*** Official #8 IOWA STATE vs UCF Game(Day) Thread ***

[madguy30]

Yes we are elite.

I don't think myself or any one else questioning our offensive efficiency the last couple weeks are off base. At this point in the season, if your team isn't playing at it's best, your season can end quickly. Because we won't be playing a UCF, but a top 20 team!

I am sure the staff is watching a lot of tape to dissect why our offense goes through these 5-10 minute lapses.

And you could be playing your best ball all season and still be done by 2 pm on Thursday of the tourney and life goes on.
ISU right now looks like they're somewhere between November and when they peaked a couple of weeks ago offensively.

Returning to a meanish but still making plays when needed. We'll see where things end up in 3 weeks.

 

[ISUTex]

sure, in my eyes a win is a win. however, let's scenario-play for a bit. suppose we win out and are Big 12 tournament champions, meanwhile Arizona, UNC, and Tennessee stumble a bit, and suddenly we're in the conversation for a 1-seed. if the tournament committee starts looking at specific games to determine if they want to have us as a 2 or bump us up to a 1 - which they've done in the past - this game isn't the greatest of looks for us despite what the final score was.

Disgree. It was a quad 1 win. Kansas, OU and Tech all lost in Orlando.

 

[CRcyclone6]

Kind of funny to see UCF fans complain about the refs when they were gifted 3 points in ridiculous continuation calls. I guess every fanbase views the refs through their own blinders.

I didn't see the game yesterday, but saw the highlights. I couldn't believe that call. But, you're 100% correct on your last sentence, 100%.

 

[isucy86]

I'm not a coach but it's pretty easy to figure out. We are missing shots. A lot of those shots in the OU and UCF game were good looks. Just missing them.

Why are we missing them? A lot of discussion about being tired due to the way we play, the opponents. Probably a little of both. My opinion is some is due to regression to the mean.

The games prior to WVU we have been on a streak of several games of pretty good offense. I don't think we are a great offensive team so we played a little over our heads in that streak and these last 3 games is a market adjustment. We'll see how they do these last few games. Maybe the 3 games is the anomaly or maybe that's just who we are.

That and it would not surprise me if Lipsey's not close to 100% health wise.

Also, at this point, other Big12 teams have a lot of tape on what we try to do offensively and our player strengths/weaknesses.

Also, like some pointed out earlier, not only don't most teams give a consistent 40 minutes. But the season itself can have a few speed bumps. Last year's UConn team is a great example. And even this years Baylor team- I think they started 3-0 I Big12 play and then lost 3 straight.

That said, to advance in March, now's a good time to start playing our best ball.

 

[cayin]

People forget that a part of what made Hilton Magic was that ISU generally lost when they went on the road for most of my adult life. LE had two teams that were true road dawgs, but pretty much everyone else had their struggles away from Ames.

This team is undefeated at home and .500 on the road this year in Big 12 play.

Floyd did well on the road his first few years.

 

[DrClone]

Did we win? Went for a walk when we went up 3 in the second half, knew we had them. Team was playing hard, but not smart. Can Kansas fall to a 5 seed in the conference, even after BYU loses to ISU, and not receive a double bye? Still think Tamin and Hassan are nursing mid-major injuries.

How do you go for a walk at that point in the game? lol

 

[T-oh double D]

Our offensive regression the last 3 games needs to get fixed pretty quick.

Gone from 39th (at one point) all the way to 64th in AdjO via KenPom.

I’d like to think our offense is just in a bit of a rut right now. For deep tournament runs, you have to peak at the right time…hopefully we’re getting ready to start our way back up and peak offensively when it matters the most.

 

[67CY]

Lipsey is hurt. That is why the offense is struggling. The difference between this team being a 75-100 ranked offense and a top 40 ranked offense is him being a 15 ppg scorer, while shooting an efficient percent from 3 and not turning the ball over. All of these are things he was doing at a high level in the first half of conference play.

Lipsey’s biggest injury might be between his ears on offense, he is trying to do things he doesn’t need to do and for the most part they aren’t working. I like CJ coming off the bench, but maybe starting instead of TL would help TL get back to the way he needs to be offensively.

 

[Acer88]

This team knows how to win. Really impressive. People wringing their hands need to get over it. These guys are gamers when the game is on the line. They have shown it over and over and over again.

I don’t recall a Cyclone team that has had this much of the killer instinct. They did struggle a bit earlier in the season (i.e. Texas A&M and @ OU imo), but yesterday’s performance in the last four minutes struck me as downright cold blooded. I think that this trend will continue and that it is going to be a really fun ride as a Cyclone fan.

