Thomas should not have been starting over Morris

[Yellow Snow]

Matt has a bigger body and can guard against different types of players that Morris and Long cannot. He has a better shot, but sure he needs to pull the trigger a little faster. His defense is good, It blows my mind when people say his defense isn't good. He can dribble drive. It's important to not have a drop off in play with our bench. He stays the starter in my book.

I totally agree with this. His problem is that he still has the "good shot or bad shot" hesitation in his brain. GOD KNOWS everybody else on the team is taking some bad shots and missing. It's not a big deal to Hoiberg.

He needs to let it fly more often. I think the reason he doesn't play as many minutes now is because he won't freaking shoot the ball.

 

[Cincyclone]

The starting lineup means nothing…

 

[jahfg]

I like him in the starting lineup, but I've never seen a "shooter" pass up more good looks than

 

[greatshu]

Matt's impact does not show up on stat sheet. I think people underestimate how much we benefited from his presence on the court. His presence stretches our opponents D because they can't leave him open.

I like having Matt Thomas. He frees up other players to play freely. Stop with this nonsense.

 

[jkclone]

Matt's impact does not show up on stat sheet. I think people underestimate how much we benefited from his presence on the court. His presence stretches our opponents D because they can't leave him open.

I like having Matt Thomas. He frees up other players to play freely. Stop with this nonsense.

That is going away. I have noticed that they are starting to sag off of him more than in the beginning of the season. Like I said if he isn't going to take the shot he isn't going to make it. That means especially with better teams they will end up not guarding him as much so the others who already have more difficulties are going to have even more.

 

[Yellow Snow]

He had a horrible turnover yesterday on the fast break, so people can't make the zero turnovers argument anymore.

That turnover was credited to Kane I think.

 

[kingcy]

Matt's impact does not show up on stat sheet. I think people underestimate how much we benefited from his presence on the court. His presence stretches our opponents D because they can't leave him open.

I like having Matt Thomas. He frees up other players to play freely. Stop with this nonsense.

He is averaging almost 4 points and one made 3 the last 5 games. Teams are going to leave him not as closely guarded to guard the other 4 better. He has yet to prove he can make 3s consistently at this level.

 

[Cyclonesince78]

That turnover was credited to Kane I think.

But we know the truth.

 

[Final42b]

You guys just aren't happy if you don't have a whipping boy to go to. Pathetic.

 

[BallSoHard4Cy]

The people who don't want Thomas to start don't think he shouldn't play. He isn't playing much anyway so what's the point in starting him? IMO the best lineup should be starting. If Fred thinks that lineup includes Thomas, then by all means start him. I doubt that it does though, evidenced by his low PT. Not ragging on the kid but if a starter plays bad he shouldn't start. That's just basketball 101. He's just a freshman.

 

[cyatheart]

Monte was stroking it against Baylor. The guy can shoot. Thomas may be a great shooter, but he has yet to prove it.

For those of you saying it's bad to rip on your own player (Thomas) because it's going to hurt his confidence even more, are dumb. If he can't handle his own fanbase ripping on him, then he's not meant to play college basketball. You're telling me you'd rather see us sit here and say "it's okay" when he keeps making mistakes? Give me a break! Thomas is 15 games into the season and there is no reason he should still be crapping himself when he gets the ball. His defense is a liability and he had a stupid turnover on a fast break yesterday because he was clearly scared, yet the defender wasn't within three feet of him (that's a 4 point swing right there). I hope the guy does well, but he's honestly a HUGE reason we get off to such slow starts because he's not a Big 12 player right now. Notice how as soon as he's subbed out that we start picking up the pace? The reason Fred has started him is because he likes using sharpshooters since that's the kind of style he plays. He's eventually going to give up on him if he continues to struggle the way he has been.

Cyclone fans should be incredibly disappointed by him and losing patience. Halfway into the season he's shown zero signs of improvement. He needs to man up and play. He's not in small town Wisconsin anymore where he plays against a bunch of slower, less athletic guys.

You discredited yourself with this garbage. I like it when people do this, can just put them on ignore.

 

[Yellow Snow]

But we know the truth.

Well yea... he wasn't out wide enough and Kane had no choice but to throw it where he did. Still doesn't change the fact that he hasn't been charged with a TO since BYU.

 

[JohnnyFive]

He is playing very tentative and slow compared to the other four positions.

Uou realize he's by far te youngest and least experienced of them all right? Trial by fire bra. He'll be better for it.

 

[Final42b]

I wish some of you would just shut up and let him play without psychoanalyzing his every move. Do we really need a new thread about him after every game? I'm pretty sure Fred knows what he's doing, just let it play out.

 

[clone4life82]

But we know the truth.

The truth is there were a lot of things bad about that fast break, neither Thomas nor the other runner went out wide to properly space the floor so it was easy for the defenders to crash in on Kane and make him slow up and try to make a pass, he made a pass and shouldn't have since Thomas clearly wasn't looking.

 

[CycloneErik]

I love the fans that completely throw players under the bus as FR. Please show me a list of BCS conference D1 FR shooting guards that are playing up to "your standards".

I would also love to see this list.
Sure, he's struggling. Thomas has talent, and he's not costing games or anything. He's just struggling, and his minutes reflect that. There really isn't much more to do than sit him completely, and that's not likely to happen.

He's a freshman. Let him grow into the program.

 

[Thompsonclone]

I am getting really really really really really really really really tired of these threads. We need to make a list of the people who want to put Thomas on the bench so when he turns it around we don't forget who his true fans are. Woodbury mentioned something in the paper as to saying he doesn't play for the fans anymore because he knows what they are saying about him. I really hope Thomas doesn't start to see Iowa State fans giving up on him.

 

[twistedredbird]

I just hope we don't start giving him the Holloway comple.

 

[CyCy]

I think Al McGuire had a policy of never changing the starting lineup during the season (barring injury).

 

[mattyice]

I am getting really really really really really really really really tired of these threads. We need to make a list of the people who want to put Thomas on the bench so when he turns it around we don't forget who his true fans are. Woodbury mentioned something in the paper as to saying he doesn't play for the fans anymore because he knows what they are saying about him. I really hope Thomas doesn't start to see Iowa State fans giving up on him.

Good idea....put it next to the thread idiots who honestly thought SDW wasn't playing last year because"he needed to put on weight". Bwahaha......I'm still astonished people actually thought that.

Im really really really really tired of the sunshine and rainbows coalition who get butt hurt if anyone dares say boo about our players or decisions made.

Thomas clearly isn't ready and is bringing very little to the table right now. And stop claiming he's drawing defenders to him freeing up other people. You're simply wishing for something that isn't happening. He's not being face guarded....in fact he's gotten a lot of wide open looks, and he's missing.

Obviously he can get better.....but get over yourself that people can't say the painfully obvious that he's not ready AT THIS TIME.