BLOG: How the past week motivated the Cyclones
- Thread starter ChrisMWilliams
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Probably because ISU has dicked around in every game, and hasn't looked like they're firing on all cylinders yet. Yes, they've won, because they are really good, but UNI is the type of team that can make you pay for playing the way ISU has played recently. That, and Naz is out.
And Burton might be real sloppy/rusty when he plays tomorrow. Of course he could kick *** and take names too Who knows?
And it will probably be a pretty pro-UNI crowd if the Iowa fans stick around.
I think ISU will win, but I won't be shocked or too upset if they lose. ISU still has a lot to work on, but the good news is that it's only December.
It has been proven that success changes the chemistry of the brain, making you more focused, smarter, more confident, and more aggressive. There are reasons why some people succeed in sports, business and life while others fail! We know that top performers are also masters of mind control and generally the more you win, the more you will go on to win. It has also been well documented that the winning effect is stronger than any drug! What is at question here is that the manifestation of this increased focus, confidence and aggression should be showing up in games against both weak and strong opponents!!! Playing down to the level of a weaker opponent is not a characteristic associated with winning and winners. As a coach or recruiter you can distinguish a difference between players and teams. If you are an NBA scout or a college coach, you are looking for more than God given talent alone. The next 4 games will reveal the true character of this team and the individuals on the team. However, that has yet to be fully determined. Until then, I give the edge to the Cyclones!
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As long as the players aren't out late at Wellman's the night before the game, we'll be fine. Good guys by 12 tomorrow.
We had the same situations in past seasons and UNI still came out on top. A big part of our game is tempo and Jacobsen does the best at getting his team to control it. Who has the most talent has nothing to do with this game in most of the past matchups. Against Iowa, I felt we hurt ourselves (turnovers, too fast) in the first half. Against UNI, they're well coached enough to control what we do and make you play defense the full shot clock. It will be a close game, count on it.
You know...a team 'can' get beat by an opponent without it having to be a lackluster performance. PineBluff, I'll give you...but you can't always tell whether the other team's game plan, our shot selection/turnovers, foul trouble, the way the game is officiated, the other team shooting lights out, etc. Let's face it, sometimes you have to get used to your opponent to not only stop them defensively but see what works offensively. Not just saying its you, but I get somewhat irritated that when an opponent has gotten off to a good start its always because our guys weren't ready to play. Overused, imo.
If the team comes out flat and lackadaisical against an instate rival who had beaten you 5 times out of the last 7 games then they will not meet expectations this year regardless of what those expectations are.
It's easier to slow a game down than it is to speed one up. I think we'll beat UNI, but we'll beat them playing their game...
Jacobson is one of the best coaches out there and I expect him to disrupt a lot of what we want to do, but when it boils down to it, we're just far more talented than UNI.
Iowa State 75-68 in a game we lead throughout, but never by enough to feel comfortable.
Jacobson is one of the best coaches out there and I expect him to disrupt a lot of what we want to do, but when it boils down to it, we're just far more talented than UNI.
Iowa State 75-68 in a game we lead throughout, but never by enough to feel comfortable.
I think the silver lining here is that usually a team is tested by adversity in the form of a loss, and that helps them get focused. Hopefully this can become a rallying point.
I love Naz, and everything that he has done, or tried to do this year through the pain, but honestly, if you look at his shooting for the last few games, you can't say he has really helped the cause.
That probably is due to his hips causing him problems. If you look at his early game stats they were great. As the season progressed his production fell.
Naz helped the team in certain areas, no knock on Naz but MT is the more complete player. Where Naz being out hurts us is who is going to come in and provide the production that MT gave us off the bench.
Here is what is concerning.
Coach Jake is like 5-2 against us. 2 of the those losses where in OT? 1 of those losses we were down 18 and came back.
Uni will make the game ugly.
we seem to like to have guys drive the lane on us. That is what UNI does.
We may lack some chemistry on Saturday.
need to run them, dunk them and shoot well. then we will run them out the gym. don't shoot well and fall trap to their game....we lose or squeak out a close one.
Coach Jake is like 5-2 against us. 2 of the those losses where in OT? 1 of those losses we were down 18 and came back.
Uni will make the game ugly.
we seem to like to have guys drive the lane on us. That is what UNI does.
We may lack some chemistry on Saturday.
need to run them, dunk them and shoot well. then we will run them out the gym. don't shoot well and fall trap to their game....we lose or squeak out a close one.
Yeah, early in the season, I was starting to believe that his hip surgeries were going to push him to a new level. He was still shooting well from outside, but I thought he looked more explosive than ever driving to the rim. Seemed like he had several lightning quick moves where he would beat his guy and make his patented reverse layup at the rim.
Yeah, people keep thinking we're losing the Naz of the last two years but we're not. We've only had about 50% of that Naz. I absolutely love Naz. One of my favorite Cyclones, and his leadership can't be replaced. But he almost single handedly shot us out of a win against Iowa. He was very often a momentum killer in the second half of that game.
I don't fault him, those were shots he always drills. But his body just wouldn't let him.
Or maybe they were plenty motivated and just didn't play well. Who knows? I didn't see a whole lot of lack of effort out there.
