SUMMER SERIES: The 2014-15 Iowa State basketball season

[ChrisMWilliams]

Was bonkers. Blum and I rehash it here.

https://cyclonefanatic.com/podcasts/summer-series-the-2014-15-iowa-state-basketball-season/

 

[brentblum]

 

[Sigmapolis]

That season was a roller coaster of love. They could be so good yet so bad.



As Georges said, "Each season is like a life. When you look back on them, sometimes, you feel like maybe you did not take advantage of it and do everything you could."

 

[cyclones500]

Weird, rollercoasteresque season.

In retrospect, I can't imagine that team advancing deep in the tournament, stringing together enough games without the Mr. Hyde version showing up.

 

[jsb]

Weird, rollercoasteresque season.

In retrospect, I can't imagine that team advancing deep in the tournament, stringing together enough games without the Mr. Hyde version showing up.

In many ways that team was like last years.

 

[cyclones500]

In many ways that team was like last years.

Yeah, they mentioned that in the podcast a few times. There were some similarities for the night & day aspects.

 

[Messi]

In many ways that team was like last years.

Would it shock anyone if were listening to a summer series 5 years from now on the 2018-19 ISU team? Some similar drama, lots of highs and lows and very talented players.

 

[GMackey32]

CW, I have a strong feeling I know exactly what football you’re talking about and you guys just know how to make a guy have severe flashbacks on back to back weeks.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I cannot believe that was four years ago already. Makes a guy feel old.

 

[jsb]

Yeah, they mentioned that in the podcast a few times. There were some similarities for the night & day aspects.

Makes sense. I have little desire to listen to a depressing podcast. Now when they recap the second half of the 17-18 season, I’m all in

 

[Sigmapolis]

I went to two games that year -- the game against a cruddy USC in Brooklyn and the home game against TCU. We handled TCU game just fine but, man, USC was frustrating.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400585780

Some highlights that I remember...

-- Georges got a technical for slapping the ball out of a guy's hand on a deadball
-- we lost 60-64, and it seemed like McKay was the only guy who wanted to play that day
-- that was a trend a lot of that season... odd McKay became the problem child the next year
-- we were 1-18 from three point land... Naz was 1/7
-- we were 19/33 from the free throw line for 57.6%
-- Jameel was 7/10 somehow, but Hogue was an awful 7/13... hack-a-Hogue
-- we fouled out both of their starting big men... still lost
-- they got exactly 12 points from their awful bench... still lost
-- they had 20 turnovers to our 13, and we still lost
-- they were 2/10 from three point land, and we still found a way to lose
-- we hit our first three with 0:47 left in the game to cut it to 60-63
-- of course, Naz turns it over on the last possession, and we lose

What a frustrating game to encapsulate a frustrating season. Any one of those things... no dumb T, hit some free throws, hit the side of a barn from three... and we win easily.

We were so much better than them but had our heads so far up our own butts.

 

[cyclones500]

I went to two games that year -- the game against a cruddy USC in Brooklyn and the home game against TCU. We handled TCU game just fine but, man, USC was frustrating.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400585780

Some highlights that I remember...

-- Georges got a technical for slapping the ball out of a guy's hand on a deadball
-- we lost 60-64, and it seemed like McKay was the only guy who wanted to play that day
-- that was a trend a lot of that season... odd McKay became the problem child the next year
-- we were 1-18 from three point land... Naz was 1/7
-- we were 19/33 from the free throw line for 57.6%
-- Jameel was 7/10 somehow, but Hogue was an awful 7/13... hack-a-Hogue
-- we fouled out both of their starting big men... still lost
-- they got exactly 12 points from their awful bench.. still lost
-- they had 20 turnovers to our 13, and we still lost
-- they were 2/10 from three point land, and we still found a way to lose
-- we hit our first three with 0:47 left in the game to cut it to 60-63
-- of course, Naz turns it over on the last possession, and we lose

What a frustrating game to encapsulate a frustrating season. Any one of those things... no dumb T, hit some free throws, hit the side of a barn from three... and we win easily.

We were so much better than them but had our heads so far up our own butts.

I didn't get to witness the South Carolina game, other than tracking online --- my goodness, those are some horrendous details.

I noticed (probably not until late in the season, maybe even after) when ISU didn't score at least 70 points, it was perilous. We did win two in the Big 12 tournament scoring less than 70, and obviously lost several games scoring in the 70s and 80s. But some of the puzzling losses -- Maryland (at least bad at the time it happened) SC and UAB, less than 65 points.

 

[pulse]

I was sitting court side at the South Carolina game. Talk about the worst possible game to ever do that. Game was brutal. Lots of fouling, as Frank Martin coached teams do... We were ice cold from 3. So frustrating to watch as you just kept waiting for one of those 3s to go in and give us some life.

 

[Sigmapolis]

I didn't get to witness the South Carolina game, other than tracking online --- my goodness, those are some horrendous details.

I noticed (probably not until late in the season, maybe even after) when ISU didn't score at least 70 points, it was perilous. We did win two in the Big 12 tournament scoring less than 70, and obviously lost several games scoring in the 70s and 80s. But some of the puzzling losses -- Maryland (at least bad at the time it happened) SC and UAB, less than 65 points.

Typical Hoiberg era team --

Complete glass cannons.

They could score but couldn't stop much of anybody.

 

[spitfyr36]

Typical Hoiberg era team --

Complete glass cannons.

They could score but couldn't stop much of anybody.

But god, was is some fun basketball to watch when they were on

 

[KennyPratt42]

I was at both the South Carolina and Maryland games (as well as all the home games and a couple others). Only solace is that I didn't go out to the UAB game.

 

[Cycsk]

Would it shock anyone if were listening to a summer series 5 years from now on the 2018-19 ISU team? Some similar drama, lots of highs and lows and very talented players.

How we remember the 2018-19 season may be very dependent on the types of pro careers these guys have? If not-so-good, then it will be a forgettable blip as the year we had all those over-rated recruits. If good, then it will be another painful memory of "what could have/should have been."

 

[Sigmapolis]

How we remember the 2018-19 season may be very dependent on the types of pro careers these guys have? If not-so-good, then it will be a forgettable blip as the year we had all those over-rated recruits. If good, then it will be another painful memory of "what could have/should have been."

As much talent as the 2015 team had... How many of them became NBA rotational guys even? BDJ was on his way to it and probably Monté and that is it...?

Do you count Georges? Is Matt Thomas about to play his way into that? I love all those other guys, but they are end-of-bench scrubs or D-League players.

 

[Cycsk]

As much talent as the 2015 team had... How many of them became NBA rotational guys even? BDJ was on his way to it and probably Monté and that is it...?

Do you count Georges? Is Matt Thomas about to play his way into that? I love all those other guys, but they are end-of-bench scrubs or D-League players.

The 2014-15 team is so different than the 2018-19 team because we developed such deep relationships over many years with the 2014-15 team. So much of the 2018-19 team was here and gone almost before we really got to know them.

 

[cyclonespiker33]

As much talent as the 2015 team had... How many of them became NBA rotational guys even? BDJ was on his way to it and probably Monté and that is it...?

Do you count Georges? Is Matt Thomas about to play his way into that? I love all those other guys, but they are end-of-bench scrubs or D-League players.

Any player who suits up for an NBA team is amazingly talented. Certainly not a scrub.

Look at all of the talented guys that have never set foot in an NBA game. Melvin and Kane come to mind from the past decade, and they couldn't even play a single minute in the NBA.