Poll: Grade the Season

[cyclones500]

My twice-annual season-grading poll, this one for ISU men's basketball. I assume some will grade on a curve (and some won't). Elaborate on your choice as desired.

Not as fun of an exercise as past seasons, but may help w/ purging process.

 

[pulse]

For what we had it was a B. The results were an F.

 

[Sigmapolis]

C

We passed.

Expectations were low and we met them.

We deserve our 2.0 GPA.

 

[jbindm]

Is there an Incomplete option? I wish we could have seen the team fully healthy in February. Maybe it would've mattered, maybe not. But I feel like any chance they had to show some real improvement over the second half of the season was sabotaged by injury. As it was I guess I'd say C-. There were some flashes and I'm feeling good about the future, but it would have been nice to see some of the mental errors and fundamental stuff get cleaned up as they went along.

And the comments from LW and Brase about guys buying in was mildly troubling. I appreciate Lindell taking ownership, but if some of the guys in the locker room haven't bought in by now then when will they?

 

[MartyFine]

 

[everyyard]

No tourney at ISU is a fail at this point. Losing the number of games at home is a fail. Hoiberg shares the grade for his last 2 recruiting seasons. I am optimistic for next season but a repeat would be completely unacceptable.

 

[3GenClone]

High's: Talented Freshmen in Wigginton and Lard, Winning the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, big home win against WVU, shutting down Trae Young in Hilton

Low's: Embarrassing home losses (Kansas State, Tennessee), injuries (Babb, Young, Brase, and Long), end season on 7-game losing streak

Season Grade: C

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Last in the conference deserves an F, but that can't be all that you're basing the grade on for this year. I went with a C since we hovered around or below average for what my expectations were. We probably deserved a C-, but injuries kept me from giving us anything below a C.

The same result next year will definitely be a failing grade, though. I know we're going to have some growing pains with the freshman we bring in, but our major contributors will all have had a full year or more in the system.

I'm expecting a much better year next year and, more importantly, I think CSP and the players are too.

 

[cyfan92]

This program shouldn't be missing the NCAA tournament. That means an F. I'd upgrade the season to a C- for home well our young core looks. However, I'd revise back down to a D because:
We took BAD transfers, didn't take the walk-on program seriously (teams should have 3 minimum walk-ons yearly), lacked consistency and turned the ball over regularly.

 

[cmjh10]

We lost to Milwaukee AT Hilton. Also no road wins and the losing streak at the end.

F

 

[CycloneTJS]

Unfortunately, in this world we live in, this can only be classified as a Failing grade. We didn't make any post season tournament, we finished DFL in the conference, and lost a ton of games at home, including to the University of Milwaukee... Like most failing grades, when you slack off you pay for it later, and in this case, this was set up 2 poor recruiting classes by CFH and a slow start by CSP. We are Iowa State - we have Hilton Coliseum, we won 3 of the last 4 Big XII tournaments...We did have a few successes, which is why the grade is not a Zero, but, all in all, this is unacceptable for ISU. A bad year should be the NIT and a .500 record. This team had a chance at a .500 record, and possibly the NIT, but, could not close games, due in part to youth, a very short bench, and, IMHO, some poor rotation decisions by our head coach (exit Jakolby Long)... Next year looks to be a stronger roster, and I would expect a passing grade!

 

[jbindm]

This program shouldn't be missing the NCAA tournament. That means an F. I'd upgrade the season to a C- for home well our young core looks. However, I'd revise back down to a D because:
We took BAD transfers, didn't take the walk-on program seriously (teams should have 3 minimum walk-ons yearly), lacked consistency and turned the ball over regularly.

Of the three transfers that only Beverly wasn't really a P5 talent. We never got to see Brase anywhere near 100% due to injuries, and Talley was pretty good and might be a valuable rotation guy next year.

As for the walk-on program, that's up for debate. Were there no walk-ons because Prohm didn't try to get any or were there no walk-ons because nobody wanted to fill that role? On the surface it sounds like fun but those guys make a major commitment without much in the way of reward other than getting their asses handed to them every day in practice. I agree with the lack of consistency and turnover numbers. Those are hallmarks of a young team but it's alarming that they were problems that didn't really improve much as the season went on.

