Peterson: Once everyone is healthy, Wigginton says Iowa State's ceiling is the 'sky'

AMES Ia. — I posed the question to Lindell Wigginton as reporters huddled around the star point guard before basketball practice Thursday.

Once there's a full, healthy, ready-to-play roster, just what are expectations for an Iowa State basketball team that’s already won eight of 10 games, despite its veteran stars essentially watching from the sidelines?

“The sky’s the limit,” said Wigginton, who will miss his 10th game in a row since the Alabama State opener when Iowa State and Drake collide at 3:30 p.m. Saturday inside Wells Fargo Arena. “We have a good team. We have a deep team.

“The guys that come off the bench can come in and impact the game right away.”

Let’s look at this another way: No one’s stopping Kansas from winning at least a share of its 15th Big 12 regular season title in a row. 

But Iowa State finishing among the top four or so? Absolutely, assuming players buy into the reality that minor reductions in minutes could mean the Cyclones starting another NCAA Tournament streak.

“Last year, we only had seven guys — six guys — that were playing every game,” Nick Weiler-Babb said. “This year, we have Marial (Shayok) leading the Big 12 in scoring, Tyrese (Haliburton) can get his shot, Mike (Jacobson) is playing really good inside, George (Conditt) is coming off the bench really well, Terrence (Lewis) is shooting the ball really well. ...

“We have a lot of keys around us that we didn’t have last year. I’m not really worried about numbers, too much. I want to win more than anything. I can be coming off the bench and not really playing (as much), as long as we win.”

Wigginton and post player Solomon Young could play Dec. 21 against Eastern Illinois — and then in the Big 12 opener at Oklahoma State on Jan. 2. Their return, as well as Cam Lard playing more productive minutes, are the reasons Iowa State’s already being predicted on some extremely early (yet intriguing) NCAA brackets.

BleacherReport forecasts a No. 7 seed in Salt Lake. ESPN says No. 8 in Columbus.

That’s significant, considering the Cyclones weren’t even among the first four out at this time a season ago. It’s notable, considering Prohm’s team is 8-2 with a shell of the roster he’ll have within a couple weeks.

It’s renewed respect for a program that hasn’t even fit together each of its puzzle parts.

Yet.

“We’ll start it more so after we get back from the holidays,” said Prohm, whose team has 11 days without a game after the Eastern Illinois tilt. “There’s not going to any drastic (rotation) changes.

“These guys know. We’ve talked about it in individual meetings. Tyrese understands from the standpoint that when Lindell gets back — that it’s not really roles changing.”

There’s not a true point guard; everyone except the post players will be expected to handle the ball and distribute. Wigginton will likely average at least 30 minutes once he’s in playing shape. Haliburton likely becomes the first perimeter-player reserve.

Weiler-Babb can be just as productive averaging 25 minutes a game, as he has been with the 32.2 he averages entering Saturday.

“Sometimes I (conserve energy), just because you never know how much I’m going to play,” said Babb, who averaged 36 minutes a game last season.  

With a full roster of talented players, of which he’s one, Babb probably won’t have to play as much during the approaching Big 12 season.

“Lindell will come back in and be a big key for us,” Babb said, “so I don’t have to really save anything.”

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson has been with the Register for parts of five decades. Randy writes opinion and analysis of Iowa State football and basketball. You can reach Randy at rpeterson@dmreg.com or on Twitter at @RandyPete.