Cyclone Challenge

[acoustimac]

Ill be out of town this weekend and won't be covering the two tournament games. Hope to read what all of you have to say. I'm attending the Vikings Packers game. Donated my tickets to a benefit auction for a 16 year old brain cancer patient. The people who won the tickets are very excited and are new Cyclone fans!

 

[907CY]

Nice play, guy. I hope that the Sisters play well and give the new fans a good show. Also.... Go Vikings....

 

[BoxsterCy]

Nice play, guy. I hope that the Sisters play well and give the new fans a good show. Also.... Go Vikings....

Should be a good game for even those like myself who only follow NFL casually. Rodgers vs Peterson with a playoff spot on the line should make for some good Sunday action. Even after 30 years in the Twin Cities I have never warmed to the Vikings but Peterson has been freakin' amazing coming off of the surgery he had.

 

[mred]

Baier is likely out this weekend with the flu. Bad timing since this would likely be a good time for her to get some more game experience.

 

[CRAZYGREG]

Air Force: 1-9
Alabama St: 2-7

Should be some really exciting games this weekend!

 

[cydney]

An article in the Ames Trib comments on the competition as well as the nonconference schedule.
Women’s Basketball: Flashiness lacks, but nonconference schedule provides Cyclones what they want

Interestingly, the 2 Big Ten teams ISU has played may be stiffer competition than credit given. Illinois beat #6 Georgia, and Iowa beat (demolished) #20 Texas last night. Both Georgia and Texas were probably over-rated, but nonetheless, those are quality wins that look good for ISU as well. Obviously, this weekend is just a primer, but an important time to get some things worked out before ISU goes up against Texas. Texas might come with a bit more of a chip on its shoulder.

 

[Tornado man]

An article in the Ames Trib comments on the competition as well as the nonconference schedule.
Women’s Basketball: Flashiness lacks, but nonconference schedule provides Cyclones what they want

Interestingly, the 2 Big Ten teams ISU has played may be stiffer competition than credit given. Illinois beat #6 Georgia, and Iowa beat (demolished) #20 Texas last night. Both Georgia and Texas were probably over-rated, but nonetheless, those are quality wins that look good for ISU as well. Obviously, this weekend is just a primer, but an important time to get some things worked out before ISU goes up against Texas. Texas might come with a bit more of a chip on its shoulder.

I don't think a team can work anything out against competition like this. Our great WBB fan support gets taken for granted every year with this non-conf scheduling. It's a joke.

 

[acoustimac]

When you are young...and our guard court is that...these games can be very helpful. When we have veteran squads we schedule tougher. We just can't get the tough teams to do home and homes with us.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Okay, one half of this is enough. It is like an exhibition game; actually not even up to the level of the William Penn exhibition game.

 

[Dryburn]

Great to see Kidd get hot! I hope she can keep shooting better, even if not as hot as she was today.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

Really did seem like she let the shots come to her at first and then just rolled. Really encouraging to see.

 

[twistedredbird]

I don't think a team can work anything out against competition like this. Our great WBB fan support gets taken for granted every year with this non-conf scheduling. It's a joke.

When you are young...and our guard court is that...these games can be very helpful. When we have veteran squads we schedule tougher. We just can't get the tough teams to do home and homes with us.

Sorry I dont buy that. Pat Summit was never asked . Shame that ISU fans never got to see her in Hilton. But I think with our young guards it wasnt the season for a tough noncon. Iowa seems to have no problem scheduling good non cons.....

 

[Sobchakcyclone]

Great to see Kidd get hot! I hope she can keep shooting better, even if not as hot as she was today.

I was hard on her for a couple of games where she shot fairly badly, nice to see Kidd come out of it. Hopefully, this is something she can fall back on and use for the rest of the season.

 

[acoustimac]

Sorry I dont buy that. Pat Summit was never asked . Shame that ISU fans never got to see her in Hilton. But I think with our young guards it wasnt the season for a tough noncon. Iowa seems to have no problem scheduling good non cons.....

I saw Summit in Hilton...of course it was the NCAA tournament!

 

[Dryburn]

The game write-up from the Trib: Women

Really liked this part.....not sure how many coaches would think of this.......

