Cyclone seniors reflect ahead of Senior Night matchup

George Conditt throws his hands up in celebration during his team’s 75-54 win Feb. 19

Matt Belinson

It won’t be your typical Senior Night Wednesday at Hilton Coliseum.

The Cyclones (20-9, 7-9 Big 12) take on Oklahoma State (13-15, 6-10 Big 12) for the final home game of the 2021-22 season, giving Iowa State’s seniors a chance to be sent off with a winning streak intact.

“It’s certainly a different dynamic than what we’ve had in the past because you’re going to have more guys everywhere that have not been at that school for that whole duration,” Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger said.

Izaiah Brockington, Gabe Kalscheur, Carter Boothe, Aljaz Kunc and George Conditt will be honored postgame with a video tribute and jersey.

But given the COVID-19 extra year of eligibility, along with one-time transfers entering programs faster than ever, Otzelberger knows Wednesday night might not have the familiar sense of finality to it.

For Brockington, Senior Night will be a first for him after the senior transfer from Penn State declined the festivities at Penn State last season.

Brockington scored 26 points in the Cyclones’ 84-81 overtime win at Oklahoma State on Jan. 26 and said Wednesday is another chance to put on a show for the fans that have embraced him since he stepped foot on campus. 

Well, they did have one question for him. And now that the season is coming to an end, he reflected on his motivations in the off-season and how it’s played out.

“Knowing that it was a new coach, a new staff and pretty much like a whole new team. That’s all I heard about when I committed here,” Brockington said. “When I first got on campus, everybody was like, ‘Hey, are you going to win more than two games?’ And I was like I refuse to only win two games. I saw what we had, I saw a philosophy and I knew what we could do as a team even if nobody believed.”

Brockington said he plays harder with a challenge on his plate and admitted he thought about how coming to Iowa State after a 2-22 season could have been a risk. But he wanted a place where people cared and gave him the freedom to do his thing.

Conditt, one of two four-year seniors on the Cyclones, didn’t reflect as much on his overall journey to Ames but noted Tuesday that this season has given him a spark again and restored pride in the Iowa State program. 

He’s thought about Senior Night for some time and said it would be a special experience. 

“Senior Night, something special to me. Been here four years, only four-year senior here,” Conditt said. “I’m just looking forward to going out there and playing hard. When the future comes we can talk about it, having another year.”

After playing with some of the best Cyclones in some time in his four years in Ames, Conditt was asked to name his starting five of teammates in his time as a Cyclone. His answer:

Nick Weiler-Babb at the one, Tyrese Haliburton at the two, Izaiah Brockington at the three, Marial Shayok at the four and Talen Horton-Tucker at the five.

Through smiles and a clear sense of reflection, Conditt gave his thoughts on how this season played out and what he and fellow seniors wanted to happen before the season began.

“Reflecting on the season, we did what we were supposed to be doing,” Conditt said. “We believed in each other from the get-go. Last year happened, and I’ll be the first to admit it. Last year happened, I was a part of it. I was to blame for it as well.”

“I told you in the summer, we were going to move on and we were going to do what we had to do to get this program back to where it needed to be.”

Iowa State (20-9, 7-9 Big 12) faces Oklahoma State (13-15, 6-10 Big 12) at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Hilton Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.