# 2015–16 Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team

The 2015–16 Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team represented Iowa State University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cyclones were coached by Steve Prohm, who was in his 1st season. They played their home games at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa and competed in the Big 12 Conference.
They finished the season 23–12 10–8 in Big 12 play to finish tied for 5th place. They lost to Oklahoma in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Conference tournament. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Iona and Little Rock to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they lost to Virginia.

## Previous season

Iowa State finished the season 25–9, 12–6 in Big 12 play to finish in second place. They defeated Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas to become champions of the Big 12 Conference tournament to earn and automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. In the NCAA Tournament they were upset by UAB in the second round.
After months of speculation, it was announced on June 2, 2015, that Fred Hoiberg would be accepting the head coach position with the Chicago Bulls of the NBA.
On June 8, 2015, it was announced that Iowa State would be hiring Murray State head coach Steve Prohm for the same position.

### Offseason departures

Offseason Departures :
| Name | Position | Reason |
| Bryce Dejean-Jones | Guard | Graduated |
| Dustin Hogue | Forward | Graduated |
| Daniel Edozie | Forward | Graduated |
| Sherron Dorsey-Walker | Guard | Transferred to Oakland |
| Kourtlin Jackson | Guard | Transferred to Southern Miss |
| Clayton Custer | Guard | Transferred to Loyola Chicago |
| Daniel Stensland | Guard | Left basketball team |
| Georgios Tsalmpouris | Center | Left to play professionally in the Greek Basketball League |
| Reference: |||

## Recruiting
### Prep recruits

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Nick Noskowiak PG | Sun Prairie, Wisconsin | Sun Prairie | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Apr 26, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 84 ||||||
| Brady Ernst PF | Clinton, Iowa | Clinton | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Jun 25, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR ||||||
| Simeon Carter PF | Charlotte, North Carolina | West Charlotte | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Aug 6, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: 247Sports: 75 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Iowa State 2015 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 8, 2017. "2015 Iowa State Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved February 8, 2017. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 8, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 8, 2017. "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 8, 2017. ||||||

