Iowa State is still one of the country’s best teams without Fred Hoiberg

Fred Hoiberg’s impact on Iowa State basketball extended beyond easy metrics like wins and losses, NCAA Tournament appearances and the steady annual supply of impact transfers he brought to Ames. It was bigger than than just reaching the Sweet 16 without an injured Georges Niang in 2014 or winning back-to-back Big 12 Tournament titles the last two seasons.

To fully capture what Hoiberg meant to the Cyclones, you had to hear the way Hilton Coliseum roared. You had to see the how Iowa State’s fanbase became one of the most passionate in the country and the way his players respected him until the very end, even as he was leaving the school.

In many ways, Hoiberg personified his program as much as any coach in the country. He was raised in Ames, graduated as the Cyclones’ third all-time leading scorer and led the basketball team out of a six-year NCAA Tournament drought to build a consistent winner. Now Fred Hoiberg is gone -- off to succeed Tom Thibodeau with the Chicago Bulls -- and his replacement will be tasked with keeping what he built rolling well into the future.

It won’t to easy to replace someone who meant as much to the community as Hoiberg did, but The Mayor didn’t leave Ames without one last parting gift. Regardless of who is coaching next year, Iowa State will have one of the best teams in the country. The roster may be as talented as it’s been at any point during Hoiberg’s tenure.

Here’s what we know: The Cyclones will start in the top 10 of the preseason polls and be seen as a very real threat to Kansas’ incredible 11-year regular-season championship streak in the Big 12. Armed with one of the best point guards in the country, a shot blocking center, tons of shooting and a senior star in Niang, Iowa State has the pieces to do what Hoiberg couldn’t and reach the Final Four.

Hoiberg leaving compounds the way last season ended, with a round-of-64 loss to UAB in what was probably the single biggest upset of the NCAA Tournament. Many thought Iowa State had Final Four talent and no one thought they would lose to a team that finished fifth in Conference USA. Two starters from that squad -- wing Bryce Dejean-Jones and big man Dustin Hogue -- have graduated, but the returning pieces for the Cyclones are experienced and skilled in a way with which few teams can matchup.

Hoiberg’s tenure was defined by star transfers, from Royce White to DeAndre Kane to Dejean-Jones. It’s no guarantee that will continue under the new coach, but Hoiberg left one more quality transfer under the tree before jumping to the NBA. That would be Deonte Burton, a burly 6’4, 240-pound wing who spent two seasons at Marquette.

Burton was never a big scorer with the Golden Eagles, but he comes with a great pedigree. He was a top-40 recruit in 2013 and fills the hole Dejean-Jones leaves on the wing. He projects as the slasher Iowa State needs next to all of its shooting.

The strength of Iowa State resides in the backcourt. That’s where Monte Morris enters his junior season as one of the most accomplished table setters in the country. Morris has mastered the art of finding assists without turning the ball over, finishing with 176 assists to 38 turnovers as a sophomore after debuting with 134 assists to 28 turnovers as a freshman. He’s also a capable three-point threat, hitting 39.5 percent from deep last season. With Morris in control, ISU is in good hands.

Morris’ sidekick in the backcourt will be Naz Long -- one of the best volume three-point shooters in the country. Long attempted nearly six threes per game last year and connected on a shade under 40 percent of them. Assuming the new coach keeps Hoiberg’s pace-and-space system in place that emphasizes three-pointers, Long should see a lot of open looks. That what happens when teammates as good as Morris and Georges Niang are setting everything up.

Niang is simultaneously the glue guy and the star at Iowa State. He’s drawn comparisons to modern-day Boris Diaw, if never the incredibly athletic player Diaw was in his early-20s. Niang is a gifted passer, a capable shooter and -- at 6’8, 230 pounds -- the type of multidimensional scorer that serves as a matchup nightmare for other teams.

Tying it all together is Jameel McKay, the type of athletic rim protector Hoiberg’s Cyclone teams always lacked before he became eligible as a transfer from Marquette midway through last year. McKay had 59 blocks in 25 games last year, including six against UAB in the NCAA Tournament loss. A full season of McKay should prop up a defense that peaked with a KenPom ranking of No. 54 during Hoiberg’s reign.

The best thing Iowa State might have going for itself next season is that the competition won’t be as strong: College basketball was loaded last year with super teams like Duke and Kentucky, a Wisconsin squad powered by two likely first-rounders returning to school and programs like Arizona and Gonzaga putting together deep and talented rosters. Right now, no team looks singularly dominant. There’s probably about 10 schools that can be seen as a Final Four favorite, and the Cyclones are in that mix.

Losing Hoiberg was going to hurt either way, but he always made it clear he wanted to end up in the NBA. It sure helps that he’s leaving behind a roster as good as this one appears to be.