Next Years Team

[Cy$]

I'm guessing someone leaves (not naming names). ISU has 3 schollies. They'd take Diallo, a transfer 4 that can play immediately. The other schollies they use on guys that have to sit a year to play. I think Naz starts the year at the 2 and Cooke takes his spot towards the end of the year. This is my way to early prediction for the lineup when everyone is eligible.

1- Morris/Custer
2- Cooke/Long/Thomas
3- Burton/Nader
4- Niang/Williams or Transfer
5- McKay/Niang or Transfer

 

[ThatllDoCy]

Kind of what I was thinking. We have a big time PG, an all-american in Niang, legitimate big-man in McKay, and a pretty good supporting cast. This team was not lacking talent.

I agree, I have no problem with the talent level on the team. Are there Mcd's All-Americans? No, but we have as good a roster as we have ever historically from 1-8.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

Post game comments from returning players that UAB may have wanted the game more really concerns me. Why wouldn't a team with plans for a deep run in the tournament want it more? Will we continue to hear this from them next year or will they finally decide to show up for every game.

Lol.
Before you go down the slippery slope of applying those quotes to a different year and team, recognize there is nothing they can say that would appease you.

And no, they won't "show up" at the CF standard (play their best) every next game. No team does. The great news is they will show up more than almost any other team, hence a team that can lose to SC, TT, and UAB going 25-8 and 15-6.

 

[IAStubborn]

I'm sorry, but no team should say we just thought we could show up and win when things were on the line like they were this year. That's awful.

Niang Said that trying to explain the human nature of playing a less heralded foe. You took it literally. They need to learn to chill out and play their game when playing a nobody or when playing with a target on their back but it ain't attitude.

 

[DesignerClone]

I think what people should be saying is, "we don't have as much talent as I want". Our talent isn't overrated it's about top 15, 2nd place regular season, conf. tourney championship, high seed in the NCAA talent, right where we ended up and probably right around where we'll be next year.

Kind of what I was thinking. We have a big time PG, an all-american in Niang, legitimate big-man in McKay, and a pretty good supporting cast. This team was not lacking talent.

This is the problem with discussing "talent" with some of our Cyclone brethren. They hear us say we have talent with some weaknesses and they hear us saying "we have no talent." We have more talent than we've had in some time, but...
See Gunnerclone's post.

 

[deadeyededric]

I agree, I have no problem with the talent level on the team. Are there Mcd's All-Americans? No, but we have as good a roster as we have ever historically from 1-8.

I agree with most of that. I'm guessing that Monte, Niang, and McKay will all play in the NBA at some point. I can't imaging many teams that don't have Kentucky or Duke on their jersey could say that about their team.

 

[jdoggivjc]

This is his point though. If we have to play like there is no tomorrow to beat a 15 seed, we are not as talented as you think we are.

That was always the bittersweet truth most on CF refuse to believe. Instead of recognizing the hell of a job the team and staff did, we used the high frequency of playing near our best and turned it into undeserved shots at the team.

We lose? Must be heart and effort. We are a shot-making team...we need to make shots to win (not just 3Ps). As a team we are not naturally talented at defense (although that was fine today), rebounding, FT, ball-handling, etc. Physical play and being away from home can impact shot-making teams with no contingency for when they don't fall. Defense and rebound are talents. Yeah, effort goes a certain ways, but some guys just are not good rebounders. Imo UAB was more athletic than us as a team.

Except it's as Seth Davis(?) said in the studio - the 3-14 matchup is the new 5-12. It used to be that you picked one 5-12 game at random for an upset because one was going to happen, nowadays it happens several times in any given tournament and nobody's shocked by it.

This is the third year in a row that a 14 has taken down a 3 (with this year having 2 and almost 3 (Notre Dame) with one more game to go), and it's happened several times in the 2010s. Not to mention several 15s have taken down 2s in the 2010s, and the 16s are getting closer to taking down 1s. You have to take EVERYBODY seriously in this tournament, you have to play EVERY GAME with purpose, or you're going home early.

Or you seem to forget that Duke, a true blue blood, is the victim of a 3-14 and 2-15 upsets 2 of the last 3 years.

 

[ThatllDoCy]

Niang Said that trying to explain the human nature of playing a less heralded foe. You took it literally. They need to learn to chill out and play their game when playing a nobody or when playing with a target on their back but it ain't attitude.

This team seemed to have a hard time dictating tempo for long periods of time. For runs? They could play a heckuva half of Basketball. They started the game well, but allowed the refs to affect their energy, and UAB took their milshake right from them.

Why? I have no clue, and maybe no one does. Is it Fred's leadership? Niang's? I wouldn't trade them. We lived and died by our best player, and today, we died. More often than not Georges wins games for us.

 

[CyTwins]

This team seemed to have a hard time dictating tempo for long periods of time. For runs? They could play a heckuva half of Basketball. They started the game well, but allowed the refs to affect their energy, and UAB took their milshake right from them.

