The comparison game is not good at all right now. Nebraska got destroyed by someone the other day, then Mizzou got destroyed by someone after they leveled us, then Milwaukee loses to just a horrible team, and App State gets destroyed too yesterday.
So there's no sense in looking back at this point. Just keep winning games somehow and improve each and every game, and let the chips fall where they may.
My quick assessment thus far.... NWB and Jackson are the stars of this team obviously. Nobody else has consistently shown the ability to score, outside of maybe Wigginton.
Solo and Lard are more than capable interior guys for us, but they have to find a way to quit committing so many dumb fouls so they can stay on the court.
High school kids coming into their first year of college have no idea how to play defense at the college level because they didn't play defense in high school. Wigginton and Lewis have a ways to go defensively. Wigginton falls for nearly every pump fake and leaves his feet. Just horrible defensive fundamentals because it was likely never taught in high school. You get scholarship offers for scoring a ton in high school..... not for playing great defense.
I think it will be fun watching this team grow through the year, but the NIT might be the ceiling for this group, and would probably be a very good year for them if they were to make it to the NIT.
Call me crazy, but I certainly wouldn't rule out Iowa State being one of those bubble teams in the big dance. Time will tell.