The first preseason game of the year for the Iowa State Cyclones didn’t go as planned, with the team losing to the Creighton Bluejays 83-80.
Trailing by as many as 19 points in the second half, it was encouraging to see the Cyclones show some heart and fight, not giving up at any point. Iowa State fans will be quick to remember that a preseason loss to Creighton occurred last year as well, and look how things turned out.
Despite the disappointing final score, there were some positive takeaways from the game. One of the biggest was the performance of forward Taj Manning, who looks like he is going to be a major part of the team’s game plan this season.
A transfer from the Kansas State Wildcats, he spent the first three seasons of his career with the Cyclones’ rival. After playing in only 22 games as a freshman and sophomore, he was in the lineup for 30 games last season, starting 17 of them, averaging 20.7 minutes per game.
Taj Manning make immediate impact for Iowa State
During conference play, he saw his opportunities increase, starting 16 out of the 18 games he played in and receiving 27.3 minutes per game. A physical presence on the interior, that is exactly what he showed in his Iowa State debut against the Bluejays.
His performance drew praise from head coach T.J. Otzelberger, who loved the consistency, physicality and willingness to make winning plays that may not always show up on the score sheet.
“Taj Manning continues to be a bright spot for us and be very production-driven. When he’s come in, I’ve had a lot of confidence bringing him in. But he’s definitely stepped up for us. He just plays hard; he’s physical, he’s a winner, he’s a great teammate, and so you saw that on display,” the head coach said in his postgame press conference, via Cyclone Fanatic.
In 23 minutes off the bench, the bruising forward certainly made his presence felt. He scored 13 points, making all six of his shots from the field; the only shortcoming was his free throw shooting, where he made only 1-of-4 attempts.
Manning added five rebounds, which tied for the second most on the team with Leon Bond III; only Dominykas Pleta had more with seven.
While he is certainly not the transfer who generated the most headlines, Manning is going to fit in perfectly in Ames. His style of play is something the team needed more of, as they lacked a physical presence on the interior at points.
Having Manning will also enable Otzelberger to play Pleta and Blake Buchanan alongside each other more, knowing he has another capable anchor on the roster, along with freshman big man Dorian Rinaldo-Komlan.
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