Last summer was a busy time for junior guard Lucca Staiger.

After deciding to return to the ISU basketball program in May, Staiger visited his home in Germany where he hit the international basketball scene. From the Under-20 German National team to the A1 National team, Staiger made a name for himself in European basketball.

Staiger began this summer at the World University Games — the same games teammate Craig Brackins took part in.

Staiger led the German team, scoring 13.4 points per game and shooting 38 percent from behind the 3-point arc en route to an eighth-place finish.

“On the A2 team, he was their go-to guy,” coach Greg McDermott said. “He was asked to do a lot, and that’s going to help him. Even though he played a smaller role on their national team, he was one of the youngest players on the German National team.”

McDermott said the players Stagier played against challenged him and strengthened his skills. “So he was playing against guys that have been professionals, some of them for over a decade,” McDermott said. “Playing against people like that, playing against a France team that has four NBA players on their roster, that kind of experience is going to do nothing but help you.”

On the German National team, the team Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki played for in each of the previous 10 years, Staiger averaged five points in 13 minutes of play and shot more than 57 percent for three pointers.

Staiger said his goal for this season is to shoot 50 percent from long range, a full 11.5 percent better than he shot last season for Iowa State.

Although it would represent a significant improvement over last season’s shooting percentage, Brackins thinks 50 percent is attainable for his German teammate.

“I think Lucca is one of the best shooters I have seen in person,” Brackins said. “I think it is more of [a] confidence thing with Lucca, and I think his confidence is through the roof with playing overseas on the German National team.”

But confidence isn’t the only thing Staiger gained from playing at such a high international level.

“Just to try to play slower,” Staiger said. “I think that is what I learned the most is just knowing that sometimes going slower is better than going fast. Don’t try to do too much, just try to make the simple plays.

“The guys I played with, some of them were 35 and they played so well, and I just noticed that they tried to read the game more.”

That style of slower, smarter play is something Staiger will try to pass on to his teammates this season.

“If I go slower with things, then the rest of the team will not be as hectic,” Stagier said. “I can calm everybody down a little bit.”

Another attribute Staiger picked up in the offseason is a little bit of strength and conditioning.

“He came back 10 to 12 pounds lighter, leaner, stronger and really seems to be genuinely excited about being back here and getting to work and having as good of a season as he possibly can,” McDermott said.

After an offseason of playing basketball, Staiger said he is already in game shape. That puts him ahead of where he was at this point last season, when he was still recovering from a knee injury that hampered him much of last season.

This year, Staiger appears to be fully healthy for the first time as a Cyclone, leaving fans to hope that Stagier can reproduce the success he had over the summer.