Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Utah on February 24, 2026 , Win , 75, to, 59
Final
Men's Basketball
75
Utah
59
Iowa State University Athletics
Iowa State Men's Basketball Summer Outlook
07.15.2006 | Men's Basketball
Click here for prospectus in pdf format
What a difference a week makes. After ending an underachieving season with a first round loss to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament in early March, Iowa State was eager to try to get back to its winning form with the return of virtually every contributor from the 2005-06 campaign.
Just one week later, things changed dramatically. All-conference guards Curtis Stinson and Will Blalock made themselves available for the NBA Draft followed by the announcement that former head coach Wayne Morgan was relieved of his duties. Soon after top reserves Shawn Taggart, Tasheed Carr and Farnold Degand all decided to transfer, giving ISU just four returning scholarship players for 2006-07.
Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard wasted little time in finding the best successor for Morgan. He also didn't have to look very far. Pollard found the perfect coach within the state borders of Iowa in Greg McDermott.
McDermott was contacted by Pollard literally just hours after his Northern Iowa team lost a close game to Georgetown in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. It marked the third consecutive season that McDermott had led his alma mater to the NCAA Tournament, pacing the Panthers to three-straight 20-win seasons and into the national spotlight. The resurgence of the Panther program boosted his name to the top of the wanted list used by major conference schools looking for the next up-and-coming coach. For the first couple of years, McDermott stayed put. He waited for the right job. He found it at Iowa State.
"It's simply a dream come true to have the opportunity to assume the reins of a program that has the reputation and resources of Iowa State University," McDermott said. "Staying in this state - close to family and friends - was a bonus. I'm humbled, to say the least, about the faith that (ISU President) Dr. (Gregory) Geoffroy and Jamie Pollard have shown in me."
McDermott and his new coaching staff jumped into a tough situation. There was uncertainty whether some players and recruits were staying or leaving, which made it a difficult transition. In the end, McDermott's staff received high marks for its late-effort job on the recruiting trail, inking four players in the final signing period.
Although ISU lost a number of players and return just four scholarship athletes, the hiring of McDermott has rejuvenated the Cyclone fan base. Depth and experience will obviously be an issue, but Iowa State fans trust McDermott's brilliant track record of producing a well-disciplined and highly competitive product on the court.
"I'm hopeful we will be a sound defensive team that can play with some discipline on both ends of the floor," McDermott said. "We will have athletic ability at several positions that will allow us to be creative in our approach to both the offensive and defensive end of the floor. The versatility that several of our players bring to the table will allow us to give our opponents several different looks."
For people who are unfamiliar with McDermott's style of coaching, you can be certain of two things: Defense will be a high priority and being efficient on the offensive end is a must.
"Defensively, our philosophy is simple," McDermott said. "You don't allow transition baskets. You don't allow offensive rebounds and you don't foul. You try and make your opponents earn every basket. On the offensive end, we will value the basketball. We will utilize several set plays to try and put our players in a position where they can be most successful. Offensively we will be built upon the strength and the abilities of the people we have in our program at that particular time."
The Backcourt
Iowa State will no doubt have to reinvent themselves in the guard court. Gone are all-conference guards Curtis Stinson and Will Blalock, who left school with a year of eligibility remaining to pursue a life in professional basketball. Both were three-year starters who accumulated over 1,000 career points. Stinson, a two-time first-team all-league choice, ranked in the top-50 nationally in three statistical categories (points, assists and steals). Blalock, a third-team all-Big 12 choice in 2006, ranked 10th nationally in assists last season. Their departure, along with the transfer of reserves Tasheed Carr and Farnold Degand, immediately opens up playing time for the newcomers joining the Cyclone squad this season.
Three candidates in line for ISU's backcourt are junior college transfers Corey McIntosh (5-11, 175, Jr.) and Michael Taylor (6-2, 175, Jr.) and freshman Dodie Dunson (6-3, 185).
"Corey McIntosh and Michael Taylor, because of their experience at the college level and the success they were able to achieve, will play important roles on our team a year from now," McDermott said. "Dodie Dunson gives us the flexibility to use him at a couple different positions because he's strong enough to guard a bigger player yet has the quickness to defend on the perimeter. Those three guys, from a scholarship standpoint, will be the players we will rely on at the guard position. Brock Jacobson was probably the one that stood out from the returning players that are not on scholarship that could have an opportunity to impact us in a positive way because of his ability to shoot the 3-point shot. We just had a short time to evaluate them, so it's not a fair evaluation and we will learn more next Fall."
McIntosh, a native of West Covina, Calif., is a true point guard and was considered one of the best junior college point guards in the nation last year while playing at Fullerton College in California. An ultra-quick floor leader, McIntosh was named 2006 California Junior College Player of the Year after leading his Fullerton squad to a perfect 37-0 mark en route to the California Junior College national title. The point guard position will be in his hands and his history of winning basketball is what attracted McDermott.
