One of the longest seasons in recent ISU football history is finally over, and the only thing I can say about it is, thank God for basketball season.

After all the turmoil the program went through after last season, things are starting to look pretty bright for the Cyclone basketball team.

The gang seems to really be buying into coach Wayne Morgan and his staff. The returning players say they are having fun again, and the first-year guys — Damion Staple, Will Blalock, Curtis Stinson, and Reggie George — are living up to the hype that preceded them.

The team has already shown me several differences from the squad that finished 17-14 last season, so as a reward, I’ll give them a little ink, and just for fun, I’ll dish out some nicknames, which may or may not already exist. Here we go.

First up, Jared Homan, who has finally realized that he is an athlete — not just another big corn-fed Iowa boy in sneakers. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

After two seasons, Ho-Man is already fifth on Iowa State’s career blocks list, and with the frame and hops he is sporting now, Kelvin Cato’s record of 189 career blocks could be in jeopardy.

Marcus Jefferson finally has the starting spot that he deserved to have all of last season locked up.

As probably the best athlete on the team, Jefferson appears to finally be comfortable with the ball in his hands, and not looking toward the bench, waiting for a certain traitor — who moved east and shall remain nameless — to check back into the game.

I hear Jefferson’s teammates calling him “MJ” on the court, but we all know someone else already staked the claim on that one.

Here’s the deal — I’m taking “MJ” away, temporarily, but if Jefferson can perform all season the way he played in the Big 12 Tournament last year, then he can have it back.

But until then, we’re sticking him with the name of another famous Jefferson: “Weezy.”

Another senior, Jake Sullivan, really only has a few things to worry about this year, hitting all the open 3-pointers he is going to see this year, and playing a little bit better defense.

Sullivan won’t have to handle the point this year, and has guys who can hit him on the wing the way Jamaal Tinsley did back when Jake was just a pup. It doesn’t hurt either that Hollis Price, Kirk Hinrich and T.J. Ford are all long gone.

You’ve probably heard him referred to as Sully, but that’s lame. It lacks originality. We’re going Kevin Costner in “Dances With Wolves” here — “Walks With Hands on Hips.”

Sunday’s game against Northern Iowa featured the return of Jackson Vroman to the lineup. Hopefully Vroman can steer clear of any more trouble and return to form, because, like his nickname, he is walking on “Eggshells.”

The new guys, as I have said, are looking good too, bringing a little East Coast flavor to Ames.

Will “The Thrill” Blalock already has a Cyclone Tip-Off dunk championship under his belt, not to mention a halfcourt shot at the halftime buzzer against Global Sports.

I can’t and don’t take credit for “The Thrill,” but it’s catchy, and so far, it fits.

Curtis Stinson showed he could score at Will (pun intended), and dish the ball effectively, getting 19 points and nine assists, with only one turnover, against Global Sports.

Morgan takes the honors for Stinson’s nickname. After the Global Sports game, Morgan compared Stinson to a bulldog. “Bulldog” it is. Thanks Wayne.

Big men Reggie George and Damion Staple have been hampered by injuries, limiting each to only one exhibition before the regular season started. Both have seen quite a bit of action in the first two games of the season, and both have shown why they were brought to Iowa State.

George is a raw talent who is everywhere on the court, so that’s what I’m going to go with: “Everywhere.” This talent really paid off on Sunday against Northern Iowa when George trailed Vroman on the fast break and ended up catching a sweet no-look from Vroman and throwing it down on some poor Panther soul.

Staple is close to being back to 100 percent, after hurting his knee in the preseason, but he still moved fairly well in his first three games. One moment that stands out is when he was one tipped ball away from converting a sweet alley-oop against Mercer.

Hopefully his stint at Southeastern Illinois prepared Staple — a native of Kingston, Jamaica — for the frozen tundra that is winter in Ames.

This one is simple. In a nod to “Office Space,” No. 22 for your Cyclones is now dubbed “Swingline.”

One man who needs no introduction — and already has a nickname — is Big Skogs. He continues to intimidate whenever he steps on the floor.

Another player who has seen some action is John “Solo” Neal. As of right now, he’ll be the only senior on the 2005-06 team, hogging all the spotlight of senior night. His alias also has a little Star Wars feel to it.

Then there’s “Put Dave In” Braet, whose biggest moment in his career was rolling the ankle of “Walks With Hands on Hips” during practice at last season’s Big 12 Tournament.

Finally, there’s Justin “Brain” Fries, just because he’s probably heard that one a million times.

Throw in the possible return of Tim Barnes for the second semester, and you have the ingredients for, dare I say, a return to the NCAA Tournament.

Party on, Wayne.