Favorite Iowa State men's basketball team

[CYdTracked]

99-00 team. Was a student at the time and made the trip to Minneapolis for thw 1st and 2nd rounds. Had they made the Final 4 was really tempted tongo as had a relative that already had a hotel room secured as they always made the Final 4 a yearly trip whether they got tickets or not.

 

[Al_4_State]

Definitely not the best team by any means, but the 2011-12 team with Christopherson and Royce White is up there for me. That was really the first “good” Iowa State team that I could remember seeing during my lifetime. Was there when Thug Life kissed center court on senior night so that’s engrained in my memory (as is sitting in the Knapp Center watching them lose to Drake)

That season was really fun after the McDermott era. Ultimate palate cleanser.

 

[Drew0311]

Pending what this team does in the tourney, they could easily jump to number 1 on my list

Somehow I forgot about the Niang and Morris teams. Loved them also. Maybe my two favorite Cyclones.

 

[WISCY1895]

2013/14 Team to this day is still my favorite team of all time.

DeAndre Kane, Ejim, Niang, Morris, Hogue, Naz, Matty Thomas....

This is mine as well. The 99/00 team would be a close second. I was at the round of 32 win up in Minneapolis and got to see that special team play in the tournament in person

 

[madguy30]

That season was really fun after the McDermott era. Ultimate palate cleanser.

Yep, got back to beating KU at Hilton, knocked off KSU and got back to the tourney to win a game.

 

[nfrine]

Being a student during Grayer, Hornacek, LaFester, Sam Hill, Elmer Robinson, Ron Virgil...and of course, Johnny Orr. It was a lot of fun!

Youngster.

 

[Helser 83]

85/86: Hornacek, Grayer, Thompkins, Elmer, Virgil, Sam Hill.

Game winning shot in the NCAA tourney and the major upset against Mich to make a sweet 16. Really the first time we were on the national stage in the modern era.

This would be #2 on my list. The previous 84/85 season with Barry Stevens was such an awesome fun season. Barry was such an incredible shooter and just amazed me to watch him. Grayer and Hornacek were awesome as well. Was such a good time.

 

[ISUNJ23BS]

The

Love that one, love the Tinsley/Fizer team, the 85/86 team that beat Michigan to get to the Sweet Sixteen.

My sneaky good favorite team that came to mind was the 91/92 team with Thigpen and Bayless, joined by the freshman class of Fred, Julo and Loren Meyer. That game against 2 seed Kentucky in the second round of the tournament was one of the best games I have watched. That team holds a special place in my heart because we had a couple rough years prior and I came into that year hopeful, but with fairly low expectations.

I loved that team. That was my freshman year at ISU and I was playing in the pep band. That 1992 game against OK State was epic! Thigpen was on fire! I couldn't hear for two days after it.

 

[CoachT03]

Definitely not the best team by any means, but the 2011-12 team with Christopherson and Royce White is up there for me. That was really the first “good” Iowa State team that I could remember seeing during my lifetime. Was there when Thug Life kissed center court on senior night so that’s engrained in my memory (as is sitting in the Knapp Center watching them lose to Drake)

Also one of my favorite teams! Once all of Fred’s transfers became eligible after sitting out the season before, we could finally see what his experiment was going to look like. It was a fun season, and watching Royce was awesome. Also Royce yelling “I’m the best mofo out here!” Right after he went coast to coast and dunked on Anthony Davis and #1 Kentucky.

 

[Letterkenny]

This year's team. Last year was up there too. Also the Royce White year and the DeAndre Kane year.

 

[cyphoon]

- Grayer / Hornacek era, which got us off the doormat
- Willoughby / Cato team that won the Big 8 conf tourney. Listened to Pete call those games from my car while hiding from my Sargeant at Army Reserve drill weekend. Bucket seats to the rescue.
- Tinsley / Fizer year
- Niang years

in roughly that order.

H

 

[Nor'MidWester]

2013/14 Team to this day is still my favorite team of all time.

DeAndre Kane, Ejim, Niang, Morris, Hogue, Naz, Matty Thomas....

And Hilton was just different back then. Not sure if it can be replicated today.

 

[CoachT03]

And Hilton was just different back then. Not sure if it can be replicated today.

Was that the same season we beat Michigan at home? Wasn’t Hilton absolutely insane that day because Orr was honored before the game?

Do we have a poll out there for the most intense/insane/crazy finish home games in history?

 

[madguy30]

And Hilton was just different back then. Not sure if it can be replicated today.

And 13/14 Hilton wasn't anything like back in the early 90s.

 

[Cyinthenorth]

1999-2000 Fizer Tinsley
2013-2016 teams with Niang and Monte Morris

This for me too. I'll throw in an honorable mention for the 2011-12 Royce White team too. That team exercised over half a decade worth of demons from the end of the Morgan era, thru the McDermott era, and first year of the Hoiberg era where you didn't even need to wear a Cyclone nut cup because you had been numb from the waste down from all the losing and off court stuff.

 

[kevdiv48]

Only been a fan since 2010 (freshman year at ISU) but 2013-2014 is clear step above the rest. What could have been with a healthy Niang- hung with eventual national champ UConn without him in the Sweet 16.

 

[Clonehomer]

First ISU team I remember was with Victor Alexander. That will always be my favorite.

But come every April, it’s next years team.

 

[rosshm16]

95/96/97 Floyd Teams or 13/14 Hoiball for me!

 

[cyclones500]

Yep, got back to beating KU at Hilton, knocked off KSU and got back to the tourney to win a game.

The Kansas portion, among other things, was refreshing in itself in 2011-12, with some elements predating McD era.

(Source assistance from cyclones.com):

• Ended a 13-game losing streak to KU. Previous win came at KU in 2005.
• First win over KU at Hilton since 2004.
• Defeated a top 5 team at home for the first time since Jan. 14, 1995.
• First win over a ranked opponent at home since 2006 (#25 Colorado).

 

[Al_4_State]

I've never lived and died with the team in quite the way I did during Hoiball and the first couple Prohm seasons.

I'm not sure what it was about those teams, but every game felt like a drama filled emotional roller coaster. Watching Otzball is a much different experience. I'm calmer. I'm drink less. I'm less frustrated when we lose, but not as jubilant when we win. Everything about the experience seems far more stable, and that the program isn't on the verge of combusting.

There was this excitement coming out of the McDermott era that we were back and it clung around for a long time. Something about the way TJ immediately right the ship from Prohm made it feel like the program's foundations were truly rock solid, and any given loss wasn't going to break the whole thing apart.

The stakes feel lower night in and night out, although they've arguably never been higher.