Although ISU men’s basketball player Jackson Vroman is now academically eligible to play this season, his status with the team is still yet to be determined.

Cyclones’ head coach Wayne Morgan said Vroman’s status will depend on whether he fulfills a number of obligations, specified by the ISU coaching staff, to avoid being suspended for the season.

Vroman was arrested May 24 in Spirit Lake and charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He is now back to practicing with the team and said he is looking forward to the coming season. Vroman declined to discuss his personal situation until his legal situation in Dickinson County is resolved, but said he has put his summer problems behind him.

Vroman said the decision to do community work was part of his probation.

“During the upcoming season, I will be going around to area high schools and telling them about the dangers of drugs and alcohol,” Vroman said.

“In talking with our coaches, we felt it was a good thing to do,” he said.

Vroman was not the only Cyclone who ran into trouble with the law last season.

“The problems that the team had last year were a lot of individual instances,” Vroman said. “We realize we have to represent Iowa State in a certain way, and you have to have that in as small a community as Ames is.

“The team has already put this behind [it], no one is in trouble this season, and when we start winning games, it’s the quickest way people will forget what happened.”

The makeup of Iowa State’s team makes more wins likely this year, Vroman said.

“In times of adversity, this is what makes a team stronger, and we have a lot of leadership this year with five returning starters,” he said.

The Cyclones are currently in the midst of conditioning workouts in preparation for formal practice, which begins Oct. 18 with the Cyclone Shootout after the Iowa State-Texas football game.

“We’re having our best days of workouts,” Vroman said. “Everyone is getting in shape and everyone is getting a lot tougher.”

Vroman also said Morgan and ISU teammates have been very supportive.

“Wayne’s been great,” Vroman said. “He’s been there for everyone, even though he’s been on the road [recruiting] a lot. He’s just a great guy.”

Morgan said Vroman should have an impressive senior season.

“Jackson has worked very hard this preseason, and is doing a great job. He is one of the best five or six players in the nation right now,” Morgan said.

By the time last season ended, Vroman was playing his best basketball.

Vroman was an honorable mention all-Big 12 selection by both The Associated Press and Big 12 coaches. He was also a member of the Big 12 all-newcomer team.

He led Iowa State and was ranked fifth in the Big 12 in rebounding with a 9.4 per game average. Vroman’s rebounding clip was the best single-season average by a Cyclone since 1979.

Vroman proved to be one of the most versatile players on the team. In addition to his rebounding, he led Iowa State in field goal shooting at 55.2 percent and double-doubles, with 12.

He also ranked second on the team in points, scoring 12.5 points per game, and was second in blocks (48) and steals (31).

Not all is well for the ISU team. Senior point guard Tim Barnes is academically ineligible for the fall semester and senior guard Jake Sullivan is coming off ankle surgery.

“This semester gives us good chances for our freshmen point guards to get some experience before Big 12 play,” Vroman said. “Jake was playing in a lot of pain last season and had ankle surgery to repair some torn ligaments. His rehab went very well, and you can’t tell he was injured.”

Vroman also said he will be working at several Cyclone basketball camps over the holiday break.

Iowa State will open its regular season schedule on Nov. 28 against Mercer at Hilton Coliseum.