just realized isu will be picked to finish 8th or worse (preseason) 4 of 4 years

[EvilBetty]

under cfh (in all likelihood).

seems a safe bet the media expectation will be low once again next season as well considering we lose 5 of our top 8 players. only proven players returning will be ejim, niang and gibson. really can't see the media giving us much of a shot next season. regardless of what we think, the media isn't going to give any credit to incoming freshmen and transfers at isu until they prove themselves. that only happens at KU.

just another year cfh will have to prove them wrong. it surprised me to think we were picked 8th this season with the group of SR's we had coming back. lot can happen between now and seasons end, but i cannot believe with a down big 12 we end up in the bottom half this season.

not that the the media's opinions really mean crap.

tough to predict next year's lineup.

 

[ajk4st8]

If we finish there this year... I'm blaming you for the jinx

 

[swarthmoreCY]

Next year will be tough imo.

 

[Clonefan17]

We're always under rated. I quit looking at our preseason projections a while back the "experts" never respect us.

 

[CysRage]

ISU never gets respect. Just ask the 2000-01 team. I believe we were picked to finish 7th that year. We won the conference...

 

[EvilBetty]

wonder what our highest preseason projection has ever been...anybody...?

 

[EvilBetty]

Next year will be tough imo.

i'm thinking that too, but the transfer experiment has worked in cfh's favor so far. perhaps next season will be no different. there will be a better mix of transfers, proven players, and highly touted underclassmen next season. hope they keep the energy rolling.

 

[Clonedogg]

probably the 01-02 season

 

[TallKidIsTall]

big 12 wont be that good next year

there will be plenty of room and not a lot of opposition to move up again

 

[State43]

Thomas will get respect as a freshman. Morris probably wont and the Jucos definately wont with the exception of maybe Hogue. Yeah, we will get picked 6th or 7th next season. Remember, KSU, OSU & OU lose some quality players. Wouldn't be surprised to see Austin leave BU after this season leaving them down as well. I am not too worried about next season tbo. Out of conference will be a lot like this year I think. We will lose to quality opponents and beat lesser ones. Start clicking much more come conference play.

 

[BuffettClone]

I never pay much attention to what the "experts" say about ISU preseason. Cyclones never get respect until they've proven everybody else wrong

 

[HFCS]

Picking us 8th this year was completely stupid. It's saying that five teams would pass ISU from last year. It's saying that true freshman and transfers for OK State, OU, KState, Baylor and Texas were all locks to be productive players but transfers who lead the MWC conference in scoring and hit big shots in Final Fours are high risk gambles. It's saying quite a few true freshman ranked below Niang were a safer bet to contribute than Niang. It's saying empty gyms in towns where people don't even like college basketball and ignore their teams are more of an advantage than Hilton.

 

[HFCS]

wonder what our highest preseason projection has ever been...anybody...?

Only Kansas has finished at the top of the Big 12 more. So we're #2 in reality of winning the thing...a very distant #2

 

[brokenloginagain]

for those of you complaining about the "experts" or the "media," the big12 preseason polls are conducted by the b12 coaches.

http://www.big12sports.com/pdf8/952...D=106110&SPID=13134&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=10410

 

[IcSyU]

Look at what we returned for this year and justify why we should've been higher than 8th. We lost a TON from last season. On paper, 8th made sense. What happens between the preseason poll and the actual games is another story.

 

[DistrictCyclone]

Lots of teams lose a lot of players and still get picked to do well based on the quality of their incoming recruits. Don't we still have a recruiting class rated in the top 20?

Besides, I'd much rather have expectations set low, play games where we don't have as big of a target on our back, and surprise everyone than be picked to finish near the top and then fall from grace a la Kentucky.

 

[HFCS]

Lots of teams lose a lot of players and still get picked to do well based on the quality of their incoming recruits. Don't we still have a recruiting class rated in the top 20?

Besides, I'd much rather have expectations set low, play games where we don't have as big of a target on our back, and surprise everyone than be picked to finish near the top and then fall from grace a la Kentucky.

People on this board defended KSU, Baylor, OU, and OSU all leap frogging us because of the awesome recruits and transfers they had coming in.

So far I don't see how any of them are better than Niang, Clyburn and KL. Clyburn was the lowest risk newcomer in the entire Big 12 based on his MWC stats. Ejim, Babb and McGee have also shown they're a similar or better returning core than the teams picked to leapfrog us. We returned what turned out to be the conferences top rebounder, a top defender, top 3 point shooter.

 

[Rural]

I don't know how you can conclude that next year will be "tough" when the springtime game of basketball player musical chairs hasn't even happened yet.

 

[awd4cy]

I still think next year is going to be a good season. I think it even has potential to start out like this season.

 

[psyclone51]

Quit whining. We lost 3 very good starters last year and something like 60% of our scoring. We lost a first round draft pick. There were lots of questions of how the new transfers would do, and the freshmen. I think most fans had bought into FH as a great coach to feel more confident than 'non-Cylcone fans" so I can't get too worked up. As long as we deliver on the floor, that's all I care about.

And while I am not always impressed by Cyclone coverage in the Register, the column today speaks volumes about where our program is going:

http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/...aa-tourney-big-picture/article?nclick_check=1

So quityurbitchin and enjoy the games.