***Post game thread- ISU vs Cincy***

[Thomasrickj]

It's not even the last couple possessions....it's the whole game.

All we do is that ball screen on top and nobody else moves. It's what everyone else does that can't think of anything else to do offensively. Matt Thomas...well, let's just say he has had better nights. Might need to cut his minutes back some. Naz just hasn't been the same since the injury, maybe just some rust to kick off yet. Nobody moves, everyone just wants to chuck jumpers, we let every decent team dictate how they want to play every time out. Just amazed we came out and played the exact same way the second half as we did the first.

Defense is great, happy to see that, but if we have to score at a very very high level to win games in this league with this lineup. Just the way it has to be, not going to beat anyone like that.

I was really unimpressed with Cincinnati as well, zero reason they should come into Hilton, score 55 points and win.

Very early though, a Hoiberg team I wouldn't even think twice about a loss like this early on, now though, offense takes time to gel...not sure we got the coaching talent on the bench to make this work offensively like it needs to playing 4 guards, cause you going to get out rebounded every night and you aren't going to be able to stop everything as small as we are. Time will tell. Going to take a lot more creativity than I have seen since Steve came here.

Problem is, now you already have a really questionable home loss. And hard to see us beating KU as small as we are. Road games going to be really tough shooting so many jumpers, getting out rebounded and as unphysical as we are. Everyone going to do the same thing.....make us play slow, hammer us on the boards, and force us to shoot a ton of jumpers.

I agree with most of this except for Thomas. He's been shooting the ball well all season and plays good defense. If anyone's minutes need to be cut, I feel like it needs to be Naz to give more time to guys like DJ or NWB.

Me creating this thread wasn't meant to say we are doomed, just wanted to get opinions from everyone else about where you think this team can go this year. I came in with higher expectations than last year, which is why I asked. This team needs to find a better offensive identity.

 

[SWCy13]

Start Babb. Naz is straight up killing us right now.

 

[CyJack13]

I'm guessing they have a ceiling of a 4 seed, with 5-6 most likely. They're better than they were last year, as their few losses have been well replaced (and last year, they made the tournament despite losing a ton of very close games just like this one).

I would say 8-10 seed is most likely for them, might depend on how good we turn out to be. They've lost to the only other decent team they have played this year and there's not a lot of chances for good wins in the American

 

[clonedude]

When the season started I wouldn't have been that upset to know we lost to Gonzaga and Cincy.

However, when we have the chance to win both games and don't even get decent shots down the stretch of either game, then that is a lost opportunity and is poor coaching. I'm sorry, it just is.

You can be happy with losing close games to good teams, but I think ISU is a program that should now expect to win these games, especially at home.

 

[bosco]

I agree with most of this except for Thomas. He's been shooting the ball well all season and plays good defense. If anyone's minutes need to be cut, I feel like it needs to be Naz to give more time to guys like DJ or NWB.

Me creating this thread wasn't meant to say we are doomed, just wanted to get opinions from everyone else about where you think this team can go this year. I came in with higher expectations than last year, which is why I asked. This team needs to find a better offensive identity.

mt played a great game except making a boneheaded play with 20 secs left that would have won the game of he didn't turn it over.

 

[Gunnerclone]

There's legit discussions from the last 3-4 min of Zaga and this game regarding the lack of offensive strategy; little to no off ball movement, and this O's ability to recognize what to run and how to close a game.

Maybe go have a read on Prohm's comments. Will it work to focus on defense to start the year and neglect fully implementing the offense??? I don't know. I also don't know why everyone is crying about it when he's said that is what we're doing and it is exactly what 100% of the whiny wing of the fan base wanted.

 

[isu83]

Naz needs to wake up. He's that missing X factor. Not one single basket tonight.

In and out at end of regulation.

 

[sheepplucker]

Is anyone els scared that since burton had a 30 point game where he was hitting everything we are going to see a season of off balanced mid range bricks?

 

[rochclone]

Boy, I could make an ass load of money after a bad game on here.

Three games out of seven this years when we have average less than a point per possession (Mt. St. Mary's, Indiana State and Cincy). It happened 5 times in 35 games last year. We are limited offensively which means we are going to need to win games in the low 70's to high 60's. This team will need to rebound very well on the defensive end in order to consistently win those types of games. Not a meltdown just a fair analysis of how things are going to change this year.

 

[isucyfan]

Maybe it was just a bad night for him, and I am seeing something that isn't there, but it looked to me that Naz wasn't moving right tonight. I hope his hip(s) aren't the issue.

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

Lots of things to blame. Tired of this team settling for jumpers instead of taking it to the basket. I think most can agree the "last time we lost a home non-conf game thread" jinxed us. JK

Kind of think Bowie deserves to start over Holden.

 

[Cyclonepride]

I'd like to see the +/- for Nick Babb for this game. It seemed like we either retook leads or extended them when he was in there.

 

[CoKane]

With this offense, Iowa has a shot at home to beat us I'm afraid. If we aren't shooting it well, it will be a dogfight to the end.

Iowa gave up 100 points to Memphis. We'll still score at will against them. It's the other teams I'm worried about

 

[cyclones500]

The problems this team has can be fixed quickly.

If so, I hope the quick-fixing begins quickly.

 

[CyGuy5]

Naz is killing us so far. Not sure if he isn't back into it after the hip surgeries but he has looked terrible In key situations. Also, Prohm has got to draw up a better play than that at the end of the game. 2 games in a row the play along has been awful. I worry for the future of Iowa State basketball if he continues this.

 

[CloneLawman]

Lots of things to blame. Tired of this team settling for jumpers instead of taking it to the basket. I think most can agree the "last time we lost a home non-conf game thread" jinxed us. JK

Kind of think Bowie deserves to start over Holden.

Bowie has given great effort. Now if he could up that free throw percentage...

 

[SNEDDS3]

I blame jynx thread guy.

 

[cyatheart]

Again, if this was a Hoiberg team, I wouldn't even think twice about this, early season you are going to have some offensive issues. Happens to everyone, happened to Cincinnati tonight as well, they were equally as bad. Problem is, Freddy isn't walking through that door. Yes the defense is better, love that, but with this lineup, we just have to score a lot of points and make teams play fast AND play defense. I am pretty confident Steve doesn't have the offensive mind Fred did, not many do though, that's not a slam on Steve. Long way to go, but the lineup we have, it's going to take some coaching to win enough Big 12 games....everyone going to do the same thing...play physical, hammer the boards, make us shoot a ton of jumpers....by end of this year we will know for sure if Prohm is going to work out here or not.

The way Cincinnati played tonight, this game shouldn't have been close. Not the end of the world, but lot of thought, some creativity, and lot of work to do. Not going to get better over night.

 

[CycloneErik]

It's apparently possible that we don't have offensive sets at all. It's odd to see this much offensive ability fail at this level.

I'm growing more and more concerned that we scheduled so poorly because there was no thought of being what this team should be. This team has a lot to prove to show that it can amount to anything this year right now.

 

[Tornado man]

Lots of things to blame. Tired of this team settling for jumpers instead of taking it to the basket.

You had better get used to that; Prohm said down in Florida that ISU "is a jump shooting team. That's what we are."