So, where do we go from here?

[cyclonehomer]

I think Kunc comes back for sure, maybe Gabe. Conditt and IB leave, maybe another transfer or two.

Love the pieces coming in, and like was said above, we need to retool the offense for Hunter next year. He’s the best player on the team, regardless of who we add.

My dream scenario is we replace IB with AJ Green and get a pick-and-pop 5. Luckily there’s a transfer from Otz’s backyard in Grant Basile from Wagner.

The 3 freshmen + Green, Tre King and Basile would be an A+ off-season.

This is basically the ideal scenario for me. If there's room and you can find a 3&D wing as well, I don't think you could do any better.

I'll add that they don't have to be specifically those two, but that they're the kinds of player I think would really address a lot of the offensive issues this squad ran into.

 

[ca4cy]

Can somebody that tracks that stuff post the scholarship situation? Tre King is on scholarship now, right?

3 freshman coming in so far, IB most likely leaves, and you have to figure 1 or 2 others move on as well via graduation or transfer. Sounds like Jaz stays and that's a good thing. I hate to be cold because they're both great kids and Cyclones to the core but from a "business" perspective I don't know if we want/need both RJ and GC4 to come back especially if we land a starter quality post in the portal. I could see one being a 10-15 minute role player off the bench on a top 25 team but they're just not B12 starters (unless another off-season with Kyle Green REALLY brings them around.) If the scholarships are available when it all shakes out then keep them both.

I'm excited for what lies ahead. You never want the season to end but going from where we were a year ago to now is one of the best turnarounds and coaching jobs I've seen. We had our limits and took some lumps but in the end we about maxed out.

 

[isucy86]

I just want us to be competitive when we get this far. It looks like a once per 6 or 7 year Sweet 16 appearance on average then we look like we've never played basketball before.

Credit the other teams I guess, and losing Niang really hurt in 2014 but besides Virginia we've been blown out twice now by a 7 and 10 seed.

Not sure I would consider last night a blow out. Down 3 at half. We were down 9 at the last media TO. The biggest deficit up to that point was 11 points.

Tough to win games when shooting goes south. But the effort was there. The final margin 14 points was the largest of the game and sometimes at the end of games, the score can get distorted because players are trying to speed up the offense.

Not the result we wanted, but Miami shot better and got to the line. The ISU TO's stunk, but were offset by our offensive rebounds. We ended up with 12 more shots than Miami for the game.

 

[RedDog]

I have loved Iowa State since 1964
I cant hide the fact last night was the WORST basketball performance by Cyclone basketball in memory. I see all this love this morning for “bringing us back “ ???
To WHAT? A hideous performance??
I hope this staff can recruit and fast!!

 

[Acylum]

Need a dependable scorer who can create their own shot to cut down on long scoring droughts.

 

[quasistellar]

I have loved Iowa State since 1964
I cant hide the fact last night was the WORST basketball performance by Cyclone basketball in memory. I see all this love this morning for “bringing us back “ ???
To WHAT? A hideous performance??
I hope this staff can recruit and fast!!

Lol who pays money to troll?

 

[isucy86]

Pretty sad when you have two 6'10" posts consistently getting destroyed on the boards by guards.

We need to either get more dynamic or meaner at those spots

Jones is never going to be an explosive athlete, so he needs to dedicate himself to working with the S&C Staff. Also working an offseason with coaching staff on low post game. He could be a solid bench guy.

I would agree that coaches need to hit a homerun in bringing in a post guy that can finish around the basket. Heck, they need to find guards and forwards that can finish & defend around the hoop. More length across the team would help.

Stat from last night's game, shots within the charge restricted area:

• Miami: 13-18 (72%)
• ISU: 16-33 (48%)

 

[ca4cy]

Jones is never going to be an explosive athlete, so he needs to dedicate himself to working with the S&C Staff. Also working an offseason with coaching staff on low post game. He could be a solid bench guy.

I would agree that coaches need to hit a homerun in bringing in a post guy that can finish around the basket. Heck, they need to find guards and forwards that can finish & defend around the hoop. More length across the team would help.

Stat from last night's game, shots within the charge restricted area:

• Miami: 13-18 (72%)
• ISU: 16-33 (48%)

Very telling stat. We left a ton of points out there all season by not being able to finish around the rim.

 

[TheCaptain]

 

[jbhtexas]

Jones is never going to be an explosive athlete, so he needs to dedicate himself to working with the S&C Staff. Also working an offseason with coaching staff on low post game. He could be a solid bench guy.

I would agree that coaches need to hit a homerun in bringing in a post guy that can finish around the basket. Heck, they need to find guards and forwards that can finish & defend around the hoop. More length across the team would help.

