Amazing career and good luck to whatever the future holds. Hopefully it's still at ISU.

If you are watching this Purdue vs. Arizona game, I want you to watch the Purdue offense. Look how they play inside out by getting the ball to Cluff and having MULTIPLE shooters spaced wide. They also run a lot of zoom actions to get the guards full speed to attack the hoop or get some space for a shot. These are super efficient because if the defender goes over the screen, the guard drives; if they go under, the guard shoots. They run staggered screens with usually two screens to get open Fletcher Loyer and it WORKS. I am tired of running mainly pistol sets over and over and over again. All of this to say that Nate Schmidt has to go and some new offense has to be installed because it simply isn't good enough to make it past the S16. Curious on anybody's thoughts on this.

This was posted in another thread, but figured it deserved its own thread. Hopefully we get some good news on Milan soon
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Catching up with videos from before and after the game.

I found it very interesting that Rick Barnes talked so much about the importance of an AD who understands the changes in the game. It was hard to tell exactly what he meant, but he certainly said all the "right things" about his appreciation of the role of football for an athletic department.

It was also interesting to hear him talk about how "I love practice . . . I could have practices 4 hours a day 7 days a week." His proficiency with practices was on display with his team's performance on Friday.

@The Rob Gray used this line to summarize Joshua Jefferson's experience. "Physical pain merged with mental anguish." You really hear it in the clips with him after the game. Rob does a great job in this article of capturing the pain/anguish, both for players like Jefferson, but also fans like us. This article is good therapy. Thanks Dr. Rob.

SIAP

Hearing the players talk about the program and Otz makes me feel lucky we have this guy. Otz demands a lot from his players, but he respects them as a person first. Heise even said he and Otz had weekly lunches together.

Players seem to love Otz even with the 6:00 AM military style workouts. Opposing coaches all rave about Otz. Otz also conducts himself very professionally on the court. I can only think of a few instances where he truly lost his temper on the court.

With Otz leading the program, I have no doubt he will continue to lead the team to great success, both on and off the court. We are truly blessed to have him as our head coach. The season just ended, but I already can’t wait for November

Thanks @JakeBrend for a season of great recaps, but this one deserves its own thread. There are probably 100 things I could comment on, but I'll pick a few that probably aren't in other threads:

1. JJeff said something about "all the times I've cooked for the team." Sounds like that might be a good story in itself.

2. TJ refers to Tamin as a "generational player" and how he "built the program around Tamin." That's awesome. Great player, great person, and Ames' own. The term "Tamin" plays will endure for a long time.

3. Do our managers ever get tired? They are having their own shoot-around after the game on the United Center floor. Seems like their might be a good off-season CW pod on the experiences of managers. I know they were looking forward to a manager's game in Indy.

Off-season 2026. Lets ride!!!

One day I hope to do this after our last game is a win but sadly it wasn't to be this year.

I normally do this in the last gameday thread but it can easily be missed in there. This season and going forward I will be doing a separate thread so hopefully everyone I name in here will see it.

Got to start with the guy who I believe as been my gameday thread partner longer than anyone else, the gif master @GTO

@ISU4Life Tommy Boy gif
@cytor Rambo gif
@bawbie and @CoachHines3 for informative posts they bring

The group all kinds of AI inspired stuff throughout the season (I have bookmarked them all and will post in this thread)

@pourcyne @CloneLawman @harimad @HackTheGibson @EnkAMania

@exCYtable and @CloneLawman for Batemon pics

@CycloneErik might as well LLC

@JM4CY and @Spanky @Cyched @RezClone for all the stuff they bring

@MartyFine uniform tracker and other Twitter stuff

@AlaCyclone Let's Go State

@bozclone Go Clones

@CySmurf for Beat (fill in blank)

Now for a long list. I went through every gameday thread and believe I have everyone who made a post naming me in it whether it was every thread or just once.

@NENick @danvillecyclone @NWICY @t-noah @Acer88 @Texbudman @Jdk @67CY @jcyclonee @harimad @cycloner29 @CySmurf @RezClone @Bestaluckcy @Nococy @NorthCyd @HawaiiClone @nfrine @Clonefan94 @mj4cy @demoncore1031 @Blackhawk6515 @CycloneHump @2020cy @CyNews @qwerty @coolerifyoudid @riceville98 @indycyclone @loyalsons4evertrue @iseedit @Chizit @BWRhasnoAC @Des Moines Clone @Die4Cy @RagingCloner

To those I missed or if all you did was like the OP I also appreciate you as well.

People may wonder why I do this well one is 90% of the time I'm up that late anyway but the REAL reason is the support from all of you. See you in the fall for the start of the Rogers Era.

PS while the end of basketball season is sad, CF Tournament bracket season can begin!

Questions for CyFan Premium peeps:

1. Does Premium have its own forums and game day threads?
2. Does it have less popup ads?
3. Do the Game Day threads have less trolls in it than the non paid?

I have noticed a RAPID decline in the CyFan experience in the last year. Pop up ads that make the site nearly unusable. Even worse, a handful of posters who are clearly not Cyclone fans that take this from what-used-to-be a fun site to a not fun site--specifically Darius Bieber, cmhawks99, and GoSTATE71.