"Corey provides point guard experience and a winning mentality," McDermott said. "We like the fact that Corey knows how to win and does it in a way that involves all of his teammates. He provides point guard skills along with the ability to make open shots."
Taylor has a great shot to be the starting two-guard after a successful two years at Chipola Junior College in Florida. A top-50 junior college prospect, Taylor averaged 12.5 points and 3.8 assists last season on a squad that was ranked No. 1 nationally throughout most of the year. The Milwaukee, Wis., product is very athletic and a solid shooter, making 40 percent of his shots from 3-point range (48-120 3FG) in 2006.
Dunson (6-3, 185, Fr.) was a solid late-season pick up for McDermott and his staff. Dunson is a combo guard who can score, pass and defend. He averaged 17.2 points and 4.3 assists for Brewster Academy (N.H) last year. A native of Bloomington, Ill., Dunson was considered one of the top players out of Illinois in 2005. He will likely provide depth at the two-guard spot in his first season with ISU.
The Frontcourt
Last season, the ISU frontcourt got a comprehensive overhaul and struggled to find consistency. But there is good news for Iowa State fans. The Cyclone big men gained much experience and all but one return this season. ISU's only loss in the middle is Shawn Taggart, who transferred to Memphis after his freshman season with the Cyclones. Returning are starters Rahshon Clark (6-6, 190, Jr.), Jiri Hubalek (6-11, 225, Jr.) and Ross Marsden (6-10, 210, Fr.) and key reserve Jessan Gray (6-10, 210, Sr.).
Clark is ISU's top returning player and is one of the most dynamic athletes in the Big 12 Conference. Named to the league all-underrated team a year ago, Clark is a long, athletic swingman with incredible leaping ability. He led ISU in rebounding last year (5.5 rpg) and was third on the squad in scoring at 13.1 ppg. His jumping ability allows him to be effective in the paint, but he also proved to be a sound outside shooter, hitting 45-of-121 (37.2 percent) shots from downtown. Defensively, Clark has also made his mark. He led the team in blocks with 31 and tallied 43 steals. His 94 career steals already ranks 17th on the ISU career theft list. A native of Queens, N.Y., Clark was named Big 12 Player of the Week early last season after tallying a career-high 26 points at Drake.
"We will rely on Rahshon to bring leadership to our program," McDermott said. "He has played in the shadows of Blalock and Stinson for the last couple years and now it's his opportunity to shine, not just in basketball related issues, but as a leader as well. Your team is always going to follow your best players, and Rahshon is certainly going to be one of our best players and I think he is excited about the challenge of leading this team and hopefully leading this program to places where it hasn't been to in quite sometime."
Hubalek showed signs of progress in his first year with the Cyclones. He started 20 of the last 26 games, averaging 8.6 points and 3.9 rebounds. An extremely versatile player, Hubalek can cause matchup problems because of his ability to hit outside shots. The Prague, Czech Republic, native is at his best utilizing his mid-range jump shot and he continues to improve his strength down low. He was one of the most efficient Cyclones a year ago, making 51.5 percent of his shots from the floor.
Marsden was a pleasant ISU surprise last season. Slated to be a seldom-used bench player, Marsden forged his way into the starting lineup 18 times as a rookie in 2006. Although his stats were not eye-popping (2.7 ppg; 2.7 rpg), his court sense and work ethic impressed the coaching staff. Marsden needs to continue to gain weight to improve his low-post presence. The Ames, Iowa native runs the court extremely well, is a great passer out of the post and has a soft mid-range jump shot. He showed he could make the big basket, drilling the game-winner in double-overtime vs. Northwestern State last season. He made 53.2 percent of his shots and had just 13 turnovers in 613 minutes of action last season.
Gray came off the bench in 19 games while struggling with injuries a year ago. The Davenport, Iowa native is more suited for the 2 and 3 position despite his size. Gray averaged 4.3 points and 1.9 rebounds and made 11-of-his-22 3-point attempts last year.
A pair of freshmen newcomers have a chance to see quality minutes in the post next season in Cory Johnson (6-7, 215, Fr.) and Wesley Johnson (6-7, 190, Fr.).
Cory Johnson was one of the top-150 players in the nation last year and was a finalist for Mr. Basketball honors in the state of the Minnesota after leading his Duluth East squad to the Class 3A state final. A hard-working player who can run and shoot, Johnson will provide toughness inside for ISU next season at the 4 position. Johnson, who was a two-time first-team all-state selection, ended his outstanding prep career as the fourth-leading scorer in Minnesota boys basketball history with 2,930 career points. He averaged 27.0 points and 7.7 rebounds while leading his team to a 29-3 mark.
Wesley Johnson is an athletic 3-man who can shoot from the outside and run the court extremely well. A native of Corsicana, Texas, Johnson averaged 15.2 points and 9.7 rebounds in his last season in high school. Considered a tough defensive player, Johnson also has great leaping ability.
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