Williams Blog: Cyclones lack a closer

My thoughts on last night...from the game...to Senior Night to recruiting tidbits.

Williams Blog: Notes on last night | Cyclone Fanatic

They lack:

a PG, a SG, a PF, a bench and a coach.

Who really cares if a coaching change effects Phillip's status for next year. I would rather have a new coach in here giving us some hope than one Juco guard who's ability is yet to be seen.

I think people really, really underestimated what losing Lucca was going to do to this team. Lucca was average in most facets of the game. However, he was a great 3 point shooter. We have very few players one the team who are 'great' at anything. I really believe we would have 3-5 more Big 12 wins with him on the team.

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Originally Posted by snowcraig2.0

I think people really, really underestimated what losing Lucca was going to do to this team. Lucca was average in most facets of the game. However, he was a great 3 point shooter. We have very few players one the team who are 'great' at anything. I really believe we would have 3-5 more Big 12 wins with him on the team.

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I think his defense offset whatever benefit he would've given to our offense and our Big 12 wins would be the same.

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Originally Posted by tamjam

I think his defense offset whatever benefit he would've given to our offense and our Big 12 wins would be the same.

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Exactly who on our team is that much better of a defender than Lucca? He was not any worse than what we are currently putting out there.

His performance in the Drake game is really the only 'dominating' performance we have seen all season out of a player on this team.

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Originally Posted by snowcraig2.0

I think people really, really underestimated what losing Lucca was going to do to this team. Lucca was average in most facets of the game. However, he was a great 3 point shooter. We have very few players one the team who are 'great' at anything. I really believe we would have 3-5 more Big 12 wins with him on the team.

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I agree, I completely underestimated his effect on the team. I don't think we'd even be in the NIT if he were here but we'd have won some of these close ones.

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Originally Posted by BryceC

I agree, I completely underestimated his effect on the team. I don't think we'd even be in the NIT if he were here but we'd have won some of these close ones.

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Which still at the end of the day, doesn't mean ****. It was NCAA or bust this season - period. With the people on the floor, this team should be able to make the tournament.

It was clear before the injuries/departures - that was going to be a longshot.

I can also say this, there are a number of people in the program unhappy with how fans treated Lucca last year and this season. It is ironic that the guy fans loved and loved before he even took the floor became the guy that would most quickly rip on to the guy that now people suddenly go "oh, we miss him".

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Originally Posted by ISUFan22

I can also say this, there are a number of people in the program unhappy with how fans treated Lucca last year and this season. It is ironic that the guy fans loved and loved before he even took the floor became the guy that would most quickly rip on to the guy that now people suddenly go "oh, we miss him".

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I am assuming you aren't lumping me in with that crowd, I have always defended Lucca and DG against the people on this site who bashed them.

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Originally Posted by ISUFan22

Which still at the end of the day, doesn't mean ****. It was NCAA or bust this season - period. With the people on the floor, this team should be able to make the tournament.

It was clear before the injuries/departures - that was going to be a longshot.

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I don't disagree, we would not be an NCAA tourney team with Lucca, but I do think we would have had a shot at the NIT, which may have saved Greg for another season.

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Originally Posted by snowcraig2.0

I think people really, really underestimated what losing Lucca was going to do to this team. Lucca was average in most facets of the game. However, he was a great 3 point shooter. We have very few players one the team who are 'great' at anything. I really believe we would have 3-5 more Big 12 wins with him on the team.

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Yep, no doubt about it. Lucca was a bigger factor in the team's performance than the detractors want to admit.

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Originally Posted by snowcraig2.0

I don't disagree, we would not be an NCAA tourney team with Lucca, but I do think we would have had a shot at the NIT, which may have saved Greg for another season.

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NCAA or bust.

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Originally Posted by ISUFan22

NCAA or bust.

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In your mind, but I bet Greg would be brought back next season had we reached the NIT.

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Originally Posted by snowcraig2.0

I think people really, really underestimated what losing Lucca was going to do to this team. Lucca was average in most facets of the game. However, he was a great 3 point shooter. We have very few players one the team who are 'great' at anything. I really believe we would have 3-5 more Big 12 wins with him on the team.

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I agree to a point. He would have been able to stand outside the 3 line, and feed Craig on the blocks. He was the best player we had at doing that.

The problem is that he was so easy to take away in this offense. I refuse to believe that a guy that can play for his country is as one dimensional as he was in this offense.

That is one of the things that I liked about what we did the last part of the season. Scott was able to drive the ball quite often. And in this offense, anything going towards the basket is a good thing.