2025-2026 MBB computer projections thread

[Cloned4Life]

Depends on the next dream.

Fred has NBA connections, and I feel his goal is to get back there again some day.

Highest ranking ever for Nebrasketball today. He could get another shot after an historical season at Nebraska. Still need to win that first tourney game and show something this March.

The "NBA dream" of Fred was as much coping mechanism and distraction-narrative (from our AD) as it was truth. Yes, of course Fred was always very likely to coach in the NBA someday. And Fred was, still is, and will always be very respected in NBA circles, and have great contacts and relationships there. He very much could have stayed in the NBA and absolutely would have had other coaching opportunities, other opportunities in front offices, etc. Yet he came back to coach college instantly after his 1 job didn't go that great in the NBA. That is odd, right? We convinced ourselves it was his lifelong dream and nothing was ever going to keep him at Iowa State - in college - because he hates college coaching and recruiting, right?

He sure looks really happy and comfortable nowadays. And he's got a hell of a squad, a great defense, and as others have mentioned - a very good home court advantage over there.

 

[Bader]

@dafarmer oh please try and tell me that hasn't become one of the best venues in college basketball. Tell me

Their basketball team has a 64% wining percentage (129-72) at PBA. Their conference record in the building is 93-145 (39%). The **** are you talking about.

Nebraska is having a great season, and some of their fans have a reason to not cheer for Creighton as much anymore.

 

[rosshm16]

Fred is from Nebraska originally (born in Lincoln), they moved to Ames when he was very young but I would guess he still has family there, maybe this is a factor in him seemingly being very content there.

This is also the first year they've been very good during his tenure. He probably hasn't had a lot of opportunities to move elsewhere. Before this year it had been over 10 years since he coached a team to any major success.

 

[Chitowncy]

Nervous? Sure, but I'm also pretty confident you'll see a much different Cyclone team than you saw at KU.

...and a rocking Hilton. I think our fans are better and crazier when they want revenge, or there's a good chance they view the other team as better than ISU or likely to give us an "L". I think we have a fanbase that gets up for games when they think it's a challenge, which explains why Hilton's pretty calm these days relative to years ago.

One of those things will be true against KU though (revenge) and I think it will be rocking!

 

[VeloClone]

You would have to figure another crack at the NBA is his goal.

Still a hard case to make given how disastrous his Bulls run was.

Then again that place post-Jackson ruins every coach eventually.

It wasn't just the Bulls job, it was the lethal combination of Bulls job and Jimmy Butler. That dude has been a cancer in many an organization if things don't go exactly his way.

 

[dafarmer]

agreed! I think it also means that Houston game is huge as well, having 2 wins over fellow seed line teams will be important.

Ok

Still in good shape for a #2 seed even if #1 is gonna be hard!

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@dafarmer oh please try and tell me that hasn't become one of the best venues in college basketball. Tell me

I have been there, no it isn’t. Before this year it was as lively as CH, only without the knitting needles.

 

[CloneLawman]

The "NBA dream" of Fred was as much coping mechanism and distraction-narrative (from our AD) as it was truth. Yes, of course Fred was always very likely to coach in the NBA someday. And Fred was, still is, and will always be very respected in NBA circles, and have great contacts and relationships there. He very much could have stayed in the NBA and absolutely would have had other coaching opportunities, other opportunities in front offices, etc. Yet he came back to coach college instantly after his 1 job didn't go that great in the NBA. That is odd, right? We convinced ourselves it was his lifelong dream and nothing was ever going to keep him at Iowa State - in college - because he hates college coaching and recruiting, right?

He sure looks really happy and comfortable nowadays. And he's got a hell of a squad, a great defense, and as others have mentioned - a very good home court advantage over there.

We know he lies. Every job has been his lifetime dream at least beginninh with ISU, complete with a touching story. Must be why he was called dreamy all the time.

 

[Big_Sill]

1) Coaches should stop saying a job is their dream job (don't have to go that far, its just not necessary and most always not true)

2) Fans should stop believing coaches who say this (we are smarter than this)

3) Fans need to stop being butthurt when said coach then leaves his "dream job"... because we know #1 and #2.

