ISU Tourney Predictions

[mred]

They were ranked in the top 10 all season and as high as #2!

Some of that was ranking based on reputation.

01-02 RPI: 13
08-09 RPI: 14

EDIT: I'm going to post the final RPIs of all ISU teams as far back as collegerpi.com has them:

99-00: 16
00-01: 7
01-02: 13
02-03: 114
03-04: 74
04-05: 36
05-06: 73
06-07: 24
07-08: 32
08-09: 14

Based solely on RPI, you could argue that this team is essentially tied with 99-00 and 01-02 as the second-best WBB team in school history.

 

[ms3765]

I do not want to discredit that Pat Summitt is a great coach and that her 1,000 win coaching record will never get broken, but I think it's important to note that she was 22 years old in 1974. There will never again be a Division 1 coach men's or women's, not to mention a coach really at any college level that will begin coaching before the ripe ol' age of 22. So while I credit much of her success to coaching, she also had an 8-10 year jump start on most coaches too. With all that said, I think Bill Fennelly is the best at getting his players ready no matter who we are playing. While we might be at a disadvantage because Heather Ezell is injured, our posts are not physically strong, and we are generally less athletic, there is no disadvantage on the sideline! GO CYCLONES!

 

[Tornado man]

I do not want to discredit that Pat Summitt is a great coach and that her 1,000 win coaching record will never get broken, but I think it's important to note that she was 22 years old in 1974. There will never again be a Division 1 coach men's or women's, not to mention a coach really at any college level that will begin coaching before the ripe ol' age of 22. So while I credit much of her success to coaching, she also had an 8-10 year jump start on most coaches too.

This just in: Pat Summitt's early hard work for respect for college womens athletics is the big reason coaches like Geno at UConn, Gail at Texas, and yes our own Bill Fennelly at ISU are making the big money they are coaching womens bball.
She started out as a virtual volunteer coach, fighting for locker room space, uniforms, travel $$, and on and on. I don't know that those years of fighting every day for respect could be termed a "jump start" on others. More like "doing the dirty work." Every coach she goes up against owes a lot to her...

 

[MidwestZest]

He's just saying that 1,000 wins will be nearly impossible to ever attain again

 

[ms3765]

Exactly...and it's "she"

I just hear so much how the achievement of 1,000 wins "will never be accomplished again" by any coach...well, it's virtually impossible at this point.

Again, I take nothing away from what she's done or constantly does for the game. I was just making a general point.

 

[Tornado man]

Exactly...and it's "she"

I just hear so much how the achievement of 1,000 wins "will never be accomplished again" by any coach...well, it's virtually impossible at this point.

Again, I take nothing away from what she's done or constantly does for the game. I was just making a general point.

Thanks - I misunderstood your post. She's been quoted as saying that she got the job only because no one gave a **** about womens sports back then, and her boss thought her young age and inexperience would keep her quiet and thus wouldn't make waves...

 

[fccy]

Elite Eight on the 10th anniversity of our first Elite Eight!!!!!

 

[jaretac]

You really think we are better then the 2001 team with Welle, Wilson, Cofield, Gahan, Fox, and Junod? They were ranked in the top 10 all season and as high as #2! The 2001-2002 team would destroy this years team. I still hope they do well, but I don't think they have it in them.

In 2001 we went to the Sweet 16. I was responding to the statement that we would be two and done like the last two years as if this team wasn't any better than last years. I honestly believe that if we would have beat Baylor, which was a very close game, we would have won the Big12. A&M has never matched up well with ISU, as evident with A&M's double digit loss to ISU earlier this year.

To go along with what mred said, this is by far the best defense that ISU has had and is arguable one of the best defensive teams in the country. On offense, we have been inconsistent all year. We have the players to really open it up, but for whatever reason we have had trouble getting the ball down the hole. If this team starts hitting shots, they could go really deep in the tourney.

 

[cyclonecraig]

I am heading out to Kentucky in the morning. Flying my ISU flags. Honk if I pass you or you pass me. I am hoping to go to Berkley next week. Cyclone Craig

 

[isufan]

We're going all the way BABY!

 

[Cyznutz]

In 2001 we went to the Sweet 16. I was responding to the statement that we would be two and done like the last two years as if this team wasn't any better than last years. I honestly believe that if we would have beat Baylor, which was a very close game, we would have won the Big12. A&M has never matched up well with ISU, as evident with A&M's double digit loss to ISU earlier this year.

To go along with what mred said, this is by far the best defense that ISU has had and is arguable one of the best defensive teams in the country. On offense, we have been inconsistent all year. We have the players to really open it up, but for whatever reason we have had trouble getting the ball down the hole. If this team starts hitting shots, they could go really deep in the tourney.

You're talking about the 2000-2001 that went ot the Sweet 16, I'm talking about the 2001-2002 team that lost in the 2nd round to BYU in Ames.

 

[jaretac]

You're talking about the 2000-2001 that went ot the Sweet 16, I'm talking about the 2001-2002 team that lost in the 2nd round to BYU in Ames.

I was addressing the the quote about the last two years, but I'll take that debate. Keep in mind that we are capable offensively, we just have been streaky this year. Defensively, there is no comparison. I don't think any ISU fan should go into the second round expecting to lose.

The only way to really compare this team to '02, is to compare the ISU team to their opponents. I took our stats and subtracted the stats our opponents put up against us.

This is what I got (advantage in bold):
FGs- '09 is +46, '02 team was +6
FTs- '09 is +118, '02 team was +261
3pts- '09 is +104, '02 team was +48
Rebs- '09 is +183, '02 team was +302
Steals- '09 is +19, '02 team was -64
Ast- '09 is +119, '02 team was +31
Blk- '-09 is -1, '02 team was +19
PPG- '09 is +9.8, '02 team was 9.7

I attached the excel file for people to look at. It is clear that this team is just as good as the 2001-2002 team, if not better, from a statistical standpoint. Most important one is at the bottom, this team is outscoring opponents by more pre-game than the 2002 team.