be that of an efficient floor general who plays rough, tenacious defense. Which is great. But there isn’t reason to believe he’s going to be Monte Morris.
3. Are the pieces there?
A big question for Iowa State, and for the practicality of retaining Steve Prohm, is who will stick around into next year. No one on this roster is a big NBA prospect (I doubt anyone would be drafted were they to go pro), but quite a few players could go make a living in Europe as a basketball player if they wanted to go that route. Rasir Bolton and Young have been the best overall players, and Young’s a senior but will have that extra year of eligibility. Jalen Coleman-Lands is a senior.
There’s a paradox here in that Iowa State is bad, with the roster as is, and as it stands, only Blake Hinson, Tyrese Hunter, and Jayden Nunn should be added next year, with Nunn not expected to contribute immediately upon arrival. If Young and Coleman-Lands both leave but no one else does, it’s not that hard to talk oneself into a lineup with Hunter at the point, Bolton playing off the ball, Johnson and Hinson on the wings, and Xavier Foster playing the five; with George Conditt (who we’ve seen to have a high ceiling) providing frontline depth, Tyler Harris playing a shooter role, Tre Jackson playing a stopper role, and Darlinstone Dubar filling some minutes. That doesn’t, to me, sound like a bad team, but saying that doesn’t sound like a bad team—again with the paradox—implies this team doesn’t have to be this bad. And this team, for whatever reason, is this bad. If Young and Coleman-Lands do stick around, that adds more options, which is good for diversification reasons (if you have eleven options and three don’t pan out, you still have eight options), but in basketball, a team has to click. It’s not baseball. Or even football.
