Looking ahead

[BryceC]

So, still a long, long season to go but from a noncon perspective if we can split with Creighton and Iowa, we'd be 12-1 in the noncon assuming we clean up against the buy game teams. That includes Mizzou since they totally suck. That would be a tremendous accomplishment for the team and honestly would be a big plus for the Big 12's metrics to have what most people thought was going to be a team that would struggle throughout the season.

I don't want to get ahead of ourselves too much on the expectations game because this is a tough league, and it's extremely difficult to play this hard every night over the course of a long season. However, this team has given us a lot to be proud of in their effort, style of play, and quick buy in to the coaching because I can't imagine it's been fun to be coached to a conditioning level required to play this hard. Great job by everybody involved.

 

[bosco]

So, still a long, long season to go but from a noncon perspective if we can split with Creighton and Iowa, we'd be 12-1 in the noncon assuming we clean up against the buy game teams. That includes Mizzou since they totally suck. That would be a tremendous accomplishment for the team and honestly would be a big plus for the Big 12's metrics to have what most people thought was going to be a team that would struggle throughout the season.

I don't want to get ahead of ourselves too much on the expectations game because this is a tough league, and it's extremely difficult to play this hard every night over the course of a long season. However, this team has given us a lot to be proud of in their effort, style of play, and quick buy in to the coaching because I can't imagine it's been fun to be coached to a conditioning level required to play this hard. Great job by everybody involved.

Fran commented about how deep Memphis was and it'll be hard for us to keep up this level the whole game vs their depth. It looked like it was Memphis that wore down.

 

[Die4Cy]

So, still a long, long season to go but from a noncon perspective if we can split with Creighton and Iowa, we'd be 12-1 in the noncon assuming we clean up against the buy game teams. That includes Mizzou since they totally suck. That would be a tremendous accomplishment for the team and honestly would be a big plus for the Big 12's metrics to have what most people thought was going to be a team that would struggle throughout the season.

I don't want to get ahead of ourselves too much on the expectations game because this is a tough league, and it's extremely difficult to play this hard every night over the course of a long season. However, this team has given us a lot to be proud of in their effort, style of play, and quick buy in to the coaching because I can't imagine it's been fun to be coached to a conditioning level required to play this hard. Great job by everybody involved.

I agree that 12-1 is feasible. Can this team put together enough wins to go 8-8 in the big 12 with 3 more wins against the top 25 teams to make the Tournament is the more interesting question to me.

 

[Cyclonepride]

So, still a long, long season to go but from a noncon perspective if we can split with Creighton and Iowa, we'd be 12-1 in the noncon assuming we clean up against the buy game teams. That includes Mizzou since they totally suck. That would be a tremendous accomplishment for the team and honestly would be a big plus for the Big 12's metrics to have what most people thought was going to be a team that would struggle throughout the season.

I don't want to get ahead of ourselves too much on the expectations game because this is a tough league, and it's extremely difficult to play this hard every night over the course of a long season. However, this team has given us a lot to be proud of in their effort, style of play, and quick buy in to the coaching because I can't imagine it's been fun to be coached to a conditioning level required to play this hard. Great job by everybody involved.

I'm just going to enjoy it a game at a time. Clearly this team has way more potential than anyone expected, but it's a long road with all kinds of adversity, and I doubt anyone will overlook them from here on out.

 

[CYEATHAWK]

I agree that 12-1 is feasible. Can this team put together enough wins to go 8-8 in the big 12 with 3 more wins against the top 25 teams to make the Tournament is the more interesting question to me.

Right now Texas...Kansas and Baylor would be the only three I would say our guys may not get. But that was said by 98% of the people before last night. We don't lay an egg (which is what it will be because they aren't better) against Creighton or Iowa this group will be 12-0 and ranked come the Baylor game....in Hilton. And outside of an injury or two.........they will compete for one of the top 4 spots in the conference and will be a single digit seed in the dance. What happened in New York wasn't an accident. You don't take a team with that type of talent on the floor and the bench to the woodshed because "the sun has to shine on a dog's a** sometime". Right now we are looking at a 20+ win team who can compete with anyone. Enjoy!

 

[larrysarmy]

Agree with the OP, a spilt between Iowa and Creighton would be huge, because the first 5 games of conference play will be very tough, racking as many quality wins is huge now before the grind of conference play. Still think NIT for this team would be great.

 

[madguy30]

I would disagree that if done right, being coached to have this kind of conditioning/toughness may have been exactly what these players yearned for.

I'd love to hear how TJ has gone about it. A team this new to each other playing this well is not common.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

I agree that 12-1 is feasible. Can this team put together enough wins to go 8-8 in the big 12 with 3 more wins against the top 25 teams to make the Tournament is the more interesting question to me.

Strength of schedule is still going to be a real problem but you don't worry about it.

Keep playing hard and see what happens.

 

[madguy30]

Strength of schedule is still going to be a real problem but you don't worry about it.

