My post game write up with some odds and ends from last night.
Juice blogs » The Cyclones
Cyclones Start off Vegas Classic with a Beatdown by Jerry Hales
:: December 18th, 2007 :: 10:05 am
It took until the 9th game of the season, but ISU finally could relax a little for the final 10 minutes or so of a game. After the Clones jumped out to a quick lead, Bethune-Cookman stormed back to tie it at 27 and forcing Coach McDermott to call a timeout in the process. After that though, ISU went on a 17-0 run and never looked back in pulling away 80-57. Another big positive was that no player for us played over 26 minutes. In a week where we play 4 games, it was nice to be able to give the starters some rest. Wesley Johnson, Craig Brackins, and Rahshon Clark were able to seemingly do whatever they wanted offensively in scoring 16, 13, and 9, while Cory Johnson and Jiri Hubalek added a hard-earned 13 and 12. The team distributed the ball well as a team, chalking up 19 assists against only 8 turnovers.
Wednesday ISU will play an awful Texas Southern team at Hilton in the second round of the Vegas Classic before heading to Vegas for a couple of tough tests away from home. It would be nice to be able to pull away early and rest some people in this one too before playing Purdue and Alabama/Missouri St. Because the Texas Southern game is one we should be able to handle easily, I will hold off on a prediction column until Thursday for the Purdue game. This should serve as a warning for Robert and Mattman to steer clear of the Juice on Thursday lest they be crabby all weekend from reading a fictitious prediction.
-Other Notes- Wesley Johnson’s ankle looked great last night. He had his defensive mobility back and was creative on the offensive end. After going down hard on a 3 point play, the entire crowd held their breath before cheering when he got back up quickly. It will be interesting to see how much soreness he has today and tomorrow going forward.
-Rahshon Clark and Jiri Hubalek attacked the offensive glass hard on their way to 8 rebounds a piece, including 5 offensive rebounds each. Jiri seemed to have some problems finishing last night as he was only 4-10, most of which were from point blank (minus the 3 he banked in from the top of the key). To me it seems like he is making some of the same moves he did last year when he hit his stride, but they are from 5-10 feet out instead of right under the hoop where he made a living last year. He has great touch and ability, I would just like to see a few of these fall to give him some more confidence.
Juice blogs » The Cyclones
Cyclones Start off Vegas Classic with a Beatdown by Jerry Hales
:: December 18th, 2007 :: 10:05 am
It took until the 9th game of the season, but ISU finally could relax a little for the final 10 minutes or so of a game. After the Clones jumped out to a quick lead, Bethune-Cookman stormed back to tie it at 27 and forcing Coach McDermott to call a timeout in the process. After that though, ISU went on a 17-0 run and never looked back in pulling away 80-57. Another big positive was that no player for us played over 26 minutes. In a week where we play 4 games, it was nice to be able to give the starters some rest. Wesley Johnson, Craig Brackins, and Rahshon Clark were able to seemingly do whatever they wanted offensively in scoring 16, 13, and 9, while Cory Johnson and Jiri Hubalek added a hard-earned 13 and 12. The team distributed the ball well as a team, chalking up 19 assists against only 8 turnovers.
Wednesday ISU will play an awful Texas Southern team at Hilton in the second round of the Vegas Classic before heading to Vegas for a couple of tough tests away from home. It would be nice to be able to pull away early and rest some people in this one too before playing Purdue and Alabama/Missouri St. Because the Texas Southern game is one we should be able to handle easily, I will hold off on a prediction column until Thursday for the Purdue game. This should serve as a warning for Robert and Mattman to steer clear of the Juice on Thursday lest they be crabby all weekend from reading a fictitious prediction.
-Other Notes- Wesley Johnson’s ankle looked great last night. He had his defensive mobility back and was creative on the offensive end. After going down hard on a 3 point play, the entire crowd held their breath before cheering when he got back up quickly. It will be interesting to see how much soreness he has today and tomorrow going forward.
-Rahshon Clark and Jiri Hubalek attacked the offensive glass hard on their way to 8 rebounds a piece, including 5 offensive rebounds each. Jiri seemed to have some problems finishing last night as he was only 4-10, most of which were from point blank (minus the 3 he banked in from the top of the key). To me it seems like he is making some of the same moves he did last year when he hit his stride, but they are from 5-10 feet out instead of right under the hoop where he made a living last year. He has great touch and ability, I would just like to see a few of these fall to give him some more confidence.