 

[VeloClone]

We know he lies. Every job has been his lifetime dream at least beginninh with ISU, complete with a touching story. Must be why he was called dreamy all the time.

I still have yet to see where he ever said that ISU was his dream job. From day 1 he said that eventually he would like to coach in the NBA. Hell, he even said that when he was on staff at Minnesota before the Iowa State job was even in the picture.

Now a lot of people in Ames and at Iowa State during that time said that ISU was Fred's dream job...

 

[VeloClone]

1) Coaches should stop saying a job is their dream job (don't have to go that far, its just not necessary and most always not true)

2) Fans should stop believing coaches who say this (we are smarter than this)

3) Fans need to stop being butthurt when said coach then leaves his "dream job"... because we know #1 and #2.

Also, sometimes a dream can become a nightmare...

 

[CloneLawman]

I still have yet to see where he ever said that ISU was his dream job. From day 1 he said that eventually he would like to coach in the NBA. Hell, he even said that when he was on staff at Minnesota before the Iowa State job was even in the picture.

Now a lot of people in Ames and at Iowa State during that time said that ISU was Fred's dream job...

I am familiar with people hearing what they want to hear. Im also not upset with Fred-- he just takes some hyperbolic license with the facts and puffs a bit to make fans happy.

However he did say :

"The opportunity to return to my hometown and my alma mater can certainly be described as a dream come true," Hoiberg said. "I am very humbled to receive this opportunity and appreciate the confidence that Dr. (Gregory) Geoffroy and Jamie Pollard have shown in me. It's a Hollywood script for me to take the reins of a program that I cheered for as a kid, played for as a collegian and followed closely for more than a decade as an alum."

So it's a dream come true, complete with tales of being a ball boy and player, but not a dream job. Ok. Its still laying it on a bit thick.

 

[bluestarcyclone]

Also, sometimes a dream can become a nightmare...

Or simply change. Just because it was his dream in his 30s doesn't mean its his dream now in his 50s.

Its unlikely any of us are close enough to him to know what his motivations at this point in his life are. It could be that simply having that stretch in the NBA was good enough for him and he's happy with college. It could be that he's happy in Lincoln or he could be open to other college jobs. Hell, we all told ourselves he was leaving just because of the NBA thing, but some of the flirtation with other college jobs while here at ISU says he may have been simply ready to leave Ames, and that may also play into why he didn't wait for a better NBA opening.

 

[Texbudman]

It'll catch up with them and they'll lose some games but this is a legit top 15 team. This is Fred's best team since he's been a college coach. They're gonna be tough next year also.

Better than his 2013-14 Iowa State team? I’ll admit I haven’t seen this Nebby team much but that was a damn good ISU team

 

[deadeyededric]

Better than his 2013-14 Iowa State team? I’ll admit I haven’t seen this Nebby team much but that was a damn good ISU team

It seems like this is a better team minus the star power

 

[CloneLawman]

Also, sometimes a dream can become a nightmare...

True.

 

[deadeyededric]

Ok



I have been there, no it isn’t. Before this year it was as lively as CH, only without the knitting needles.

Youre a ******* moron and that is an absolute lie. I'm a been known as one of the better crowds on college basketball since it was built. You don't know ****. You lost the credibility you had. They've had better attendance than ISU for a while now. What a dumb ******* take

 

[NoCreativity]

It seems like this is a better team minus the star power

They are 7th in ADJD now, none of Fred's teams were anywhere close to that.

 

[deadeyededric]

They are 7th in ADJD now, none of Fred's teams were anywhere close to that.

Don't tell these people that. They'll spin something moronic out of it. Omfg some in our fanbase is so jealous and jilted it's not even funny.

 

[CRCySpy]

Youre a ******* moron and that is an absolute lie. I'm a been known as one of the better crowds on college basketball since it was built. You don't know ****. You lost the credibility you had. They've had better attendance than ISU for a while now. What a dumb ******* take

Before this season, "The Vault" had more hostile crowds for volleyball than men's basketball.

 

[NoCreativity]

Don't tell these people that. They'll spin something moronic out of it. Omfg some in our fanbase is so jealous and jilted it's not even funny.

Yeah, my favorite is "they have sucked until this year" completely forgetting they won 23 and 21 games the last 2 seasons.