Lucca Staiger, who has been battling with the decision of whether to play another year for the ISU men’s basketball team or to return to his native Germany, has decided to stay at Iowa State.

“The chance to come back to play for a team, which I feel will be much improved, is very exciting,” Staiger said in a press release.

Staiger’s road to the court has been rough, as he previously struggled with an NCAA ruling requiring him to wait a year before playing.

As if that weren’t enough, Staiger underwent knee surgery in October of 2008.

“His knee injury slowed his progress this past season, but won’t affect his playing moving forward,” said Greg McDermott, head men’s basketball coach.

After waiting a year to play and then being held up by a knee injury, Staiger faced a new challenge: deciding what to do in the upcoming season.

“It was important for him to sit down with his family, face-to-face, before making a final decision,” McDermott said in a press release. “I’m excited he has decided to return.”

Students and fans are also excited to see his return.

With both Craig Brackins and Staiger returning next year, Matt Schuler, library assistant at Parks Library, said he believes “this will help Coach McDermott produce a winning team.”

The team is returning nine players this year.

“Any time you can return that much experience, it really helps the team,” McDermott said.

McDermott, who took over the basketball program in 2006, has lost some lead scorers over the past three years.

With the return of both Brackins and Staiger, McDermott may see more continuity between seasons.

“His best players are returning this year, and some new faces could make the difference between blowing late leads and winning close games,” Schuler said.

Dan Cook, graduate student in civil, construction and environmental engineering, is also pleased that Staiger is returning.

“He provides some good perimeter shooting from outside the ark,” Cook said. “He is a clutch at the 3-pointer when we need him to shoot.”

McDermott’s past winning records at University of Northern Iowa have fans hoping that Iowa State will make it to the top.

“We are optimistic about the future of this program, and Lucca will be a big part of our success,” McDermott said in a press release.