Stat from last night's game, shots within the charge restricted area:

• Miami: 13-18 (72%)
• ISU: 16-33 (48%)

I agree about the post, but then ISU needs to adopt an offensive scheme that doesn't keep him 20 ft away from the hoop most of the time. Also agree about working on finishing around the hoop.

 

[exCYtable]

Eli King, Tre King, and AJ Green would instantly take the offensive talent on this team to a level that could compete with just about anyone, even with the loss of Brockington. Find a decent post and another shooter to replace Tre and George, and another Sweet 16 is very much in reach.

 

[isucy86]

This is a good take. TJ has already proven to get transfer guys to come in, buy in to "his way" and a team defense concept.

My two cents on the guys out there already on the fence. (with the covid option)

- Kunc: please come back, use the covid year. Excellent defender, serviceable rebounder, can hit the three, smooth offensively.
- Brockington: if you don't decide to go pro, yes please. This would be a grand slam for us if he uses a covid year, instant preseason top 25 team with him.
- Conditt: I am so torn, a cyclone through and through. But if we are being honest with ourselves, could we upgrade over him through the portal? Probably.
- Kalscheur: I am also on the fence on this one. Played a couple great games this year, including against Wisconsin. But in 70% plus of games this year he disappeared offensively, at times lacked confidence. Eli King could come in and be better than him now for all we know. Also, the portal optionality - we could probably find an upgrade over him too.

With Gabe, IMO a lot depends on if he wants to play professionally overseas. If he does, he will come back. But maybe he wants to get on with life after college.

I thought he played much better late in the season when he started to emphasis his mid-range game. Would be curious if the staff sees something in his shooting technique to cause some of his shots to be SO FAR off. Or does he have a case of the Yips.

He's a great team guy, so I hope he's back. He'd make a solid 4 or 5th option on offense.

 

[mctallerton]

I have loved Iowa State since 1964
I cant hide the fact last night was the WORST basketball performance by Cyclone basketball in memory. I see all this love this morning for “bringing us back “ ???
To WHAT? A hideous performance??
I hope this staff can recruit and fast!!

Didn't we score in the 30s twice this year? You think last night was worse than that?

 

[isucy86]

I agree about the post, but then ISU needs to adopt an offensive scheme that doesn't keep him 20 ft away from the hoop most of the time. Also agree about working on finishing around the hoop.

Agree. Getting a post guy who can facilitate the offense from the high post and can dribble/shoot from the free-throw area would be ideal.

Will be curious if Tre King doesn't step into that high-post role.

 

[ca4cy]

Eli King, Tre King, and AJ Green would instantly take the offensive talent on this team to a level that could compete with just about anyone, even with the loss of Brockington. Find a decent post and another shooter to replace Tre and George, and another Sweet 16 is very much in reach.

I can't say for sure how much immediate impact Eli King will have but I think a lot of people are underselling how good he will be. You don't have the kind of football offers that kid had without elite athleticism and he's a high IQ bball player who is used to winning. I think he can become a knock down shooter and if so, he'll be deadly when you can add that to the ability to get to and finish at the rim. It'll be a big jump from a smaller school in MN to the B12 and he'll need to add some bulk, but he'll be a great player for us and a guy that will buy in from day 1.

 

[CyCloned]

Agree. Getting a post guy who can facilitate the offense from the high post and can dribble/shoot from the free-throw area would be ideal.

Will be curious if Tre King doesn't step into that high-post role.

Sometimes I wonder it Conditt could make a 10-12 foot shot. He actually looks decent at the FT line. Jones on the other hand needs a layup or a dunk.

 

[Kinch]

With all the transfer and paying players college sports will not be the same again

It's the great equalizer. It's why a team like Kentucky is at a disadvantage to a team like St. Peter's.

 

[Prone2Clone]

Every player...including walk-ons...plus coaches, admin assistants, trainers, practice facility janitors, and the local stray cat practices finishing around the rim for a minimum of one hour per day. Layup after layup after layup after layup. Then another hour playing 21 where no players can be further away from the basket than 5 feet.

 

[CycloneVet]

Well at least one option opened for Tre and Jaden at Murray state in the last couple of days. I think that would be an easy decision for them

 

[dahliaclone]

I have loved Iowa State since 1964
I cant hide the fact last night was the WORST basketball performance by Cyclone basketball in memory. I see all this love this morning for “bringing us back “ ???
To WHAT? A hideous performance??
I hope this staff can recruit and fast!!

JFC I swear some fans just love their place as a cliff dweller.