Cyclones welcoming back veteran pair from injury

There may not be a dramatic departure from the rotation Steve Prohm has deployed in recent games come Friday evening at Hilton Coliseum, but the Iowa State men’s basketball team is finally expected to be at full strength.

Lindell Wigginton and Solomon Young are set to be back.

“It’s just going to be a process of slowly easing them back into it,” Prohm said Monday. “Both are working really hard.”

Young has yet to play this season after a groin injury suffered in October required surgery while Wigginton has been out since he strained his foot in the Cyclones’ season-opener Nov. 6.

Both are in line to see the floor later this week against Eastern Illinois (6 p.m.; Cyclones.tv), but it’ll likely come after the Cyclones, presumably, build a significant buffer against the Panthers (6-5).

“I’d love to get them up and down the floor, get them some reps,” Prohm said. “I’m going to talk to them this week just to talk to them about, hey, just going to kind of ease them in this week and then get back to practice and get themselves really ready in practice over the next two weeks so Oklahoma State (Big 12 opener on Jan. 2) they’re ready to go.”

Wigginton’s addition will likely be the most impactful and trickiest to potentially navigate.

His ability to score - averaging nearly 17 points and shooting 40 percent from 3-point range last season - will help the Cyclones, who have been effective on that end of the floor but have been susceptible to extended lulls and poor long-distance shooting.

“I can’t wait to get Lindell back,” freshman guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “He’s one of our best players.

“We have times in games where it seems like the ball dies and things like that. Not a lot of people can really stay in front of Lindell. He’s really quick. He can get to the rim, get paint touches. He draws fouls really well. He can make the right kicks. He’ll help us a lot offensively.”

Wigginton, though, does prefer to play with the ball in his hands and his presence all but assures there will be an adjustment period.

“We had to learn how to play without him,” Haliburton said. “That’s probably tougher than when he gets back because we’re just used to that.

“Guys have to adapt to their role and star in it, really. Lindell is probably going to be option No. 1, and teams are going to focus on him and that’s just going to leave a lot of us more open.”

Wigginton returned to ISU for his sophomore season after going through the NBA pre-draft process, where the feedback was often he needed to improve his point guard skills. Experiencing the Cyclones’ start to the season at arm’s length could, potentially, help some in that regard with a new perspective.

“What the positive to take from it is I think he’s been able to sit back and look at the game a little bit different,” Prohm said. “I think he’s learned a lot from sitting out. I think he’s used it to his benefit.

“I think this at the end of the day will make him a lot better player.”

In Young’s case, he’ll add to a crowded frontcourt where Michael Jacobson has established himself as the starter while Cameron Lard has rarely been able to stay on the court since the end of his November suspension and freshman George Conditt has played inconsistent minutes.

“He brings a physicality and toughness that can change the game sometimes,” Prohm said of Young.

The junior forward has had bad luck with injuries during his ISU tenure. He broke his hand early in his freshman season, shutdown his sophomore season with a knee injury and now the groin tear.

“It’s frustrating, but what’s done is done,” Young said. “I can’t say down or let it get in the way. Got to keep going.”