Best ISU Tandems in history

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mcdrier

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Dec 11, 2013
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I am asking which guard/big man tandem you fans think were the best in ISU history and rank them.

I would say the combo of Tinsley and Fizer was the best...Followed by Hornacek and Grayer. I am not sure if Grayer was a big man, come to think of it. Who was Hornacek's and Grayer's big men back in the day? I would say a great guard can make an avergae big man better and should considered a ranking. And it would work vice versa...a great big man can make an average guard better and considered a ranking. This would be like Jackson Vroman, Wesley Johnson, and Craig Brackins.

Who would you say Hoiberg's big man was? Loren Meyer? Where would that combo rank?

I would rank Willoughby and Kato up there too, maybe 3rd best?

Stinson and Homan?

Best ISU Tandems:
Tinsley/Fizer
Hornacek/Grayer?
Willoughby/Kato
Stinson/Homan

Brackin's guard? and ranking?

Vroman's guard? and ranking?

Was Johnson at ISU long enough to be considered good? I think he blossomed at Syracuse.

What about the Roland Rocket? Who would he been paired with and what ranking would he be at considering different era?

Where would you rank Ejim and Kane? Or Ejim and Lucious?

What about Royce and Christopherson?
 

CyStalker

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Jul 16, 2012
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I would definitely say that Fizer/Tinsley is hands down the best. It will be fun to watch Niang/Morris develop though. If they are both here four years, they could be something special too.
 

83Clone

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Apr 27, 2006
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Fizer and Tinsley without a doubt. But it's good to know we have 2 1/2 more years of Niang and Morris---with a better supporting cast than Fizer/Tinsley. Niang will have a "rim protector" in McKay and Morris will have Thomas/Custer et all as scoring threats so defenses can't just cave in on Monte. And if Vaughn comes to ISU, look out.

Whether they achieve the heights Fizer and Tinsley did in their one year together remains to be seen
 

CYcoFan

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Aug 15, 2007
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No mention of one of the best Big Men in ISU history in this thread and yet we've already had an end thread declaration.

Vic Alexander/ Sam Mack in 1988-1989 was really really good and if Sam Mack had stayed out of trouble would've been the best ever. 3 yrs of Big Vic and Sam Mack would've been special.

Vic/ Terry Woods 89-90 really good

Vic/ and a young Justus Thigpen 90-91 was very good.
 

swarthmoreCY

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Aug 9, 2008
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Fizer and Tinsley without a doubt. But it's good to know we have 2 1/2 more years of Niang and Morris---with a better supporting cast than Fizer/Tinsley. Niang will have a "rim protector" in McKay and Morris will have Thomas/Custer et all as scoring threats so defenses can't just cave in on Monte. And if Vaughn comes to ISU, look out.
Thomas, Naz, and Custer have a long, long ways to go to be better than Horton and Nurse and I will be thrilled if McKay is at the level of Johnson, Shirley, and Rancik.
 

Luth4Cy

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Sep 19, 2012
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Grayer wasn't really a big man. Things change some if you simply ask for good combos regardless of position. Then you'd have Stinson/ Blalock up there. I'd actually say Garrett/ Anderson or Garrett/ Christopherson were decent ones.
 

Triggermv

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Jul 16, 2010
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Since I'm 29 and the my innaugural memory years as a Cylclone only start in the Hoiberg years, I'm only going to give from then forward.

1. Tinsley/Fizer (undebatable)
2. Willoughby/Cato
3. Hoiberg/Meyer
4. Kane/Ejim
5. Stinson/Homan
6. Christopherson/White
7. Garrett/Brackins

Looking back at my list, the only one I look at and think deserves to be higher on the list is Royce White. However, all said and done, Royce's one year was mostly a one-man show (one of ISU's best ever). Therefore, once you couple him with the best guard on that team, he doesn't rate too high in this particular category.
 
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isufan

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Wait no one has mentioned the dynamic pick and pop duo of Garrett and Vanderbeeken?
 

xboxfever

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Nov 4, 2008
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Grayer played the three, and considering he is the best player to ever play at ISU, I would say he and Hornacek were the best tandem even though neither are a big. Tinsley and Fizer only played one year together.
 

Dryburn

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Apr 3, 2006
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I was always hoping that an NBA team would somehow get Tinsley/Fizer back together again and start them. I think they could have had their own version of Stockton/Malone if a team had done that.
 

trScott

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Apr 20, 2007
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Grayer played the three, and considering he is the best player to ever play at ISU, I would say he and Hornacek were the best tandem even though neither are a big. Tinsley and Fizer only played one year together.

No doubt in my mind these two are the best. Hornacek was amazing (check out his NBA career) and I think Grayer would have had a much better NBA career if he had not hurt his knee (still played the same season he was injured, but was not the same player). It's also great because they were not a one and done.
 

HFCS

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Aug 13, 2010
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Thomas, Naz, and Custer have a long, long ways to go to be better than Horton and Nurse and I will be thrilled if McKay is at the level of Johnson, Shirley, and Rancik.

Well they are freshman/hs kids and you're comparing them to upperclassmen play. We don't yet have the guard big man combo where they're both first rounders but Fred's last three teams have been deeper in talent than most Floyd/LE teams.
 

peteypie

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Jun 20, 2007
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I know everyone will go with Tinsley/Fizer, but the early 2000's had some good gaurd/big combo's other than that:

Tinsley/Rancik - 2000-01
Tinsley/Shirley - 2000-01
Tyray Pearson/Sullivan - 01-02 (combined for almost 35 ppg)
Sullivan/Vroman - 02-03 (combined for almost 30 ppg)
Stinson Vroman - 03-04
Stinson Homan - 04-05
AND that was about the end for the Decade unless you count Brackins Garrett, But DG didn't really come out of his shell until after Brackins left but Hoiball came.

In the Hoiball era, Kane and Ejim, or Kane and Niang this year is probably the best guard/big man combo IMO even ahead of Scotty C/Royce.