### Incoming transfers

Incoming Transfers :
| Name | Position | Hometown | Previous School | Remaining Eligibility | Notes |
| Jordan Ashton | Guard | Mount Pleasant, Iowa | Kirkwood CC | 2 | Ashton was eligible to play immediately. |
| Nick Weiler-Babb | Guard | Arlington, Texas | Arkansas | 3 | Weiler-Babb sat out the 2015–16 season due to NCAA eligibility rules. |
| Reference: ||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 6, 2015* 7:00 pm, Cyclones.tv | No. 7 | Grand Valley State | W 106–60 | | 20 – Mitrou-Long | 11 – McKay | 8 – Thomas | Hilton Coliseum (14,384) Ames, Iowa |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 13, 2015* 4:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 7 | vs. Colorado | W 68–62 | 1–0 | 17 – Niang | 10 – McKay | 4 – Morris | Sanford Pentagon (3,200) Sioux Falls, South Dakota |
| November 16, 2015* 7:00 pm, Cyclones.tv | No. 7 | Chicago State Emerald Coast Classic | W 106–64 | 2–0 | 25 – McKay | 11 – Tied | 8 – Tied | Hilton Coliseum (14,111) Ames, Iowa |
| November 23, 2015* 7:00 pm, Cyclones.tv | No. 4 | Chattanooga Emerald Coast Classic | W 83–63 | 3–0 | 24 – Mitrou-Long | 17 – McKay | 10 – Morris | Hilton Coliseum (13,305) Ames, Iowa |
| November 27, 2015* 6:00 pm, CBSSN | No. 4 | vs. Virginia Tech Emerald Coast Classic Semifinals | W 99–77 | 4–0 | 23 – McKay | 11 – Nader | 7 – Morris | The Arena (2,222) Niceville, Florida |
| November 28, 2015* 6:00 pm, CBSSN | No. 4 | vs. Illinois Emerald Coast Classic Championship | W 84–73 | 5–0 | 23 – Niang | 9 – Morris | 6 – Morris | The Arena (2,222) Niceville, Florida |
| December 1, 2015* 7:00 pm, Cyclones.tv | No. 5 | North Dakota State | W 84–64 | 6–0 | 21 – Nader | 19 – McKay | 6 – Morris | Hilton Coliseum (14,272) Ames, Iowa |
| December 7, 2015* 8:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 4 | Buffalo | W 84–63 | 7–0 | 31 – Niang | 12 – Niang | 10 – Morris | Hilton Coliseum (14,130) Ames, Iowa |
| December 11, 2015* 6:30 pm, ESPN2 | No. 4 | Iowa Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series | W 83–82 | 8–0 | 20 – Tied | 12 – McKay | 9 – Morris | Hilton Coliseum (14,384) Ames, Iowa |
| December 13, 2015* 5:00 pm, Cyclones.tv | No. 4 | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | W 78–64 | 9–0 | 18 – McKay | 8 – McKay | 11 – Morris | Hilton Coliseum (14,284) Ames, Iowa |
| December 19, 2015* 6:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 5 | vs. Northern Iowa Big Four Classic | L 79–81 | 9–1 | 30 – Niang | 7 – Nader | 6 – Morris | Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines, Iowa |
| December 22, 2015* 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 11 | at No. 22 Cincinnati | W 81–79 | 10–1 | 24 – Niang | 10 – Niang | 7 – Morris | Fifth Third Arena (13,176) Cincinnati |
| December 30, 2015* 7:00 pm, Cyclones.tv | No. 11 | Coppin State | W 104–84 | 11–1 | 21 – Nader | 9 – Niang | 11 – Morris | Hilton Coliseum (14,384) Ames, Iowa |
| January 2, 2016 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 11 | at No. 3 Oklahoma | L 83–87 | 11–2 (0–1) | 29 – Niang | 9 – McKay | 3 – Morris | Lloyd Noble Center (11,251) Norman, Oklahoma |
| January 6, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 13 | Texas Tech | W 76–69 | 12–2 (1–1) | 19 – McKay | 14 – McKay | 6 – Morris | Hilton Coliseum (14,384) Ames, Iowa |
| January 9, 2016 2:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 13 | Baylor | L 89–94 | 12–3 (1–2) | 22 – Niang | 8 – Nader | 6 – Niang | Hilton Coliseum (14,384) Ames, Iowa |
| January 12, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 17 | at Texas | L 91–94 $^{OT}$ | 12–4 (1–3) | 27 – Niang | 16 – Nader | 7 – Morris | Frank Erwin Center (10,663) Austin, Texas |
| January 16, 2016 3:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 17 | at Kansas State | W 76–63 | 13–4 (2–3) | 19 – Morris | 6 – 3 tied | 4 – Morris | Bramlage Coliseum (12,462) Manhattan, Kansas |
| January 18, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 19 | No. 1 Oklahoma | W 82–77 | 14–4 (3–3) | 22 – Niang | 13 – McKay | 3 – Tied | Hilton Coliseum (14,384) Ames, Iowa |
| January 23, 2016 3:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 19 | at TCU | W 73–60 | 15–4 (4–3) | 18 – Morris | 10 – McKay | 6 – Morris | Schollmaier Arena (6,014) Fort Worth, Texas |
| January 25, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 14 | No. 4 Kansas | W 85–72 | 16–4 (5–3) | 21 – Morris | 5 – Tied | 9 – Morris | Hilton Coliseum (14,384) Ames, Iowa |
| January 30, 2016* 1:00 pm, ESPN | No. 14 | at No. 5 Texas A&M Big 12/SEC Challenge | L 62–72 | 16–5 | 15 – Niang | 14 – McKay | 6 – Morris | Reed Arena (12,473) College Station, Texas |
| February 2, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 13 | No. 14 West Virginia | L 76–81 | 16–6 (5–4) | 20 – Niang | 6 – Burton | 10 – Morris | Hilton Coliseum (14,384) Ames, Iowa |
| February 6, 2016 1:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 13 | at Oklahoma State | W 64–59 | 17–6 (6–4) | 18 – Niang | 9 – Niang | 8 – Morris | Gallagher-Iba Arena (6,561) Stillwater, Oklahoma |
| February 10, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 14 | at Texas Tech | L 82–85 $^{OT}$ | 17–7 (6–5) | 20 – Burton | 9 – Niang | 9 – Morris | United Supermarkets Arena (6,715) Lubbock, Texas |
| February 13, 2016 7:30 pm, ESPN | No. 14 | No. 24 Texas | W 85–75 | 18–7 (7–5) | 24 – Morris | 8 – Nader | 3 – Tied | Hilton Coliseum (14,384) Ames, Iowa |
| February 16, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 13 | at No. 25 Baylor | L 91–100 $^{OT}$ | 18–8 (7–6) | 26 – Niang | 8 – Niang | 11 – Morris | Ferrell Center (5,556) Waco, Texas |
| February 20, 2016 6:30 pm, ESPNU | No. 13 | TCU | W 92–83 | 19–8 (8–6) | 27 – Niang | 14 – Burton | 11 – Morris | Hilton Coliseum (14,384) Ames, Iowa |
| February 22, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 17 | at No. 14 West Virginia | L 87–97 | 19–9 (8–7) | 23 – Nader | 5 – Tied | 5 – Niang | WVU Coliseum (10,683) Morgantown, West Virginia |
| February 27, 2016 5:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 17 | Kansas State | W 80–61 | 20–9 (9–7) | 20 – Thomas | 17 – McKay | 8 – Morris | Hilton Coliseum (14,384) Ames, Iowa |
| February 29, 2016 6:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 21 | Oklahoma State | W 58–50 | 21–9 (10–7) | 19 – Nader | 10 – Tied | 6 – Morris | Hilton Coliseum (14,383) Ames, Iowa |
| March 5, 2016 3:00 pm, ESPN | No. 21 | at No. 1 Kansas | L 78–85 | 21–10 (10–8) | 22 – Niang | 9 – McKay | 5 – Niang | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, Kansas |
| Big 12 Tournament |||||||||
| 03/10/2016 8:00 pm, ESPNU | (6) No. 21 | vs. (3) No. 6 Oklahoma Quarterfinals | L 76–79 | 21–11 | 31 – Niang | 9 – Tied | 5 – Niang | Sprint Center (18,972) Kansas City, Missouri |
| NCAA Tournament |||||||||
| 03/17/2016* 1:00 pm, TBS | (4 MW) No. 22 | vs. (13 MW) Iona First Round | W 94–81 | 22–11 | 28 – Niang | 9 – McKay | 8 – Morris | Pepsi Center (19,499) Denver, Colorado |
| 03/19/2016* 5:10 pm, TBS | (4 MW) No. 22 | vs. (12 MW) Little Rock Second Round | W 78–61 | 23–11 | 28 – Niang | 10 – McKay | 4 – Tied | Pepsi Center (19,551) Denver, Colorado |
| 03/25/2016* 6:10 pm, CBS | (4 MW) No. 22 | vs. (1 MW) No. 4 Virginia Sweet Sixteen | L 71–84 | 23–12 | 30 – Niang | 8 – Niang | 8 – Morris | United Center (21,490) Chicago |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP poll | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 22 | |
| Coaches Poll | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 15 |