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How about some optimism...

dahliaclone

dahliaclone

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Mar 4, 2007
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I'm not gonna sugar coat the offensive offense we have seen the past few games/basically all season. No point in doing so.

However, what I am going to do is try and bring some levity to the season at this point.

I think many, including myself, need to remember a couple of things: first, the fact we are even DISCUSSING the NCAA tournament as a possibility given last year is incredible. Doesn't make our play lately any better, I'm not saying that. But let's remember where we were last year. It's amazing we are 16-7 with very solid quad one wins and not one bad loss. Second, the defense in this league gets bandied about a lot, and for good reason.

But look at who we've played so far this year in the league:
  • Baylor (#5 NET, #9 AO, #17 AD)
  • Kansas (twice) (#9 NET, #3 AO, #31 AD)
  • Texas Tech (#10 NET, #55 AO, #2 AD)
  • Oklahoma (#42 NET, #74 AD, #37 AD)
  • Texas (#16 NET, #42 AO, #9 AD)
  • TCU (#43 NET, #112 AO, #25 AD)
That is insanity. In our first TEN league games we had to play a no worse than #37 AD with our putrid offense. With those numbers by other teams and our offense sputtering it's no shock we are 3-7. And let's be clear, there are a LOT of P5 schools that would have our same record or worse with this schedule thus far.

Here is where the optimism comes in...

We have 8 games left...
  • at West Virginia (#62 NET, #106 AO, #32 AD)
  • vs Kansas State (#72 NET, #89 AO, #39 AD)
  • at TCU (#43 NET, #112 AO, #25 AD)
  • vs Oklahoma (#42 NET, #74 AD, #37 AD)
  • vs West Virginia (#62 NET, #106 AO, #32 AD)
  • at Kansas State (#72 NET, #89 AO, #39 AD)
  • vs Oklahoma State (#61 NET, #153 AO, #16 AD)
  • at Baylor ((#5 NET, #9 AO, #17 AD)
I'm in no way saying the schedule is easy from here on out. But it is EASIER. By a lot. The next week will tell us a lot. If we go to Morgantown and lose a close one and get 65+ points it will suck but I can live with that. But if we can't score and get blown out and then come home and lay an egg against KSU then sadly I think the shot at the NCAAs is toast.

Think about this...what if...IF...we go 2-0 next week. I know that is a huge ask after what we've seen lately. But I'm trying to be the optimist. Say we go 2-0...we'd sit at 18-7 and 5-7 with a game at TCU looming. If we can go to TCU and win (again...huge task especially with how we sucked against them at home) then we'd get two VERY winnable games at home. That happens and we're suddenly 21-7 and 8-7 with two winnable games in front of us at KSU and vs OSU.

Do I really think this will happen? No. But just looking at who we've played against who we have left...I'm not as much as a cliff-jumper as I was just hours ago. I do think this game at WVU is massive. If we can pull that out and then KSU at home I can 100% see us stringing some wins together and all of a sudden NCAA is a sure thing.

Take this or leave this post. I know it's a big of sunshine pumping. All games in this league are brutal. But we've gotten the most brutal out of the way. We'll see how we do against the other teams now jockeying in our same position.

Go Cyclones!
 
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dahliaclone said:
I'm not gonna sugar coat the offensive offense we have seen the past few games/basically all season. No point in doing so.

However, what I am going to do is try and bring some levity to the season at this point.

I think many, including myself, need to remember a couple of things: first, the fact we are even DISCUSSING the NCAA tournament as a possibility given last year is incredible. Doesn't make our play lately any better, I'm not saying that. But let's remember where we were last year. It's amazing we are 16-7 with very solid quad one wins and not one bad loss. Second, the defense in this league gets bandied about a lot, and for good reason.

