Steve Prohm stepped into the perfect situation.

That’s what it seemed like, anyway. He had an experienced roster, packed with plenty of talent and Final Four expectations. All the first-year ISU coach needed to do was steer the ship.

Easy, right?

Not necessarily. That’s when the struggles came.

Iowa State started 1-3 in Big 12 play. The Cyclones lost not one, but two home games. They went 10-8 in Big 12 play and finished sixth in a conference they had hoped to win.

There was the Jameel McKay saga, where the former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year was suspended for a couple of games.

It was a mess, and the sky seemed to be falling in Ames, at least with some fans.

Somewhere along the way things got so bad that Prohm had to get off social media because he couldn’t read all the negative things that we’re being said about him and his team.

Maybe Iowa State made the wrong choice. Maybe Prohm wasn’t the right guy to lead a top program.

Fast-forward to mid-March. Iowa State now looks like it’s peaking at the right time, and the Cyclones will be playing in their second Sweet 16 in three years.

“In my opinion, it’s one of the best coaching jobs in the country this year,” said Little Rock coach Chris Beard after his team fell to Iowa State in the round of 32.

“To follow what Fred Hoiberg did and for the new staff to come in and win at this level and get back to the NCAA tournament with a high seed is maybe one of the best untold stories in college basketball this year.”

Iowa State was an attractive job for any candidate after Hoiberg took off for the NBA. The fan base is among the most passionate in all of college basketball and the roster was ready for a deep run in March.

But there were also sky-high expectations, a ridiculous amount of pressure and the new coach would be following in the footsteps of Iowa State legend Fred Hoiberg.

“He’s the real deal,” said Georges Niang. “Like I said, when we got him here I thought that was a great fit for us just because he’s such a humble guy and really came in wanting to meet us halfway.

“He’s done a great job and he’s the real deal. I’m not fast-forwarding to next year, but I have great trust knowing that he’s going to take this program to bigger and better things.

“The things that Coach Prohm has done for me as a person and us as a team, I just think, he’s a great dude. I have the utmost respect for him. I’m thankful that I got the opportunity to work with him. I’m enjoying every moment that I have with him throughout the rest of the year.”

After beating Little Rock to advance to the Sweet 16 on Saturday, Prohm was visibly emotional. A year of ups and downs and life-altering changes was finally paying off. The long, long journey that started when Prohm was hired last June was nearing a close to a successful first chapter.

Even McKay, who endured his own struggles this season, appreciates what Prohm has done this season.

“It was a great hire,” McKay said on Monday. “It was a home-run hire. Us making the Sweet 16 just proves it, and we still got games to go.”

The Sweet 16 seemed like a pipe dream during a few low points this past season. It seemed like things weren’t working, and nobody was quite sure if the Cyclones would be able to get fixed while it still mattered this season.

Reaching the Sweet 16 was validation for this team and for Prohm himself.

“He has done a great job,” said guard Matt Thomas. “Obviously players go out there and play games, but he coached his ass off in both of the tournament games and he has been all season.

“A lot of people don’t understand how tough of a job he had trying to replace Fred [Hoiberg] and all the high expectations this team had in the preseason.”

Prohm has said it’s about the players, not him, all year. Staying true to form, he said it again when asked about reaching the Sweet 16 and how good it feels.

“I feel great for the kids because it’s about them,” Prohm said.

He didn’t pat himself on the back. He didn’t talk about his own validation. He praised his players and gave them all the credit. 

“The best thing you want to do is influence your kids and give them good experiences,” Prohm said. “They have stayed the course. They’ve stayed together. They’ve bought it. We’re a team right now, and we’re playing well.”