AMES - Greg McDermott can tax his players now and make them pay.

With his second year at Iowa State about to begin, McDermott believes this men's basketball team will be deeper and more talented than his first.

Will the Cyclones dramatically boost the record from the 15-16 mark of last season? McDermott didn't say, and he dismissed preseason forecasts that landed Iowa State in 11th place among Big 12 Conference schools.

McDermott did say that ISU is definitely more competitive on the practice floor. Like an old-fashioned teacher, he's been cracking the ruler across the wrists, basketball-style.

"I've been as hard on this team in the first two weeks as any team I've ever coached," said the former Northern Iowa head man. "I've been very demanding in terms of the effort and enthusiasm and execution on a daily basis. I understand that's part of the growing process, but we're playing Nov. 9. We don't have a lot of time to grow."

That's when Iowa State hosts Winston-Salem State at Hilton Coliseum for the regular-season opener. Meanwhile, the Cyclones will tune up with exhibition dates at home against Dubuque on Thursday and EA Sports on Sunday.

Until then, the individual battles for playing time will continue. That part of ISU's growing process has been tougher on the players but better for the Cyclones' staff.

"We have competition at every spot on the roster," said McDermott. "That was not the case a year ago. It was difficult for us as a coaching staff to hold our players accountable - both in practice and on game night. We just didn't have the depth to take a guy out for 4 or 5 minutes and let him think about what was going on. We just didn't have the luxury."

One of ISU's three returning starters from last year said the tempo has picked up.

"It's definitely better to have more great players," said center Jiri Hubalek, the 6-foot-11 senior from Prague in the Czech Republic. "You've got to step up your game every day and bring it every single minute. There are many players waiting for the opportunity to be on the floor, so it's good for our team."

That may be true. Right now, though, Hubalek is not one of those players.

He recently suffered a fracture in his right foot that will keep him out for at least two weeks. The break did not require surgery, but Hubalek is wearing a boot on his foot.

That's not the only problem that's hit Iowa State in the offseason. Freshman off-guard Lucca Staiger has been declared ineligible by the NCAA because his club team in Germany was professional. Iowa State, disputing the ruling, will appeal, but the process is expected to be lengthy.

Finally, Iowa State must replaced dismissed point guard Michael Taylor, the Cyclones' top scorer of a year ago. Also gone are Dodie Dunson and Cory McIntosh from the backcourt.

Still, McDermott said, "We've had some unfortunate things happen, but that's part of coaching."

He'll guide a mix of young players and veterans. ISU's point guard will definitely be a newcomer. Bryan Petersen, a Clinton High graduate and transfer from Kirkwood Community College, will get the start in the exhibition game with Dubuque. Diante Garrett and Marcus Brister are also in the hunt. Two of three will eventually play.

"Just the fact that Bryan has 60 (junior) college games under his belt has given him a bit of an advantage," said McDermott.

Wesley Johnson has the edge at a new spot. Last year's power forward is this season's off-guard.

The 6-7 sophomore will be challenged for time by several others, among them Charles Boozer and Sean Haluska. Boozer is the younger brother of NBA star Carlos Boozer. Sean's brother, Adam, played at ISU before going to Iowa.

Johnson, though, is the man right now.

"I'm very excited to play there," said the sophomore. "It's really just more of a matchup problem when you've got smaller guards on me."

Veteran Rashson Clark has the small forward spot locked down, and he'll be asked to lead with his defense.

On the front line, Hubalek will have plenty of company on the block when he gets healthy.

The man to watch may be 6-10 Craig Brackins from Palmdale, Calif. Rivals.com labeled Brackins as the 18th-best player nationally.

One of the possible options in the front court could be former Waverly-Shell Rock standout and reigning Mr. Basketball, Clayton Vette. He's in a group with sophomore Cory Johnson, former Iowa forward Alex Thompson, Hubalek and Brackins.

"Jiri had separated himself," said McDermott. "The other four, on any given day, have shined in practice. We're waiting to see which two or three can do it consistently and earn a position."

Said Vette, "I didn't really think about playing. I just played hard and tried to get in, watch film and do everything I could to get some minutes this year. Hopefully, I can get some."

Contact Jim Sullivan at (319) 291-1434 or jim.sullivan@wcfcourier.com

Round-ball II

Here's a capsule outlook for Iowa State men's basketball in 2007-2008:

Head coach: Greg McDermott

Record at Iowa State: 15-16 (one year)

Who's here: Three starters - seniors Rahshon Clark and Jiri Hubalek plus sophomore Wesley Johnson.

Who's gone: Leading scorer and point guard Michael Taylor, who was dismissed after a series of arrests and academic issues. Center Ross Marsden also departed to concentrate on academics. Guards Dodie Dunson and Cory McIntosh transferred.

On the marquee: The prize recruit, if the ratings are accurate, is forward Craig Brackins. Rivals.com put him as the 18th-best prep player in the country.

What's in a name: Off-guard Sean Haluska is the younger brother of former ISU and Iowa star Adam. Charles Boozer's older brother, Carlos, played at Duke on the way to the NBA. Point guard Diante Garrett's father, Dick, was a teammate of Walt Frazier at Southern Illinois and played NBA ball with the Lakers and Buffalo Braves.

Starting five questions: Can Iowa State find a point guard from a trio of candidates - junior college transfer Bryan Petersen, Garrett and Marcus Brister? What's going to happen to German prospect Lucca Staiger in the wake of the NCAA ruling him ineligible? Will Wesley Johnson make the defensive transition from forward to off-guard? Is Brackins the real deal, or this year's Shawn Taggart? Finally, can McDermott move the program forward with what amounts to a brand new lineup?