But look at who we've played so far this year in the league:
  • Baylor (#5 NET, #9 AO, #17 AD)
  • Kansas (twice) (#9 NET, #3 AO, #31 AD)
  • Texas Tech (#10 NET, #55 AO, #2 AD)
  • Oklahoma (#42 NET, #74 AD, #37 AD)
  • Texas (#16 NET, #42 AO, #9 AD)
  • TCU (#43 NET, #112 AO, #25 AD)
That is insanity. In our first TEN league games we had to play a no worse than #37 AD with our putrid offense. With those numbers by other teams and our offense sputtering it's no shock we are 3-7. And let's be clear, there are a LOT of P5 schools that would have our same record or worse with this schedule thus far.

Here is where the optimism comes in...

We have 8 games left...
  • at West Virginia (#62 NET, #106 AO, #32 AD)
  • vs Kansas State (#72 NET, #89 AO, #39 AD)
  • at TCU (#43 NET, #112 AO, #25 AD)
  • vs Oklahoma (#42 NET, #74 AD, #37 AD)
  • vs West Virginia (#62 NET, #106 AO, #32 AD)
  • at Kansas State (#72 NET, #89 AO, #39 AD)
  • vs Oklahoma State (#61 NET, #153 AO, #16 AD)
  • at Baylor ((#5 NET, #9 AO, #17 AD)
I'm in no way saying the schedule is easy from here on out. But it is EASIER. By a lot. The next week will tell us a lot. If we go to Morgantown and lose a close one and get 65+ points it will suck but I can live with that. But if we can't score and get blown out and then come home and lay an egg against KSU then sadly I think the shot at the NCAAs is toast.

Think about this...what if...IF...we go 2-0 next week. I know that is a huge ask after what we've seen lately. But I'm trying to be the optimist. Say we go 2-0...we'd sit at 18-7 and 5-7 with a game at TCU looming. If we can go to TCU and win (again...huge task especially with how we sucked against them at home) then we'd get two VERY winnable games at home. That happens and we're suddenly 21-7 and 8-7 with two winnable games in front of us at KSU and vs OSU.

Do I really think this will happen? No. But just looking at who we've played against who we have left...I'm not as much as a cliff-jumper as I was just hours ago. I do think this game at WVU is massive. If we can pull that out and then KSU at home I can 100% see us stringing some wins together and all of a sudden NCAA is a sure thing.

Take this or leave this post. I know it's a big of sunshine pumping. All games in this league are brutal. But we've gotten the most brutal out of the way. We'll see how we do against the other teams now jockeying in our same position.

Go Cyclones!
Click to expand...
There's lots of reasons to be optimistic for this year and the future of ISU basketball. What this team and staff have done this year is worthy of sunshine pumping. Some are caught up in the moment of a bad performance, a few have agendas that will make them judge this coaching staff more harshly, but most realize what a tremendous job this program has done in turning around a program that just had it's worst season ever.
 
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ClonesInDallas said:
All great points. The hope I'm holding on to is the fact that we only play one more game against the top half of our conference the rest of the way. The last week we were swept we followed it up with two wins, so here's to winning the next two.
Click to expand...

Yep, just win the home games, and see if they can steal one in Fort Worth or Morgantown
 
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Cyclones1969 said:
Yep, just win the home games, and see if they can steal one in Fort Worth or Morgantown
Click to expand...

It’s a race to 4 wins in the next 8 games, and it’s definitely do-able. The offense is what we anticipated, but go back to August and tell yourself we’d be in contention for an NCAA bid. Perspective matters: what the team has already accomplished this year is unbelievable.
 
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dahliaclone said:
I'm not gonna sugar coat the offensive offense we have seen the past few games/basically all season. No point in doing so.

However, what I am going to do is try and bring some levity to the season at this point.

I think many, including myself, need to remember a couple of things: first, the fact we are even DISCUSSING the NCAA tournament as a possibility given last year is incredible. Doesn't make our play lately any better, I'm not saying that. But let's remember where we were last year. It's amazing we are 16-7 with very solid quad one wins and not one bad loss. Second, the defense in this league gets bandied about a lot, and for good reason.

