*** Official Iowa State Season Thread ***
- Thread starter CycloneRulzzz
- Start date
I'm not sure what the point of a firing this close to the end of the season does for BC, unless they need to advance on a can't miss kind of hire. I do know there has been some very public tension between Christian and the BC Athletic Department and BC Administration that likely sped the process up. We don't have that kind of public tension (could be a different story behind the scenes).
To quote Brad Pitt from Moneyball --
"If he's a good hitter, why doesn't he hit good?"
If that team was so good, why wasn't it better at scoring points and stopping the other team from scoring points? That is the point of the game, and that is exactly what those computer rankings measure.
Saying they "needed to be hot" to win a national title sounds like an argument that they would have folded up on a cold shooting night at some point -- not that they were guaranteed to run the table.
Last I checked, too, is that we weren't playing in Hilton in the NCAA tournament.
In some ways, Georges breaking his foot was the best thing to ever happen to Fred Hoiberg's reputation with the fanbase. You're essentially crediting Fred for winning a national title ("I will go to my grave with the belief that if George’s doesn’t get hurt we win the National title.") for a team that barely made it out of the Round of 32 that year. The injury created a legend that is unfalsifiable because fans can talk themselves into anything.
I suspect reality would have been that either Georges wouldn't have made a difference against UConn or we would have tapped out against superior teams in Michigan State or Florida.
You get to live with your fantasy instead of confronting a more mundane reality.
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Maybe Pollard can get a two for one by hiring TJ and having Allison as an assistant in charge of attitude.
In other news, water is wet.
it’s his job. The only way there is a second phone call, is if he says no. That’s not happening.
it’s kind of ironic though, this coach’s family wants to be in Ames. He won’t be looking to move on very soon.
Let’s hope he can win here.
The problem with UCONN game is that UCONN was just a team that was on a magical run. Also, they did well on the boards against UCONN.
I think it is possible they could have outscored UCONN with Niang. Adding Niang would change not only how UCONN defended ISU but also how ISU would be able to defend UCONN. It is impossible to tell what would have happened but I think it is clear that it would have given ISU a better chance to win. Heck, ISU could have won if Ejim and Kane had a better shooting day. But like I said earlier, who knows what happens with Niang because we don't even know if they would have won the UNC game.
And then Sparty, Chomp Chomp, and Coach Cal are waiting for us in the next three rounds.
Possible? Sure. Very likely? **** no.
Yeah no one can say for sure but I think they had just of good a chance to do it as UCONN or Florida or MSU did. All teams have to be hot to win a national championship unless it is one of the teams that are just on another level than all the other teams. I mean UCONN wasn't the "superior team" according to the computers yet they won.
The 2018-2019 year was an emotional rollercoaster. We had the talent to be elite, however there were a lot of things that hindered that. Some coaching, some bad luck, some were guys not fully buying in to the team, etc. It's not ALL on Prohm.
As I said before, I'd give anything to watch that team again and I'd smack the s*** out of my younger self for getting upset with some of the times we played poorly. I thoroughly remember how angry I got after we lost to KSU at home by 1. Now we struggle to lose by single digits at any venue.
Every year in college basketball there are teams like the 2018-2019 Cyclones. A team that could go on the road and beat the national champion runner up one week and yet lose to a below average team at home by 9. We were a damn good inconsistent team. I think it's fair to say we underachieved, but incredibly unfair to say Steve Prohm should've gotten fired after losing to Ohio State. Who in their right mind would want to coach at Iowa State after getting fired for having a successful season?
I certainly get wrapped up in the moment. I remember being so angry when that team lost to WVU and Texas, yet thinking we were the best team in the conference when we rattled off those 3 wins in KC. Never too high and never too low... I wish I could take that advice but I rarely allow myself to.
As I said before, I'd give anything to watch that team again and I'd smack the s*** out of my younger self for getting upset with some of the times we played poorly. I thoroughly remember how angry I got after we lost to KSU at home by 1. Now we struggle to lose by single digits at any venue.
Every year in college basketball there are teams like the 2018-2019 Cyclones. A team that could go on the road and beat the national champion runner up one week and yet lose to a below average team at home by 9. We were a damn good inconsistent team. I think it's fair to say we underachieved, but incredibly unfair to say Steve Prohm should've gotten fired after losing to Ohio State. Who in their right mind would want to coach at Iowa State after getting fired for having a successful season?
I certainly get wrapped up in the moment. I remember being so angry when that team lost to WVU and Texas, yet thinking we were the best team in the conference when we rattled off those 3 wins in KC. Never too high and never too low... I wish I could take that advice but I rarely allow myself to.