 

[Acer88]

What stinks is now that Kansas is looking like they could finish 4th or 5th in the conference- the media narrative will immediately jump to how the Big 12 is down this year. SVP started on it the other day with how the Big12 is gaming the power rankings.
In their mind , a weaker Kansas team just means the entire league must be down- makes no sense.

A week or two back, Bilas was saying on a pregame segment, that KU and Baylor not being at the top of the conference was obvious proof that the Big 12 was weak this year.

 

[alarson]

A week or two back, Bilas was saying on a pregame segment, that KU and Baylor not being at the top of the conference was obvious proof that the Big 12 was weak this year.

Bilas has massive blue blood bias.

 

[bosco]

That and it would not surprise me if Lipsey's not close to 100% health wise.

Also, at this point, other Big12 teams have a lot of tape on what we try to do offensively and our player strengths/weaknesses.

Also, like some pointed out earlier, not only don't most teams give a consistent 40 minutes. But the season itself can have a few speed bumps. Last year's UConn team is a great example. And even this years Baylor team- I think they started 3-0 I Big12 play and then lost 3 straight.

That said, to advance in March, now's a good time to start playing our best ball.

Without a doubt Lipsey's injury is playing a part. Look at his offensive numbers before the injury. Also let's look at his performance since the Houston game where it appears he was injured again.

 

[ISUChippewa]

And you could be playing your best ball all season and still be done by 2 pm on Thursday of the tourney and life goes on.
ISU right now looks like they're somewhere between November and when they peaked a couple of weeks ago offensively.

Returning to a meanish but still making plays when needed. We'll see where things end up in 3 weeks.

Is this a direct reference to the UAB debacle of 2015? Because it reads like a direct reference to the UAB debacle of 2015.

 

[madguy30]

Is this a direct reference to the UAB debacle of 2015? Because it reads like a direct reference to the UAB debacle of 2015.

It's in reference to about every single NCAA tournament.

 

[LarryISU]

Kind of funny to see UCF fans complain about the refs when they were gifted 3 points in ridiculous continuation calls. I guess every fanbase views the refs through their own blinders.

Ah! Thanks for pointing to this. Refs were not very good yesterday, but definitely both ways. Those continuation calls were very, very bad for college ball. My goodness! You foul a guy, he then takes another full step, then turns to face the basket, then shoots. And it's a shooting foul. Just ridiculous!!!

 

[t-noah]

3 game lead on Kansas with 2 games to play makes me smile!.​

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2023-24 Big 12 Conference Standings​

TEAM	CONF	GB	OVR
Houston	12-3	-	25-3
Iowa State	12-4	0.5	23-6
Baylor	10-6	2.5	21-8
Kansas	9-7	3.5	21-8
BYU	8-7	4	20-8

Kansas ne pereat, sed nos sursum suspicimus.

Kansas delendum ac superatum esse.

Deinde vincimus mundum.

 

[Gunnerclone]

I'm not a coach but it's pretty easy to figure out. We are missing shots. A lot of those shots in the OU and UCF game were good looks. Just missing them.

Why are we missing them? A lot of discussion about being tired due to the way we play, the opponents. Probably a little of both. My opinion is some is due to regression to the mean.

The games prior to WVU we have been on a streak of several games of pretty good offense. I don't think we are a great offensive team so we played a little over our heads in that streak and these last 3 games is a market adjustment. We'll see how they do these last few games. Maybe the 3 games is the anomaly or maybe that's just who we are.

Kind of an arm of this is Milan is not taking enough shots. I would be interested to see how many FG attempts he has compared to BRE since the start of the “2nd half” of the conference slate.

 

[bosco]

Kind of an arm of this is Milan is not taking enough shots. I would be interested to see how many FG attempts he has compared to BRE since the start of the “2nd half” of the conference slate.

It's a confidence thing with him. When his 3 shots weren't falling he stopped looking for those shots.

On one hand you would like for him to keep shooting but on the other hand is it better for him to look for a different shot or defer to someone else that has the hot hand. I guess if he isn't feeling it, it's better that he does the latter.

 

[Cloned4Life]

How do you go for a walk at that point in the game? lol

I too went for a walk mid-way through the second half. Ya’ll are welcome!

Sometimes it’s best for one’s “sports emotions” to just step away from watching the Cyclones for a couple minutes… I can’t be the only one

 

[LarryISU]

Kansas delendum ac superatum esse.

Deinde vincimus mundum.

Exactly what I was thinking.