But look at who we've played so far this year in the league:
  • Baylor (#5 NET, #9 AO, #17 AD)
  • Kansas (twice) (#9 NET, #3 AO, #31 AD)
  • Texas Tech (#10 NET, #55 AO, #2 AD)
  • Oklahoma (#42 NET, #74 AD, #37 AD)
  • Texas (#16 NET, #42 AO, #9 AD)
  • TCU (#43 NET, #112 AO, #25 AD)
That is insanity. In our first TEN league games we had to play a no worse than #37 AD with our putrid offense. With those numbers by other teams and our offense sputtering it's no shock we are 3-7. And let's be clear, there are a LOT of P5 schools that would have our same record or worse with this schedule thus far.

Here is where the optimism comes in...

We have 8 games left...
  • at West Virginia (#62 NET, #106 AO, #32 AD)
  • vs Kansas State (#72 NET, #89 AO, #39 AD)
  • at TCU (#43 NET, #112 AO, #25 AD)
  • vs Oklahoma (#42 NET, #74 AD, #37 AD)
  • vs West Virginia (#62 NET, #106 AO, #32 AD)
  • at Kansas State (#72 NET, #89 AO, #39 AD)
  • vs Oklahoma State (#61 NET, #153 AO, #16 AD)
  • at Baylor ((#5 NET, #9 AO, #17 AD)
I'm in no way saying the schedule is easy from here on out. But it is EASIER. By a lot. The next week will tell us a lot. If we go to Morgantown and lose a close one and get 65+ points it will suck but I can live with that. But if we can't score and get blown out and then come home and lay an egg against KSU then sadly I think the shot at the NCAAs is toast.

Think about this...what if...IF...we go 2-0 next week. I know that is a huge ask after what we've seen lately. But I'm trying to be the optimist. Say we go 2-0...we'd sit at 18-7 and 5-7 with a game at TCU looming. If we can go to TCU and win (again...huge task especially with how we sucked against them at home) then we'd get two VERY winnable games at home. That happens and we're suddenly 21-7 and 8-7 with two winnable games in front of us at KSU and vs OSU.

Do I really think this will happen? No. But just looking at who we've played against who we have left...I'm not as much as a cliff-jumper as I was just hours ago. I do think this game at WVU is massive. If we can pull that out and then KSU at home I can 100% see us stringing some wins together and all of a sudden NCAA is a sure thing.

Take this or leave this post. I know it's a big of sunshine pumping. All games in this league are brutal. But we've gotten the most brutal out of the way. We'll see how we do against the other teams now jockeying in our same position.

Go Cyclones!
Click to expand...

while I agree with the premise of your post, the performance in the second half of the Texas game was a real gut check. No one could make a shot, period and there were a lot of those shots there weren't even close. Texas fans were probably getting tired of yelling air ball.
 
Leaving off the Ok St game, the other 9 conference games, opponent averaged #16 NET. Leaving off Baylor, the other 7 remaining conference games, the opponent averages #59. Hopefully we can have better results over that 7 game stretch playing on average #59 instead of #16. Not saying we will go 7-0 but I hope for at least 5-2 in that stretch.
 
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Daserop said:
ISU best wins come against teams who had players out for those games (Xavier & Texas Tech). When the team was rated #8 in the country , I stated they were overrated and their season would mirror the football teams season. So far I've been spot on.
Click to expand...

And obviously you're a bigger fan of feeling that you're right than you are a real Cyclone fan. Just be sure not to sprain your shoulder from patting yourself on the back too hard.
 
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clonebb said:
Want optimism? Watch the women’s team. They can actually shoot the ball and make baskets..
Click to expand...

It's posters like this that make me feel sometimes that it would have been better for this team to stink it up in the non-conference to keep the expectations in line with their talent. Since they overachieved through hustle and effort, now some on here talk **** when they revert back to their skill level.
 
