It didn’t take long into the 2018-19 season for Iowa State to show more heart than all of last season.

In a massive shift from last year’s letdown, the new-look Cyclones unrolled a lineup of three freshmen and two sophomores. That lineup shredded Alabama State to the tune of a 19-5 run over seven minutes.

That’s not to say last year’s team didn’t try. It just didn’t mesh like a team should. But player-driven leadership has been a talking point for coach Steve Prohm, and that was nearly non-existent last season.

“Last year was tough, man,” Prohm said. “We just weren’t ready for that moment a year ago. We just weren’t, whether it was leadership, new faces … it was good to go through that for me personally, just so I know the things we have to do better.

“You’ve got to be humble in success and you’ve got to be humble in failure, too. We still have a long way to go, but I thought they really stepped up to the challenge.”

And look, I get it. Alabama State isn’t going to be giving many Big 12 teams a run for their money. But neither was Milwaukee last season (the Panthers finished 16-17), and Milwaukee still won by 18 in Hilton Coliseum. Taking care of these “easy” wins isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary.

It’s hard to lose by 18 at home to a losing Horizon League team and say things are going fine. There has to be some semblance of pride within the team, and that pride looks like it’s back.

Tyrese Haliburton, George Conditt IV, Terrence Lewis, Lindell Wigginton and Zion Griffin had never played together before. That lineup never made it into practice, not even once, according to both Prohm and Haliburton.

“Not really,” Haliburton said. “Coach Prohm just put it out there to see what would happen. A lot of us brought energy, that’s the main point is just to bring crazy energy, rebound and push.”

The group’s lack of experience together didn’t change how effective it was. The defense was feisty, poking the ball loose and fighting for loose balls. Offensively, they played freely and kept the ball moving.

After an Alabama State timeout, the entire team yelled and jumped on Haliburton, who had just finished a fastbreak with a two-handed dunk. Postgame, Haliburton joked around with Griffin and redshirt senior guard Nick Weiler-Babb. It looked like a team who wanted to win for each other.

In short, Tuesday’s game was a total 180 from last season.

“That’s when special things can happen, when everyone’s pretty cohesive and together,” said redshirt junior Michael Jacobson, who finished with a team-high 17 points and seven rebounds.

A grand total of 56 of Iowa State’s 79 points were from newcomers. There was no hierarchy — five players had three or more assists, four finished in double-figures for points and, other than Conditt IV, every scholarship player who played took between five and 12 shots.

“The focus is really on these nine guys that we have,” Jacobson said. “We’ve just got to keep working.”

The story of this season is still unwritten, but chapter one — the preseason and beginning of the regular season — is already miles better than last year’s. If the underclassmen grow through their collegiate careers and build upon their first game, the next chapters will be better, too.