Why? I have no clue, and maybe no one does. Is it Fred's leadership? Niang's? I wouldn't trade them. We lived and died by our best player, and today, we died. More often than not Georges wins games for us.

This.

 

[WastedTalent]

Hope we get Diallo (obviously) and I hope Burton decides to be s boss rebounder. And that cook or Thomas can be a consistent 3 pt threat.

I love how Fred has players play offense with confidence. But guys need to know that failing to box out or not giving it all on D will get you pulled.

I agree, but it's hard to get on players for not boxing out and playing defense when your leader (Niang) doesn't do either very well at all.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

Had nothing to do with numbers. Body language rubs off on others. I loved hogue last year because he didn't sit and complain at refs the entire year, this year his attitude changed. I like players who just play ball. Go watch mckay, when something doesn't happen like he would want, he just moves on. Idc about numbers, I care about how you respond. The seniors in this class didn't respond, they complained.

You need to rewatch games from last year. Hogue was the same in terms of body language. He improved his skills on offense. His rebounding was down. Playing the 4 before McKay didn't help, neither did his no Ejim pulling out defenders or Kane collapsing them.

 

[tyler24]

You need to rewatch games from last year. Hogue was the same in terms of body language. He improved his skills on offense. His rebounding was down. Playing the 4 before McKay didn't help, neither did his no Ejim pulling out defenders or Kane collapsing them.

Maybe I didn't recognize it last year, but it was pretty obvious this year to me. He had quite a few more technicals. I truly believe next year we will be vastly improved with senior leadership.

 

[Cydewayz]

Talent will be there.

Love our free flowing/run and gun offense, but I'd really be focused on fundamental development in the off season...rebounding and free throw shooting.

And some type of team psychology....gotta get a championship mentality and play complete games. I'm bummed about today, but all season we've seemed to play from behind or come out flat.

 

[fsanford]

Well, next year should be more wide open in terms of who can win it all.

ISU should be a top 10 to start the year. Stuff happens in 1 and done tournaments.
Hopefully we land another big.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Well, next year should be more wide open in terms of who can win it all.

ISU should be a top 10 to start the year. Stuff happens in 1 and done tournaments.
Hopefully we land another big.

Well, to appease the superstitious idiots, better hope it's not a #9 ranking...

 

[swarthmoreCY]

Except it's as Seth Davis(?) said in the studio - the 3-14 matchup is the new 5-12. It used to be that you picked one 5-12 game at random for an upset because one was going to happen, nowadays it happens several times in any given tournament and nobody's shocked by it.

This is the third year in a row that a 14 has taken down a 3 (with this year having 2 and almost 3 (Notre Dame) with one more game to go), and it's happened several times in the 2010s. Not to mention several 15s have taken down 2s in the 2010s, and the 16s are getting closer to taking down 1s. You have to take EVERYBODY seriously in this tournament, you have to play EVERY GAME with purpose, or you're going home early.

Or you seem to forget that Duke, a true blue blood, is the victim of a 3-14 and 2-15 upsets 2 of the last 3 years.

That is the point.
We were not this super talented, deep run destined team if not for a lack of heart and effort. It isn't as simple as a lack of "wanting it" more. There is too much parity in CBB. Few teams are as talented as CF wants to believe we were. We are a fairly talented team with some appreciable weaknesses that brings its "A" game more often than most, and through coaching plays a smart game. We have a great homecourt, including KC. But we don't have the talent to assume just because we lost that we must not have wanted it as much. We are a shot making team that didn't make the shots we normally do. We are a pace team that could not find its groove. Honestly, UAB has a game that translates better to March Madness.

 

[CyTwins]

I love the people who say this team wasn't that talented or didn't have heart completely disregard the fact we were the #9 team in the ENTIRE country going into the tournament. Today sucked and will suck for quite some time but no point digging into anything more than we played really bad today

 

[erikbj]

Next year, add Cooke, Williams, burton and diallo. That is a lot more offense and defense to add to the roster than we are losing of houge (who I'll miss) and bdj (who disappeared).

This team should be a lot better

 

[Die4Cy]

Monte finishes 2015 with a 4.63 A/TO, just shy of his all time record last year of 4.79. If he would have had one TO instead of three today, he would have broken his own record.

And he'll be piloting the team again next year, guys.

 

[ISUcyclones11]

Next year, and I'm sure it's been said a 100 times in this thread, someone needs to take that leadership role. Georges seems to get frustrated very easily and do silly things such as turnovers and forced shots. I know we can't have a DeAndre Kane every single year, but someone is going to have to step up (I like Monte for the job).

But, what I'm excited about is becoming the Iowa State Clippers. Seriously, the amount of dunks next year will be stupid. Burton, Williams, McKay, Nader and potentially Diallo. And, you have Chris Pau....I mean Monte Morris to place the ball at the right place at the right time.