Iowa State (6-2) Takes On Iowa (4-5) In Cy-Hawk Matchup
CycloneFanatic.com
Jeremy Lind
It’s that time of year again; shopping, getting ready for bowl games, keeping up-to-date on coaching rumors and watching the Cyclones take on the bitterest of the in-state rivals, the Iowa Hawkeyes. This year proves to be completely different than games of the past for numerous reasons…
First and foremost, both Iowa State and Iowa entered the season with plenty of questions and very few returning players. Iowa State also had the burden of a new coaching staff and a whole new style of play that would obviously take some time to fully enact. Iowa, on the other hand, came off of an above-average season in the Big Ten last year, finishing the seasons 25-9 overall and 11-5 in conference play.
Along with taking over a struggling program, Iowa State’s new coaching staff had to bring in some quality kids to help “right the ship” a bit so it could get going in the right direction again. After arguably the most disappointing season in school history,
ISU set forth on a mission to separate itself from a season that started with the Clones being ranked 23rd in the country and ended without even an NIT invite. Iowa State finished the season in the first round of the Big XII conference to bring the season record to 16-14 overall and 6-10 in league play.
Iowa entered the season with unquestionably the most hyped recruit of the Alford era by means of Tyler Smith, a 6-7 210lb Forward from Pulaski, TN. Thus far this season, Smith has helped the struggling Hawkeyes by averaging 14 points and 5 rebounds per game in an average of 31 minutes. The only player averaging more minutes or points per game for the Hawks is Senior Adam Huluska, a former Iowa State player, with 17 points in 34 minutes per game.
For the Cyclones, it wasn't so much about "big-name" recruits per say, but recruits in general. The only recruit to follow through on their original commitment to Iowa State was Cory Johnson, a 6-7 230lb Forward out of Duluth, MN. Johnson has seen sporadic minutes so far this season as Iowa State has had to go with a somewhat more guard oriented lineup at times to match the opponents’ strengths. While lacking a true “big” on the inside, Iowa State will unquestionably see some quality minutes from Cory once league play comes around and the size and caliber of the opponents increase.
While Iowa State has played with a fairly lengthy bench this season, look for the bench to get increasingly shorter as the staff gets a good feel for when each player looks to excel the most. So far we’ve seen that Mike Taylor is anything but afraid to shoot the three (and make it), Wesley Johnson could jump and change the light-bulbs in Hilton in one swoop, Dodie Dunson is quickly becoming Iowa State’s most consistent scoring threat when called upon, Cory Johnson is quickly becoming a crowd favorite for his hustle and effort on every play and that Rahshon Clark has really picked up his defensive intensity and mindset.
Looking ahead to tonight’s matchup, one would say it’s a pretty even game by all accounts. Both teams have a very young and inexperienced lineup, both teams struggle in long stretches and both teams decide their own fate on almost any given night. This matchup comes down to a few simple keys for both teams…
Which team can keep from turning the ball over the most?
Which team can keep from shooting 20 three-pointers in the game?
Which team can step up and start to break out of the funk they’ve started to slip into?
Those are the keys to the game as I see it. While both teams have some threats from behind the arc, both are better off in the long-term if they concentrate on trying an even attack on both the inside and out. If
ISU can contain Looby and Smith, they’ll force Haluska to try and do it all himself; leading to turnovers and bad shots. If Haluska is having a good night from behind the arc, it’ll be hard for the Clones to keep up without Taylor lighting it up for 30.
On the other hand, if
ISU can outrun the Hawks and keep the game close by playing tough inside, they’ll have an incredible chance at pulling away.
ISU needs some quality minutes from Gray, Hubalek and Marsden to be able to keep Iowa on their toes and keep them making mistakes. If Taylor pulls in the ball a bit and doesn’t force it,
ISU has an advantage with their somewhat deep bench and versatile guard play. As always though, look for the game to be decided by which team shows up for each team:)
