After three games in six days, coach Steve Prohm came to Monday’s press conference knowing his team has five days of rest before Iowa State’s game against Northern Iowa on Dec. 16 in the Hy-Vee Classic.

Here’s a few items that were brought up from the coaches and players interviews today.

Lindell Wigginton wins Big 12 Newcomer of the Week

The freshman guard has found his role as a scorer and wing player and it’s led to him earning Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Monday. Prohm took Wigginton and senior guard Donovan Jackson off the point guard position during the Puerto Rico Tip-Off at the end of November and gave that position to Nick Weiler-Babb, who has embraced it fully.

As a result of changing positions, Wigginton feels more comfortable with his role and has been able to focus on his shooting for the last couple of weeks.

“I’m always confident. I know I can play at this level,” Wigginton said. “The last five games or so, I’ve been more aggressive and that’s what I need to do to help the team win.”

Before the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, the Cyclones had a game at Missouri and against Milwaukee at home. In those two games, Wigginton shot 4-for-15 from the floor and 2-for-6 from the 3-point line. He scored 18 points total between the two games and looked to be transitioning into college basketball.

After the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, those 18 points became a score line for Wigginton in one game. Iowa State has played four games since the tournament and have gone a perfect 4-0 in those games.

Wigginton has taken an average of 14.75 shots per game and has made an average of 7.5 shots each game. That means he’s had a 50.8 percent field goal percentage during that four-game stretch.

Along with field goal shooting, Wigginton has also found his touch from behind the arc as he’s totaled 15-for-27 from the 3-point line in those four games. That’s a 55.5 3-point shooting percentage.

Wigginton has found and embraced his role as a shooter on the team. It’s shown with 20-point or higher performances in the last three of four games for the Cyclones.

Cameron Lard has grown as a basketball player

The redshirt freshman forward is known by Iowa State fans as the player that dunks the ball and gets Hilton Coliseum on their feet.

Even though he does have those characteristics, Lard has become a huge asset for Prohm and the Iowa State team this season, especially in the post. Lard had a double-double last night in the 78-58 win over Alcorn State, but Prohm thinks this is only the start of something good.

“He’s really talented. We’re fortunate he’s with us,” Prohm said. “He’s barely at the surface of what he can be.”

Lard is averaging 9.3 points per game along with six rebounds, but only plays 16.9 minutes per game. So, the main question is why doesn’t Lard play more often?

The first thing is that he’s a physical player, which leads to personal fouls and an early exit for Lard. He’s tied with Jeff Beverly for second most personal fouls on the team with 19, behind Solomon Young with 26.

The second thing is that Prohm and Nick Weiler-Babb like him coming off the bench. They said Lard gives the team a spark when it’s needed in the game by his presence on the floor.

For Lard, he doesn’t care whether he’s starting or coming off the bench. He just wants to play basketball.

“I’m always excited to play,” Lard said. “Every time I suit up, I’m always ready to play.”

Nick Weiler-Babb has found his spot at point guard

At the beginning of this season, Prohm was testing the waters with Weiler-Babb, Wigginton and Jackson at the point guard position. He wasn’t sure who the primary guard would be and it took a couple of games, but Prohm found his player.

In the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, Weiler-Babb showcased his talents at the point guard position. He started it off with a 23-point performance against Appalachian State. Then, he showed his ability to be a triple threat on the court.

In the game against Tulsa, he had 20 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. A double-double performance and two assists away from a triple-double. Finally, he ended the tournament with 10 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds against Boise State.

“It’s just taking a whole new role,” Weiler-Babb said. “I’m more of a pass first guy and like to kick it out for threes.”

Through the first nine games of the season, Weiler-Babb is averaging 12.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game. He’s becoming the point guard that Prohm was hoping he would be and it’s showing as the Cyclones hold a seven-game winning streak.

Weiler-Babb became the primary point guard when Iowa State won its first game of this streak and Prohm hasn’t changed those positions since that win on Nov. 16.

“Good we moved [Nick Weiler-Babb] over [to point guard], for everybody’s sake,” Prohm said. “We still need him to score 12-16 [points] a game.”

Weiler-Babb is hoping to keep this triple threat mentality for this upcoming weekend as Iowa State takes on Northern Iowa in the Hy-Vee Classic. The game will tip-off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I don’t really think about it,” Weiler-Babb said. “I just try to find ways to help our team win each game.”