After a 10-day trip across the Atlantic Ocean, the ISU men’s basketball team is back in Ames.

The Cyclones traveled around Spain, where they played three games against different international opponents. They finished with a 2-1 record, and it was the team’s first real chance to play for head coach Steve Prohm, who was hired in June.

“It was good to just get out there and coach those guys,” Prohm said. “[It] gave them a good feel for me and how we’ll play and how I’ll coach them. The guys were great.”

But Prohm wasn’t focused entirely on improving on the court. Instead, he just wanted to get to know his team a little better, something both he and senior Georges Niang said they accomplished.

“Our guys definitely became closer,” Niang said. “We did a lot of cool things, stuff that was set up and stuff just that we did on our own with exploring the city. That was super cool, and Spain was a lot of fun.”

The Cyclones played first against the Venezuelan National Team. Iowa State jumped out to a 20-point lead early, but then things started to go south. In the end, the Cyclones couldn’t hold on to the early lead, losing 82-77.

Without a full roster, Prohm said it was just too hard to keep up a consistent level of play. While the loss stung initially, Niang said it ended up moving the team in the right direction.

“Those guys are professionals, and they didn’t hesitate to let us know when you were out there, whether it was in Spanish or in English,” Niang said. “It was obviously tough. I hate losing. Everybody hates losing. But sometimes you have to fall to get up.”

Iowa State turned around and won the next two games against both the Valencia All Stars and the Barcelona All Stars. The Cyclones were scheduled to play a fourth game, but had to cancel the contest because of a stomach bug that spread through the team.

After just three games with Prohm at the reins, players said they already feel comfortable with the new system.

“He’s definitely going to hold us accountable,” Niang said. “He is a great fit for us. He really lets us get out and play and isn’t’ really micromanaging, but he is going to hold us accountable … that’s one thing I really like about him. I think he’s a good fit for us right now.”

Now that the team is back in Ames, Prohm said the focus will remain the same. Prohm’s main goal is just to truly become a team — and he knows that only comes with time.

“You’re not going to get a team the very first time you throw it up,” Prohm said. “You form a team by going through adversity, by going through tough situations.

“So when we get going here in about a week or so, I want them in a bunch of tough situations to where I have to challenge them … so we can get to the root of the issues, solve them and then get better from that.”