 

[PineClone]

You guys are harsh. I give a B-, primarily due to youth and things beyond anyone's control (injuries). In general this team was competitive in most games with very few blowouts, even after the injuries. Expectations were low, but the potential displayed this season was beyond expectations IMO. This team did not suck like a last place team typically sucks (see Iowa).

 

[StevieISU23]

Please..... B- at lowest.
Expections were to finish last in confrence.
Fred left the Senior and Junior Classes, very light.
We lost 2 (Babb, young) of our starters/elders/mature ones
The only playing Senior lost his Dad. (love ya DJ).

And we were playing the Hardest conference schedule in the Nation. Period.
90% of the conference had a legit argument for a tourney bid.

If you throw 2 bottom bottom feeders from any other conference in the Big12.
Lets say you replace K-State and Ok-St, with a Rutgers and an Illinois. (4 more given conference wins)
AND if you have Babb, Young, and focused DJ for all season, we easily pickup (1 more) conference will.
That would put ISU at 9-9 in conference.

Easily Dancing.

 

[cyhiphopp]

This program shouldn't be missing the NCAA tournament. That means an F. I'd upgrade the season to a C- for home well our young core looks. However, I'd revise back down to a D because:
We took BAD transfers, didn't take the walk-on program seriously (teams should have 3 minimum walk-ons yearly), lacked consistency and turned the ball over regularly.

What more can Prohm do to "take the walk-on program seriously"? If guys don't want to come to ISU and walk-on, what more can you do? I guess he could devote more of his time to recruiting walk-ons, but I think he used a lot of that time trying to get scholarship guys here.

As for BAD transfers, Brase was a gamble with his injury problems. He really COULD have been a very good player for us. Beverly wasn't as good as we'd hoped but we were probably glad we had him when everyone got hurt.

Once Talley got onto the floor he was a very good transfer and he'll be a key contributor next year, and while it didn't help us a lot this year, Shayok and Jacobsen are going to be huge for next year.

 

[cyhiphopp]

Of the three transfers that only Beverly wasn't really a P5 talent. We never got to see Brase anywhere near 100% due to injuries, and Talley was pretty good and might be a valuable rotation guy next year.

As for the walk-on program, that's up for debate. Were there no walk-ons because Prohm didn't try to get any or were there no walk-ons because nobody wanted to fill that role? On the surface it sounds like fun but those guys make a major commitment without much in the way of reward other than getting their asses handed to them every day in practice. I agree with the lack of consistency and turnover numbers. Those are hallmarks of a young team but it's alarming that they were problems that didn't really improve much as the season went on.

Beverly might not have been a P5 starter in quality, but he was good enough and needed for a lot of minutes for us this year.

Not everyone is going to be Deandre Kane or Royce White as a transfer. We've been really spoiled with the transfers we've had and how they've worked out.

 

[xboxfever]

D+. I would give it a C+ but that blowout loss to Milwaukee early in the season was inexcusable. It doesn’t matter how young or inexperienced your team is, you should never get blown out at home against a bad low major team. It’s one of the worst losses in program history.

 

[jsb]

This program shouldn't be missing the NCAA tournament. That means an F. I'd upgrade the season to a C- for home well our young core looks. However, I'd revise back down to a D because:
We took BAD transfers, didn't take the walk-on program seriously (teams should have 3 minimum walk-ons yearly), lacked consistency and turned the ball over regularly.

Find me a non elite program that made the NCAA for 6 years in a row. There isn’t one. Bottom line, NO program should be expected to make the NCAA every year.

 

[harimad]

B or higher. After an extremely rocky start to the season (really? Milwaukee? In Hilton?) they showed rapid improvement, and I think could have made an NIT maybe without the injuries.

 

[CloneFan4]

This program shouldn't be missing the NCAA tournament. That means an F. I'd upgrade the season to a C- for home well our young core looks. However, I'd revise back down to a D because:
We took BAD transfers, didn't take the walk-on program seriously (teams should have 3 minimum walk-ons yearly), lacked consistency and turned the ball over regularly.

As much as I love this school, that is a stupid statement. We are not a blue blood who can continually bring in elite grad transfers or one and dones to fill the eventual gaps in talent that arise every so often. Even blue bloods occasionally miss out on the tournament.