Chris Williams reacts to Iowa State's loss to Tennessee before looking at the big picture for the Cyclones, courtesy of Karl Auto Group.

Obviously tough end to the season, but wanted to give shout-outs to all the seniors for a great year.

Dom Nelson: Appreciate you staying ready despite not playing a lot during the season. Played some good minutes in the tourney for us. Thanks for being a Cyclone!

Eric Mulder: You made that 3, that was fun! Thanks for being a Cyclone!

Nate Heise: Dawg. Dirty work guy. Does whatever needs to be done. Stepped up in the tournament the last 2 years for us. Probably the most under appreciated player I can remember. Thanks for be a Cyclone!

JJeff: Such a well rounded player, if you would have told me he'd be an all American when he came here I wouldn't have believed it. Sucks how he went down, I know he did everything he could to get ready, and appreciate everything he gave us. Thanks for being a Cyclone!

Tamin Lipsey: Captain. Role Model. Iowa State basketball. We don't have the sustained success the last 4 years without him. Not sure anyone has given more of their body to a team like Tamin has. Hang the jersey. Thanks for being Mr. Cyclone!

I appreciate the efforts put forth by all of our sports teams this year. Basketball is a trash wound on our hearts, WBB and Wrestling are more recent wounds to all hearts.

Regardless, I wish all our athletes and coaches well and good wishes this next year.

Thank you all very much,
Karl

I'm very curious for those of you in Chicago. What is the report? I've searched on X and the BookFace some before and after the game on fan posts and not seeing much from their fans. Are they giant aholes like the Kentucky fans or better? More appreciative and cordial I hope.

Offer me a more miserable sports fan existence than this, I feel like I'm the embodiment of the Cooler. I'm a 4th generation Cubs fan, have been since I was old enough to play/understand baseball in the early 70s. I learned football soon after and have always been Bears-first there. And despite going to high school in Cedar Rapids, smack within peak-Hawkeye freak-land, I went to ISU in 1982 and have been a dedicated Cyclone in all the years since. A younger sister, brother-in-law, niece, 2 nephews, and a nephew-in-law followed! And as a fan, what do I have to show for it? 1 Super Bowl win, 1 World Series win, 1 wrestling natty. Nothing else in a half-century. But must be 50 nut punches at this point in exchange. And Iowa in the Elite Eight? Really??

I’ll preface this with the fact I’m drunk, it’s late, and we just got back to our hotel. This was supposed to be OUR year to shine. WE had the talent and coaching. Instead, the @&#$ing squawks and their first year head coach waltz right in and make the Elite 8 with a fraction of the talent we have!! Seriously, what a @&#$ing kick to the nuts. One of our best teams ever outshined by a bunch of scrubs from Drake and whatever other division 2 school they pull “talent” from at Iowa. Screw this.

Go Illinois!!

Why does this happen every single time? First Niang, now Jefferson, and we are stuck not being able to advance to the elite 8 again. This one stings and it feels like we’re just trapped. I love Otz, but man, he needs to get us further than this because I don’t think us fans are satisfied with the same outcome every time. Sorry for the rant. I’m just bummed.

Edit: I’m well aware Otz wasn’t the coach when Niang got hurt in the tourney. Some people seem to think I think that.

3 of the 8 Sweet 16’s we’ve been to have been in Chicago. I’ve came here every time and we lose by 15 points every time. I'm done with this ******* place!

Pathetic and it’s every game. Our starting point guard shoots 50% from the line when it matters.

Biggest game of the year and I can't get John & Eric--really??? Worked fine for the first to Tournament games and I can get the Vol Network feed (don't want that!). Wonder what's up.

I don't post much, but I'm super excited for another season of Milwaukee Brewers baseball.

Can they win the NL Central for a 4th consecutive year, and 4 of the past 5 years?
Can they have a repeat year with the best record in baseball?
Can Murph win his 3rd NL Manager of the Year in a row?
Can their young players and deep farm system meet, or even exceed, expectations?
And lastly, the big one... Can they break through in the playoffs and claim their first WS title?

Buckle up; it should be a wild Summer -- Let's go Brew Crew!!

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Pinging a few folks who have commented over the years, and my apologies if I missed any Crew fans.
@CYEATHAWK @ameslurker @stormchaser2014 @kentkel @4cy16 @brokenloginagain @Fishhead @azhuth09 @Cmonwhatarewedoinghereman @packattack425 @delt4cy @daniel22 @Cardinal and Gold

Lots of speculation about who might replace Fennelly IF he steps down. Here are a few ideas.

SIAP…but come on man. Get serious help.

Hi everyone!

I have been working on this story all week. I've written it and rewritten it 100x. I had Randy Peterson read it for me too because I needed it to be as close to perfect as I could. Yonger's story is so special to me because his story IS special. It's been such an incredible journey not only as a reporter but just as a fan. He's been so entertaining to watch even from his early matches when he was learning folkstyle and how to get out from bottom (lol).

But most importantly, as a person. I've watched him truly transform in interviews. I will find those early interviews but he's just so different in all the best ways because it goes to show how he became comfortable and began to find himself in this new world he calls home.

I hope you all love it and I hope those who don't know Yonger and are casual fans that like to pop in sometimes read it and learn something about the special heavyweight who leaves a huge impact on all who have had the privilege of getting to know him.