Revisionist history of the 07-08 ISU basketball season

[Cycsk]

True story.

We hire Hoiberg… Because McDermott left for Creighton… Because Dana Altman got hired at Oregon… Because Ernie Kent, my childhood basketball hero from Rockford (IL) West high school got fired at Oregon.

All of these could be “what if’s,” but really happened.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Jimmy Butler would have ripped McD’s head off.

 

[bozclone]

I don't recall how good Thigpen was as a freshman, but i often think "what if" Sam Mack is on that 89-90 team with Victor, Woods, Collins, Thigpen, Doerf, and others.

Sam Mack lived in my dorm. Super gifted, but definitely had a lose wire.

 

[LtRaczack]

Hearing the stories of Harrison Barnes and his college announcement got me thinking of what would have happened if the 07-08 season doesn't end 14-18 with 3 future NBA guys. If we somehow make the tournament and things are looking up, Wes Johnson stays and recruits his buddy Jimmy Butler to follow him to Iowa State that could start a domino effect for Iowa State basketball. The next three years could be something special

08-09:
Garret
Stiager/Petersen/Butler - follows Wesley here
Johnson - doesn't transfer
Brackins
Vanderbeken/Hamilton

09-10:
Garret
Butler
Johnson
Brackins
Hamilton - doesn't transfer

10-11:
Garret
Butler
McDermott - McDermott stays and his son follows
Harrison - the last two years of ISU basketball have been something special and he decides to stay home
Hamilton

Would 09-10 or 10-11 be better?? You get Brackins with Johnson and Butler but Harrison with a McDermott, Butler, and senior Garret would be amazing.

In this reality McDermott could have literally had the 92 Dream Team for his ISU tenure and still never finished one season above .500 with any post season wins.

I don’t know why…….

 

[LtRaczack]

While you're living in hypothetical world.... Imagine what would have happened if a phantom "BLARGE" wasn't called in the Elite 8 game against MSU!!

Iowa State wins the NCAA and Paul Shirley becomes an NBA Legend!!!

 

[nhclone]

Now give me a rundown of the NBA careers of the “3 future NBA guys”.

Brackins had the least productive NBA career. 2 seasons, only 1 start, career averages of 7.1 minutes, 1.8 points, and 1.1 rebounds.

Hamilton played 5 seasons, started 21 games (played in 113) and had career averages of 13.8 minutes, 4.5 points, and 2.4 rebounds.

Wes played 10 seasons, started 334 games, and averaged 22.1 minutes, 7.0 points, and 3.2 rebounds for his career.

 

[ScottyP]

McDermott had a bunch of talented players and couldn't even finish with a winning record in any season. I don't think these players would have helped enough.

 

[kirk89gt]

Had ISU landed Glen Rice and Barry Sanders in football back in the 1980s we'd all live in mansions right now.

Or if Knight didn’t talk Krzyzewski out of the good guys MBB role at the time (we landed Orr- which still was a step up at the time).

 

[ScottyP]

Or if Knight didn’t talk Krzyzewski out of the good guys MBB role at the time (we landed Orr- which still was a step up at the time).

I kind of doubt Coach K would have came anyways. Duke was a much better job at the time, even back then. Duke made the elite 8 the year before coach K arrived.

 

[awd4cy]

We had talent, but also lacked it in key areas. Bryan Peterson and Sean Haluska weren’t Big 12 level guards.