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dahliaclone said:
I'm not gonna sugar coat the offensive offense we have seen the past few games/basically all season. No point in doing so.

However, what I am going to do is try and bring some levity to the season at this point.

I think many, including myself, need to remember a couple of things: first, the fact we are even DISCUSSING the NCAA tournament as a possibility given last year is incredible. Doesn't make our play lately any better, I'm not saying that. But let's remember where we were last year. It's amazing we are 16-7 with very solid quad one wins and not one bad loss. Second, the defense in this league gets bandied about a lot, and for good reason.

But look at who we've played so far this year in the league:
  • Baylor (#5 NET, #9 AO, #17 AD)
  • Kansas (twice) (#9 NET, #3 AO, #31 AD)
  • Texas Tech (#10 NET, #55 AO, #2 AD)
  • Oklahoma (#42 NET, #74 AD, #37 AD)
  • Texas (#16 NET, #42 AO, #9 AD)
  • TCU (#43 NET, #112 AO, #25 AD)
That is insanity. In our first TEN league games we had to play a no worse than #37 AD with our putrid offense. With those numbers by other teams and our offense sputtering it's no shock we are 3-7. And let's be clear, there are a LOT of P5 schools that would have our same record or worse with this schedule thus far.

Here is where the optimism comes in...

We have 8 games left...
  • at West Virginia (#62 NET, #106 AO, #32 AD)
  • vs Kansas State (#72 NET, #89 AO, #39 AD)
  • at TCU (#43 NET, #112 AO, #25 AD)
  • vs Oklahoma (#42 NET, #74 AD, #37 AD)
  • vs West Virginia (#62 NET, #106 AO, #32 AD)
  • at Kansas State (#72 NET, #89 AO, #39 AD)
  • vs Oklahoma State (#61 NET, #153 AO, #16 AD)
  • at Baylor ((#5 NET, #9 AO, #17 AD)
I'm in no way saying the schedule is easy from here on out. But it is EASIER. By a lot. The next week will tell us a lot. If we go to Morgantown and lose a close one and get 65+ points it will suck but I can live with that. But if we can't score and get blown out and then come home and lay an egg against KSU then sadly I think the shot at the NCAAs is toast.

Think about this...what if...IF...we go 2-0 next week. I know that is a huge ask after what we've seen lately. But I'm trying to be the optimist. Say we go 2-0...we'd sit at 18-7 and 5-7 with a game at TCU looming. If we can go to TCU and win (again...huge task especially with how we sucked against them at home) then we'd get two VERY winnable games at home. That happens and we're suddenly 21-7 and 8-7 with two winnable games in front of us at KSU and vs OSU.

Do I really think this will happen? No. But just looking at who we've played against who we have left...I'm not as much as a cliff-jumper as I was just hours ago. I do think this game at WVU is massive. If we can pull that out and then KSU at home I can 100% see us stringing some wins together and all of a sudden NCAA is a sure thing.

Take this or leave this post. I know it's a big of sunshine pumping. All games in this league are brutal. But we've gotten the most brutal out of the way. We'll see how we do against the other teams now jockeying in our same position.

Go Cyclones!
Click to expand...

Just go 1-1 each week, and we've got 20 wins and a chance to go to the tournament. This team definitely has the ability to do that (or better).
 
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Daserop said:
ISU best wins come against teams who had players out for those games (Xavier & Texas Tech). When the team was rated #8 in the country , I stated they were overrated and their season would mirror the football teams season. So far I've been spot on.
Click to expand...

I believe many, maybe even most, thought the team would struggle through the conference schedule, especially the 1st 2/3. What's your prediction for the rest? Let's see if you're spot on.
I'm willing to say 4 wins minimum, 5 reasonable.
BTW, the mbb season has played out completely different than the fb season.
 
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