With so many players being discussed as potential additions (grad transfer, sit out transfer, mid-year transfer, juco, late HS signing) it would be nice to have a guy really surprise on the upside, aside from an obvious guy like Wigginton who comes in with big expectations. For me the best surprise of all time was Dedric Willoughby. All our firepower left after the 95 season and for whatever reason Floyd had parked Dedric at Indian Hills as a student (didn't play basketball) during his sit out year 94-95. He came in and was a stud from the first exhibition game. 1st team all big 12 both years at ISU and finished with 190 threes. Think about that. Jake holds the record with 270 as a 4 year starter. Willoughby would have surpassed that if he had one more season. Still sad to see him go out in that UCLA game after making 8 threes and scoring 34 or 36 points. Epic performance.
Which new player was the most pleasant surprise?
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I'm going with Lewis.
I think he'll be a stud for us. He will have to fill out a little, but I can see him being a big producer for us in 2018-19 and beyond.
I think he'll be a stud for us. He will have to fill out a little, but I can see him being a big producer for us in 2018-19 and beyond.
Hornacek ,we were struggling and Orr started him and the team clicked from then on, recruited as a walk on and the rest is history. Wesley Johnson as my # 2
Melvin Ejim - Great player, good personality, and he opened that Canadian doorway for us.
Would it be odd to say Niang? He was a 4 star, however, he didn't have many decent offers at all. He came in as an overweight, slow, couldn't jump, and overall not very athletic player, and left as one of, if not the best Cyclones ever, and is playing in the NBA.
Hogue was a nice surprise his junior year. I don't recall how highly touted he was, but he came in and was awesome.
That wall of text was far too high for me to even attempt to scale it. I'm team Jordan. LeBron vs Kobe and we can talk.
I still remember that, how he was inserted into the lineup that season, can't recall what ISU's record was when Orr made the switch.
I do remember listening on the radio and in pre-game, Pete always used to ask Johnny who his starters were for that game. It'd been mostly the same lineup to that point, so I almost didn't pay attention. But Orr said something like, "We're gonna start Terrence Allen at the high post, and Jeff Hornacek at point guard," or something similar. I thought, "Wuh?" That seemed to come out of left field. Before that, Hornacek had been about 8th man or thereabouts.
Diante Garrett in his one year with Fred.
Naz after his freshman year.
Would Tinsley be a good nomination? I think we all expected him to be good (disclaimer: I was a kid during those years) but I don't think people expected him to dominate the rest of the league the way he did.
Naz after his freshman year.
Would Tinsley be a good nomination? I think we all expected him to be good (disclaimer: I was a kid during those years) but I don't think people expected him to dominate the rest of the league the way he did.
Going back to early-Orr, I might include Barry Stevens as a pleasant surprise, mostly because in those days, analysis of recruiting was much more low-key, and I don’t think he was a player on many programs’ radar (I could be way-wrong on that, I just don’t remember).
I remember watching the local TV sports one night, and sports guy said ISU had signed two players, Barry Stevens and Paul Beene. My thought was, “I wonder how good they’ll be.” Stevens went on to have nice little stretch at Iowa State.
I remember watching the local TV sports one night, and sports guy said ISU had signed two players, Barry Stevens and Paul Beene. My thought was, “I wonder how good they’ll be.” Stevens went on to have nice little stretch at Iowa State.
I would Go with Hogue. I remember thinking why did we offer this guy, I am not even sure he was starting for Indian Hills...few years later ended up a 2 yr starter with much better stats at Iowa State than Indian Hills
Tyrus McThree. 2011 was his first year and everyone was talking about all the other transfers Chris Babb, Royce, Chris Allen. Then Tyrus sneaks into the rotation and in 2012 ends up as All Conference honorable mention and 6th man of the year in B12.
FYI, huge man crush on watching Tyrus shoot. Every time he hoisted I assumed it was going in.
FYI, huge man crush on watching Tyrus shoot. Every time he hoisted I assumed it was going in.
Jim Reinebach, after a good game is some exhibition Glen Anderson said he would be a "force in the Big 8". Not so much, but he was a nice enough guy and complimented my shot at old State Gym once but I think he was just doing some Christian campus proselytizing.
Willoughby is a good choice but really that whole team surprised. I think a close second would be Mike Nurse. He was just a Juco shooting guard that came in and filled the void at point and kept the team from being dismal when really all they had was some sophomore named Fizer. He proved his worth when he literally came back from getting hit by a truck to lead the struggling team to a come from behind victory a few days later. Then the next year he slid back over to the wing and was an absolutely deadly threat from 3 that the national title contending team needed to compliment Fizer on the inside and Tinsley's driving and distributing. And don't even get me started on that whole team's defense.
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