Keep playing hard and see what happens.

I'd bet 12-1 and .500 in conference is at least a tourney birth.

Better with wins over Baylor or KU etc. which I think will happen at Hilton even if the rest doesn't.

 

[Clonehomer]

Right now Texas...Kansas and Baylor would be the only three I would say our guys may not get. But that was said by 98% of the people before last night. We don't lay an egg (which is what it will be because they aren't better) against Creighton or Iowa this group will be 12-0 and ranked come the Baylor game....in Hilton. And outside of an injury or two.........they will compete for one of the top 4 spots in the conference and will be a single digit seed in the dance. What happened in New York wasn't an accident. You don't take a team with that type of talent on the floor and the bench to the woodshed because "the sun has to shine on a dog's a** sometime". Right now we are looking at a 20+ win team who can compete with anyone. Enjoy!

Based solely on this week's games, I'd say we match up well with UT and KU. I think Baylor is still the team to beat. But that's assuming this level of play is sustainable. That's yet to be seen.

 

[awd4cy]

Strength of schedule is still going to be a real problem but you don't worry about it.

Keep playing hard and see what happens.

Not really. Xavier, Memphis, Creighton, isn’t a bad slate of non conference games plus Iowa and Missouri. Big 12 is tough enough to get quality wins. This current team has better wins so far than most of the Hoiberg or Prohm teams had at this point.

 

[BCClone]

One big difference last night was after calls, ISU basically just accepted it and regrouped for the next play. Memphis complained and bitched non stop to the refs and each other about stuff. Mentally, our team is much stronger than it’s been for a while.

 

[madguy30]

Based solely on this week's games, I'd say we match up well with UT and KU. I think Baylor is still the team to beat. But that's assuming this level of play is sustainable. That's yet to be seen.

Only saw snippets but Baylor looks like 3 very athletic trees and two tough guards are always on the floor.

 

[Clonehomer]

Only saw snippets but Baylor looks like 3 very athletic trees and two tough guards are always on the floor.

Yeah, they're still really good. Kansas looks like they're very beatable. Maybe it's my bias, but in the one game I saw UT play, they still look Charmin soft to me.

 

[ISUKyro]

Looking ahead:
Dec 1: AP Bluff Currently 0-7 (Creighton got them 90-77) Would hope we can put them away easy enough. 12 points is the closest they have come to any of their opponents this year.

Dec 4: @Creighton Currently 5-1. Only loss is to Colorado State. Ryan Nembhard has been solid for them. Over 50% for both FG and 3-pointers. They have 4 guys that avg over 10 pts. Their center, Ryan Kalkbrenner has a great game and goes for the easy high percentage points. Disrupt him and Nembhard and I think we take this one.

Dec 9: Iowa Currently 6-0 as well. North Carolina Central Eagles was their closest game at just a 3-point difference. Keegan Murray is putting up video game numbers. Almost 26 points per game and doing so at over 60% for FG and about 35% from 3-point land. 5 guys average 10 points per game and the next 4 guys average about 5 points per game each. They look deep. Three different times this year they have put up over 100 points. They have a tough schedule before we get them. They have UVA, Purdue, and Ill. If they come out of that three-game stretch at 2-1 or better.... watch out. Better have Hilton rocking!

 

[ForbinsAscynt]

We are now 1 of 28 undefeated teams. We play pine bluff then next real test is Creighton on the 4th

 

[heitclone]

Strength of schedule is still going to be a real problem but you don't worry about it.

Keep playing hard and see what happens.

No its not, the big 12 is strong enough to carry us through now that we have a couple quality non con wins. If you split with iowa and Creighton, the magic number is 8 big 12 games. No matter how you slice it, if you get to 8 big 12 wins, you're going to have 3 or 4 resume building wins.

 

[CYEATHAWK]

Based solely on this week's games, I'd say we match up well with UT and KU. I think Baylor is still the team to beat. But that's assuming this level of play is sustainable. That's yet to be seen.

I understand......but 9 guys are getting good minutes every game. Last night I forgot about Brockington because of foul trouble......and he scored 30 against Xavier. IMO they won't get worn down. Winning begets winning.

 

[AirWalke]

One big difference last night was after calls, ISU basically just accepted it and regrouped for the next play. Memphis complained and bitched non stop to the refs and each other about stuff. Mentally, our team is much stronger than it’s been for a while.

I think this is the biggest takeaway I have for this years team, mentality and attitude year is the complete opposite of what we saw last year. Memphis might have had the talent, but mentally they just looked discombobulated. Part of that is chemistry, and the other part is coaching.

So I don’t think it’s any secret that chemistry and coaching are the two biggest changes from last year impacting our group of guys. Can’t wait to see them come back to Hilton, the crowd energy for the Iowa game is going to be explosive.

 

[Peter]

God I can’t wait to unleash this team on Iowa at Hilton.