"Still, Fennelly didn’t believe this game was just about the competition. He believed it was also about perspective, instructing his players to head to the service academy’s locker room after the game and thank the Falcons for their commitment to the nation.

'Certainly not a team that has the firepower to play with an Iowa State, but every single one of those kids has done so much and will do more,' said Fennelly, who also got 13 points from Brynn Williamson and 12 from Poppens. 'It’s an honor to have them here.' "

 

[kcdc4isu]

I don't think a team can work anything out against competition like this. Our great WBB fan support gets taken for granted every year with this non-conf scheduling. It's a joke.

Problem is if a tough schedule was set and we lost a nunber of those games there would those on here posting about how bad the taem was and that we need an easier non con schedule. I have found that there are some on here who are never happy with how we are playing they just want to complain.

 

[cydney]

If there's one thing to have no doubt about it's that Fennelly does not make random choices, and that applies to scheduling as well. There is a purpose with each and every opponent. As a previous post referenced, Fennelly liked the principles represented by Air Force. Again, there is no doubt he will use that the rest of the season.

Do I want to see ISU play (and win) big games against big competition? Definitely! We have Texas in town on Wednesday!!

It was good to see the positives from the Air Force game, including Kidd's shooting, Moody's intensity, and Prins' aggressiveness.

Did anyone notice the late game strategy when Moody was out to have a big (Hallie, Fallon, Pop) bring the ball up the floor? Do you think that is something that will stay in the mix? Kind of the women's version of Royce White?

 

[twistedredbird]

I seem to recall that Hallie often handled the ball for her team in high school, but that is what 1A Iowa ball?....I wouldn't be surprised to see some of it, but a lot will depend on who are opponent is.

 

[twistedredbird]

Usually Drake and/or UNI were good RPI games for us. Drake is 299 UNI 158. I bet UNI's goes up through MVC, which would be good for us.

Also, in doing the schedule, BF probably thought ETS would have been a higher RPI game than it appeared it would be this year, as ETS has historically been a good mid-major.

No doubt BF knows what he is doing, and he is likely wanting a fresher team for Big 12 play, and banking on health and fitness more than a harder noncon where he can rest starters. Makes sense. And BF has proven he is a master at strategy and numbers. And the RPI game reigns supreme. I respect it, and know his goal is making the dance.

It doesn't change my feelings as a fan that I might like to see ISU play a couple interesting teams once in a while. A Maryland, a Vandy, FSU, Florida, etc. If I was dreaming, I would like us to have two home and homes offsetting, so we got one team in Hilton every year that fans would enjoy seeing. Of course there is always the holiday trip with a couple good teams in it, but, that aside, as fans, we don't always get to see those games.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Usually Drake and/or UNI were good RPI games for us. Drake is 299 UNI 158. I bet UNI's goes up through MVC, which would be good for us.

Also, in doing the schedule, BF probably thought ETS would have been a higher RPI game than it appeared it would be this year, as ETS has historically been a good mid-major.

No doubt BF knows what he is doing, and he is likely wanting a fresher team for Big 12 play, and banking on health and fitness more than a harder noncon where he can rest starters. Makes sense. And BF has proven he is a master at strategy and numbers. And the RPI game reigns supreme. I respect it, and know his goal is making the dance.

It doesn't change my feelings as a fan that I might like to see ISU play a couple interesting teams once in a while. A Maryland, a Vandy, FSU, Florida, etc. If I was dreaming, I would like us to have two home and homes offsetting, so we got one team in Hilton every year that fans would enjoy seeing. Of course there is always the holiday trip with a couple good teams in it, but, that aside, as fans, we don't always get to see those games.

Those holiday classics area about the only time we play anyone of note in non conference and those are not TV (maybe a crappy internet feed for the fanatics here). We do get Iowa, Drake and UNI so it is not all directional schools but outside of that its not much to get fans fired up. I wish we still had the Minnesota series going. Minnesota is sort of a peer ranking wise and close enough for fan travel for the away part of the home/away series we had going. And, of course, super convenient for Boxstercy!

We might be plowing through the cupcakes right now but that Iowa loss should at least remind the gals that lots of tough road games are coming up in conference play.