An honest question

[Mumbai1986]

This is an honest question. No need for pointing of fingers or criticizing what other people say. It is fair to say that ISU has lost a good amount of close games this year. We have lost to Kansas in 2 overtimes after we gave up a lead in the final minute. Same thing occurred at Texas and at Oklahoma State. We nearly gave up our lead to West Virginia at home, but eeked out a win. The Texas Tech game we were just awful the entire game. Even our win against Baylor, the last minute or so was nerve racking because we could not seem to finish them off right away.

My question then is, why is this occurring? Why can we not seem to win these really close games? Do we take too many threes in the final minutes? Do we take too quick of shots in the final minute? Could this be the fault of the coaching staff not teaching our athletes how to play in the final minutes of the game? Does this team just not have the ability to close out good teams in the final minute? Are the referees to blame? Or are we just cursed?

I really want hear the opinions of people on this board. We have had the night to rage and drink our sorrows away. What do you think is the reason why we can't win these close games?

We will still make the tournament. I am confident in that assertion. This team is too good to be left out. These losses though are excruciating.

[isuforlife]

comes down to coaching experience

[kingcy]

Guys from the other team step up and make big plays. ISU lacks that guy that can step up in the last 10 secs of a game and hit a shot. Guys hit tough shots against us late in games for whatever reason.

[CycloneErik]

We don't have a finisher.

Last year, we had Royce and Scotty. They loved finishing those games.
This year, we don't have that guy.

We're good enough to win these games. It's not a lack of coaching experience here. We won these games last year, and Fred had less experience.

We just don't have that assassin that loves to finish a team off.

[cycloneworld]

comes down to coaching experience

Honest question: How is that?

[cyhawkdmb]

I think last night, and in the games you mentioned we tend to slow it down the final minute and a half. It really throws the guys off. IMHO. I don't know if this needs to be practiced more, or if we should just continue to play our style of game.

[cyhawkdmb]

We don't have a finisher.

Last year, we had Royce and Scotty. They loved finishing those games.
This year, we don't have that guy.

We're good enough to win these games. It's not a lack of coaching experience here. We won these games last year, and Fred had less experience.

We just don't have that assassin that loves to finish a team off.

you could say in the six games that fh has coached against ku he has out coached self in at least 4 of those games.

[Cyclonepride]

Tyrus is a finisher. Tyrus could step up and hit a last second shot. The problem is that we were protecting a lead in most of those cases (and made some big shots in doing so).

[cycloneworld]

I really think that we play so up-temp for 38 minutes that we struggle in the last couple when we take the air out of the ball. It's like the guys don't know what to do.

I also think we are scared to foul in the last minute or two and give up WAY too many easy baskets, usually layups. That wasn't the case last night and Kansas earned the comeback with some tough threes and some assistance from the refs. But we didn't defend the 3 point line well enough when it was clear Johnson was going to take the last few shots.

And sometimes you are just unlucky and things don't go your way.

[SwirlingFloater]

We don't have a finisher.

Last year, we had Royce and Scotty. They loved finishing those games.
This year, we don't have that guy.

We're good enough to win these games. It's not a lack of coaching experience here. We won these games last year, and Fred had less experience.

We just don't have that assassin that loves to finish a team off.

I agree completely. I love this team, but none of our guys are great when it comes to creating their own shot down the stretch. We typically end up throwing up a prayer or an awkward shot over a defender when time is winding down.

[kingcy]

One more thing. Kansas does this 4 or 5 times a year. They are down late and end up winning. They keep playing and the other team messes up.

[Cardinal2001]

When we "let the air out of the ball" (love that term), we aren't playing aggressively any more. We aren't attacking the basket or the perimeter. Other posters have pointed this out too.

Anyone else think of the "Diante Garrett run the clock down to 10" play that McDermott always had them running? That's what goes through my head.

[IcSyU]

We change what got us there in the first place. We force ourselves to be a half court team and we just aren't very good when we do so.

We also show our lack of size and lack of fundamentals defensively. You can get away with trying to out-athletic team when they're only sending 2 or 3 to the board. When they start crashing 4 or 5 you aren't going to have much success.

[CyCy]

Bill Self has been a coach for 28 years, Fred Hoiberg for 3. A lot of development is learning from mistakes - Fred is doing some of that now.

[chuckd4735]

I agree that ISU seems to play very up tempo for about 38.5 minutes, and then they slow it way down and try to burn clock. It get frustrating watching ISU dribble the ball around for 27 seconds, and then try to score with 8 seconds left on the shot clock. I get the point of trying to burn clock, and I'm OK with it, but too many times for ISU it has ended with an empty possession, and that's frustrating.

I got trashed after the Texas game for bringing this up, but Hoiberg's use of timeouts at the end of the game are still not good, IMO. Letting the guys play is just not working.