Nagy did all the heavy lifting building that program, and taking them to D1 and the tournament
tj walked into an amazing situation there. Then add maybe the best player in the history of that league, and it was set up for success
The '19 team was about what I expected except for losing to OSU but that happens in the tournament. I think expectations got a big overblown after they beat KU at home by a ton early in the conference season.
Many have, even me. But it's been shot down by many because he doesn't have the extensive, in depth P5 assistant coaching experience needed to take Iowa State to the promised land.
UConn was #14 on Bart Torvik for that season -- a good deal ahead of #25 Iowa State.
Plus, they were way hotter than we were at the end of the year.
Bart Torvik game scores of the last ten games played by UConn and Iowa State that season.
UConn
---
36 (rock bottom against Syracuse before they caught fire)
99
91
75 (lost to #1 Louisville)
89
97
97 (Iowa State)
97
99
98 (natty)
Iowa State
---
70
96
80
88
90 (KC, KSU)
97 (KC, KU)
92 (KC, Baylor)
94
91
73 (UConn)
UConn was a supernova at the end of that season. We were playing well, but we were not ripping off five consecutive games with a 97+ game scores against really good teams like UConn did.
I doubt we could replicate that level of magic -- an okay team getting that ridiculously hot.
it’s not that, it’s that he doesn’t have the relationship with the person doing the hiring.
hell, I still like porter moser. I can’t think of a better basketball mind in the history of the ncaa than Rick Majerus. Spending time on that staff learning from him, is a huge resume builder
They got to that rank though because of their run in the tournament. What were they before that?
Heck they almost lost in the first round to St Joe’s. You can move up several spots in the tourney bc if you keep winning bc of the level of comp. but I agree ISU wasn’t likely to replicate just saying UCONNs run wasn’t likely either. Of course a big part of their run was predicated on really good defense.
Stats are just information. They don’t actually win games. The thing about moneyball was it was more about exploiting inefficiencies. As you can see in baseball now when everyone uses it there are not the inefficiencies anymore.
There is a clear and simple explanation for why the numbers were not as good for Fred’s year than Prohms year. Consistency. Prohms teams are more consistent. You can see that by his advantages on the road to other coaches. They just don’t have the clunkers of games like the Texas Tech games that Fred’s teams did. They also don’t have the peaks that Fred’s teams had.
That team of Fred’s was peaking at the right time. Losing George’s was a huge loss. George’s to Edozie was a huge drop off. Hogue played ridiculous that game but the ripple affects were still huge.
Until you can do like Gonzaga and actually get that talent you have to win by exploiting inefficiencies.
I don't want to speculate too much on the possible coaching canidates unless Prohm actually leaves. TJ is an obvious canidate due to his connecitons but it is fair to wonder if this is the right time for him to make the jump to the B12. I do think he'll succeed in Ames but not having the national name it easily could be a longer rebuild than many on here would want IMO.
I do think some of the posts on here are only focused on Otz as the option and I don't think this should be the case. ISU has a history of supporting MBB, Hilton/facilities to sell and a history of competing in the B12. That should be a desired job by many canidates. Looking some of BC (a much lesser MBB school and in the ACC) rumored next coaches I don't see a reason that ISU would be a more attractive job and we should be considering a larger pool than what I have seen suggested so far.
Not to say all these would be intrested in Ames but should at least be vetted. I am sure there are more MW names that make more sense too, more posting to help widen the option horizons.
I do think some of the posts on here are only focused on Otz as the option and I don't think this should be the case. ISU has a history of supporting MBB, Hilton/facilities to sell and a history of competing in the B12. That should be a desired job by many canidates. Looking some of BC (a much lesser MBB school and in the ACC) rumored next coaches I don't see a reason that ISU would be a more attractive job and we should be considering a larger pool than what I have seen suggested so far.
Not to say all these would be intrested in Ames but should at least be vetted. I am sure there are more MW names that make more sense too, more posting to help widen the option horizons.
These are all good points.
I am just never going to believe we had a damn near guarantee to beat Michigan State, Florida, and Kentucky had we made it past UConn who, Georges or not, was burning down everything in their path.
We had a shot or a path but saying that team was basically guaranteed to win a title that year is preposterous.
We almost beat the Kentucky super-team that went on to win a national title in the Royce year. Just because you come close to beating a very good team doesn't mean you replace what they did on the bracket.
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Being from Texas what is your opinion of Joe Golding at Abilene Christian? That defense is effective and I have a feeling it would translate at a higher level with better athletes. He will be a Power 5 coach at some point IMO.
