Now On To Kansas State

[CascadeClone]

This ISU team is talented enough to beat just about anyone anywhere.

They are also inconsistent enough to lose to almost anyone, even in Hilton apparently. To a team that had been mailing it in the past couple weeks (smoked at Baylor and Tech, barely beat OSU at home).

KSU is much more likely to win, but it isn't a metaphysical certainty. And if KSU wins, they just about have the conference wrapped up...

 

[madguy30]

7-17 from the floor and 1-7 from three on Saturday for Shayok. Definitely got his points, but it was by no means efficient. We're going to need him to be more efficient than 41% from the field if we want to win important games down the stretch.

Everyone else will need to be better down the stretch here. Can't have out of control drives to the lane, quick/bad 3s and forced shots, and inactive defense.

 

[CyTwins]

A whole week off for hopefully a pissed off team could be just the thing we need to win in Manhattan. Not banking on it but wouldn't be surprised

 

[surly]

It will come down to the mental state/toughness of each team. Obviously, we don't know what will happen to K-State at Texas Tuesday. But whatever, the guys most focused will win Saturday. They're just too close in abilities albeit very different "method" clubs. I've said all along this game is the key to the ring.

 

[HandSanitizer]

people wonder why Kansas keeps winning titles.
Its because of schools like ISU, OU, Baylor, WVU, K-state etc.

They have way too many let down games in an 18 conference game season.

 

[HandSanitizer]

They win it every year because they have the best homecourt advantage in the conference and generally the most talent. With a round robin schedule that adds up to a lot of wins.

I guess home court advantage wins the league then. probably won't see TCU sneaking into AFH and winning.

 

[Cydkar]

We still are hard to defend

Can be...but aren't.

 

[CyTwins]

Can be...but aren't.

We're 14th in the country in AdjO

 

[67CY]

It will all come down to coaching

 

[Darius Bieber]

Odd how teams that are very good on the road sometimes are more susceptible to losing at home. My theory is that they don’t buy the mystique of home court advantage, which helps on the road but hurts at home (this explains Johnny’s teams a bit on the flip side).

I think we’ll see much better defensive intensity, and much better focus overall. We’ll have to bring our A game, but if we do, we win.

I think the mentality of good away teams (such as maybe Iowa State) is that the players want to shut up the away crowd. They get intensity and adrenaline from the away crowd. You could see that when Iowa State beat Oklahoma in Norman and our players were flexing on their crowd and telling them to hush after monstrous dunks and plays.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I think we can win. I am also a guy who thinks we're better on the road.

I see this as being a nice W for us. 78 - 71 type of finish .

 

[Cat Stevens]

It will all come down to coaching

Dumb

 

[mynameisjonas]

this satUrday will determine if we finish out the seAson strong or Blow it.

 

[ZZZ]

Everyone else will need to be better down the stretch here. Can't have out of control drives to the lane, quick/bad 3s and forced shots, and inactive defense.

Yeah no doubt, I just think Shayok had been so consistent averaging close to 20 a game for most of the year and the last 3 games he hasn't be as efficient as he previously was. Oklahoma he willed us to the win, but TCU and Texas games he was not his usual self.

 

[SolarGarlic]

I think we lose this one for sure. Can see both a blow out where we don't defend anything or a close one where we let it slip away. Either way this team hasn't been good for a while now and I don't think playing the best team in the conference on the road will fix our problems

Wow, you can see it being a blowout OR a close loss? That's some fascinating analysis.

Yes, as we've been one of the 15 most efficient teams in the country for at least a month while winning six of seven, we've really been getting exposed.

Fans tend to think their team is on the verge of a complete breakdown while ignoring that everyone outside the top 5 hits bumps in the road.

 

[Cat Stevens]

Wow, you can see it being a blowout OR a close loss? That's some fascinating analysis.

Yes, as we've been one of the 15 most efficient teams in the country for at least a month while winning six of seven, we've really been getting exposed.

Fans tend to think their team is on the verge of a complete breakdown while ignoring that everyone outside the top 5 hits bumps in the road.

It has nothing to do with reality.

Some of us have said to wait and see how the season ends before judging it a complete failure. Many of them hold prohm to standards that have been accomplished here less than four times in the 100 plus year history of the program.

 

[awd4cy]

Amazing KSU hasn’t lost a Big 12 game since January 5th. A lot of consistency and leadership from that group throughout conference season.

 

[madguy30]

Amazing KSU hasn’t lost a Big 12 game since January 5th. A lot of consistency and leadership from that group throughout conference season.

Comes down to experience and experience together.

ISU has done well considering how much they're still learning.

 

[AuH2O]

I think the mentality of good away teams (such as maybe Iowa State) is that the players want to shut up the away crowd. They get intensity and adrenaline from the away crowd. You could see that when Iowa State beat Oklahoma in Norman and our players were flexing on their crowd and telling them to hush after monstrous dunks and plays.

Obviously, the makeup of the individuals on the team matter - as that home crowd emotion can be great for some, maybe problematic for others. Same goes for rowdy road crowds, dead arenas, etc. Additionally, a road game consumes the life of a player for a couple days, whereas home games have the typical distractions. Those changes affect everyone differently.

 

[surly]

Amazing KSU hasn’t lost a Big 12 game since January 5th. A lot of consistency and leadership from that group throughout conference season.

And they've been winning playing something other than their "A game." That was a grinder at Baylor.

Cartier Diarra coming on now has been a huge help. He can do things others cannot due to his amazing athleticism.

We'll see how that plays at surging Texas.