Our schedule looks odd this year. We only play 3 games before Maui? All a week apart and against bad teams. The bad teams part is normal but we're playing fewer games, because we added a conference game?
Opening Night Observations
- Thread starter ClonesFTW
- Start date
Marketing/gameday operations staff batting 1.000 this year. So much better than previous years.
My only gripe about Monday night; the music/intro music seemed quieter than normal.
I have my ISU nutcup firmly in place and with how often Lipsy and Gilbert hit the floor I expect injuries this year.
OK, that would be a killer lineup. As long as Jefferson can hold up inside, you have guys that can switch on D and spread out the defense on O. And if you're getting killed down low, you can always put in Jackson.
I'm not worried about a 3 point shooting. Lipsey and Gilbert can hit, Momcilivic and Jones are elite shooters. The thing that I'm worried about is rebounding and then defensive rotation and getting caught on switches/PnR defense. Jackson and Chatfield are big bodies and have some skill, but they are not nearly as mobile as Ward and Big Rob were.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the promo where they made the kids search through and put on all the shirts to spell Cyclones in the correct order and then make a basket. That should be ditched immediately.
My biggest takeaways after attending and rewatching the game-
- The new big men are awesome - Jefferson and Jackson are both very high-level players
- TJ and his staff have done such a great job of building the roster
- Everyone is bought into playing defense and hustling, which is not something to take for granted
- Great ball movement and shot selection, impressed with the playmaking ability of the bigs as well
- The 3s will fall, keep shooting
- Depth and versatility will be a huge advantage down the stretch
- Tamin makes effort look effortless,
- Nojus is going to be a star; he looks comfortable and confident out there
- I would like to see better rebounding and better close-outs on shooters from bigs
- I could see the biggest weakness of this team being stretch bigs, and that's where I could see Watson getting a big role
- Great job by gameday operations, and the new video board is gorgeous
- Go Clones
- The new big men are awesome - Jefferson and Jackson are both very high-level players
- TJ and his staff have done such a great job of building the roster
- Everyone is bought into playing defense and hustling, which is not something to take for granted
- Great ball movement and shot selection, impressed with the playmaking ability of the bigs as well
- The 3s will fall, keep shooting
- Depth and versatility will be a huge advantage down the stretch
- Tamin makes effort look effortless,
- Nojus is going to be a star; he looks comfortable and confident out there
- I would like to see better rebounding and better close-outs on shooters from bigs
- I could see the biggest weakness of this team being stretch bigs, and that's where I could see Watson getting a big role
- Great job by gameday operations, and the new video board is gorgeous
- Go Clones
My semi-hot take in the past has been that rim protection/blocking shots matter less in our defense because it's more about cutting guys off from the rim than altering their shots at the rim. That being said, I remember a couple of plays on Monday night where Jackson or Chatfield ended up trailing someone driving who got the ball to the rim and I couldn't help but think, "Ward almost certainly would have blocked that off the backboard."
Don't know what you were watching but he Chatfield looked to me like someone who can make a difference. Big but can move. He didn't shoot well but his past performance and tape say he will.
I agree with all of this. I did notice Milan's hitch, but I'm not worried about him at all. He's got the right mind-set and work ethic to do great things this year.
One note that I don't think gets talked about much: We all got spoiled with the motors that BRE, Ward and King had. Jackson and Chatfield aren't even trades in that department, and that made them look slower than what we were used to seeing. I think they will come around from a conditioning standpoint as the season goes on. TJ's expectations for bigs is higher than they are used to, and live games are gonna help that progression.
A sidebar by the end of the game when Big Dog came in the student section was "woofing" it was pretty fun IMO.
Blocked shots are the most overrated stat in basketball. It's nice to have a deterrent under the hoop who can alter some shots, but if they're fouling a lot, or giving up offensive rebounds because they're lunging for every shot attempt they see, then it can become a net negative.
A guy who can block the occasional shot, be a deterrent from teams going to the hoop at will, but also stay disciplined and not bite on pump fakes or not continuously leave the paint hunting blocks and giving up offensive rebounds would be perfect.
Does CJones get credit for 2 blocks with his double-handed block?
Not trying to be "that guy' and didn't rewatch but I thought that twice we seemed to have the opposition pinned on the side with a double team and if memory serves me correct they passed out of it to an open teammate under the basket for an easy two. Don't know who's responsibility that was but that is why we play this level of competition early--to clean up little mistakes like those. We know what we have in the guard court and the numbers say we could be better in the front court but it may be a few games in before they are working together as smoothly as last years team.
Yeah. That **** will drive the staff crazy if it’s still happening over the next game or two. Better get that corrected before Maui.
Yeah on the post game TJ had a long list of things to be worked on after the 1st game. The doubled up score (close enough) didn't leave him overly impressed.
Even though the margin was ridiculous I didn't think we played particularly well. The traps seemed lackluster at times, rotations off a beat, and backside recovery a step slow.
Offense seemed hesitant, unsure of where the ball needed to go.
Seemed like typical first game working in some new pieces.
Offense seemed hesitant, unsure of where the ball needed to go.
Seemed like typical first game working in some new pieces.
It is unusual.
I did a random check on several other P5s, quite a few will have played 4 by the time ISU has played 3 (or in some cases 4 v 2). I think the 20-game conference schedule (with it starting earlier) has something to do with it and there was method to the planning.
I thought maybe we could have moved an additional cupcake to pre-Maui, but examining the schedule, it's actually evenly distributed. With exception of Maui stretch, there's only one "calendar week" when ISU plays multiple games before B12 starts (Jackson State and CyHawk).
I can't help but be jealous of teams who play opponents with a pulse (outside of the early season tourney and the conf challenge games with Big East) but I guess it's only 3 weeks of the season where we dont play anyone interesting. Well 4 I guess if you count the games between Cy-Hawk and conference play.
