*** Official "Yikes" Postgame Thread ***

[kingcy]

I must admit, ever since the game in Stillwater, Iowa State has not been playing good, collective team basketball. It is either Ejim, Niang, or Kane carrying the team on their back. We are just not seeing a balanced offensive output from our players. And you can apply the same concept to the defensive end of the floor as well.

If the Cyclones play TEAM basketball, sharing the ball, spreading the floor they can be an extremely dangerous team.

If certain players want to be the heros of the game, and impress NBA scouts playing individually we will surely implode come big dance time. No question!

Shocking that the best 3 players on the team are the ones that need to carry it. Houge does what he does. The rest of the team is not ready to be go to guys. This team has won 22 games playing the way they do. It has been the same all season long. I know there were some that thought KSU and BU were going to be sure wins. I still don't know where they got that idea.

 

[Amesboy]

Just watched highlights on Olbermann. Makes me sick watching the lack of effort the last couple minutes. Learn to dig deeper Clones. No excuses. We keep playing like this we'll get our arsses beat bad in whatever postseason tournament. Get your players better prepared Hoiberg. I'm going to bed. I've done enough damage here.

 

[Dingus]

On the positive side, I like how Naz has been taking to the rack more often the last few games. Hasn't always worked, but I think it's a positive development.

 

[temperflare]

Baylor is worse than I thought going in. Not impressed with the way they've been playing. But we out crappied them tonight.

Agreed. This was probably the worst, if not really close to being the worst, game we've played collectively. A good team would have beat us by 30.

 

[sheepplucker]

Melvin has been horrible finishing around the rim all season. surprised it was this bad tonight. but every time he goes up for a layup I almost expect it to bounce out.

 

[allfourcy]

All 3pt shots

I didn't get to watch the game. Apparently Baylor said beat us that way. I actually was encouraged to see the number of 3's we made and our percentge. Yet realize I don't think I've ever seen 1-2 from the line for a whole game. Baylor better do something in these tournaments. I think they're better than people have lead us to believe.

 

[allfourcy]

Just watched highlights on Olbermann. Makes me sick watching the lack of effort the last couple minutes. Learn to dig deeper Clones. No excuses. We keep playing like this we'll get our arsses beat bad in whatever postseason tournament. Get your players better prepared Hoiberg. I'm going to bed. I've done enough damage here.

"lack of effort" ? hmmm..... Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm wrong. But I just don't see this team as a "lack of effort" group at all. Lack of experience or mismatches for some of the inexperienced guys...maybe? Lack of execution or decision making for some of the experienced guys...maybe? I don't know. But does it always have to be that its the loser of the game lacking effort and the winner had the only coach with his team prepared?

 

[SNEDDS3]

I love this team and have faith they will pull it together but this is the time of the year when you need to be hitting your stride. We do struggle with tall teams and it showed. That being said, and I hate to do this but....could Baylor get bailed out any more last night by the refs? Def not why we lost but I saw a lot of calls that were missed on one end and some questionable ones on the other. We did look flat and uninterested and I don't get it. I hope they figure it out. Just my two cents.

 

[Thomasrickj]

Ejim wasn't putting his legs into any of his shots last night. What I don't get is why he kept shooting the rock when he was barely hitting the front of the rim. The entire team, altogether, was making sloppy passing, basically just giving Baylor the ball. It was disgusting to see.

The only positive to take away from last night is that Naz and Hogue played good basketball. Kane put up some good numbers, but he made sloppy passes. I'm no expert, but having three different guys bring the ball up on alternating possessions seems to be hurting us. Monte is a surefire guard, but Niang and Kane make some ridiculous turnovers. Again, I'm not as seasoned and smart as Hoiberg (or as dreamy), but if Monte is in the game, I feel he should be the only guy bringing up the ball. He creates such good opportunities for everyone else.

 

[rholtgraves]

If people think it was because of lack of effort they are idiots

 

[ChiClones]

If people think it was because of lack of effort they are idiots

Woke up today just as irritated by the sloppy play last night.
Not a lack of effort, a lack of execution. Niang a Ejim were "off" and this team can't have any more of those nights. After Saturday there is no more "Hilton Magic" to lift them. They can't force shots and make sloppy passes and expect to survive long into March.

It's almost like they are just satisfied with being guaranteed an NCAA tourney spot, which is all we really ask out of any season right?

 

[Clonefan32]

Count me in the non-panicing group. First, our schedule couldn't have played out any worse. At KSU, which is almost always a garunteed loss, at a Baylor team that is playing very well and needs to win to stay off the bubble, and same story with Okie State. That's a very tough stretch, and there's no shame in going 1-2 in those three games. Conference road games against tournament teams are tough.

Now, many are more upset about the way we've played. However, I take a few things from it. First, a few losses may be good to refocuse the team. Second, despite the two losses I think there are alot of positives to take away. If we can show up and play a few compelte games I have no doubt we are in the Sweet 16. Unfortunately, in the last two games we just haven't been able to piece together a whole game. When Kane and Ejim play great, our bench lets us down. When our bench plays great, Georges and Melvin have a tough game. All the potential is there though. We have great seniors, good point guard play, shooting and we are a tough team to scheme in only a few days time. I like that formula in March.

Also, the talk about seeding is overdone, in my opinion. Right now, Palm has us as a 4 seed playing NDSU then UCONN. Lunardi current has us as a 3 playing Georgia State then Iowa. Despite Iowa having recent troubles, give me the NDSU--UCONN route all day. Also, if you look at Lunardi's bracket, give me Texas's route as a 6 seed (Southern Miss--UVA) over Michigan's route as a 3 seed (Delaware then either OSU or Kentucky)

What I'm trying to say is it all comes down to match ups. We will end up anywhere from a 3-6 seed, and all of those seeds give us a great chance to advance given the right matchups.

 

[Cycsk]

Is it really just a coincidence that one of our best players gets 2 fouls almost immediately in recent games? Perhaps Hoiberg should start Edozie and let him play really physical so that the calls get made on him. Half serious.

 

[allfourcy]

Is it really just a coincidence that one of our best players gets 2 fouls almost immediately in recent games? Perhaps Hoiberg should start Edozie and let him play really physical so that the calls get made on him. Half serious.

Actually, it does make a guy wonder about trying it though. Fourth serious.

 

[CoKane]

Anyone else wonder what that argument Edozie and Kane had before half did to effect the team overall? It could be absolutely nothing, but it's never a good sign when you go into half losing and fighting with each other.

 

[Cycsk]

Anyone else wonder what that argument Edozie and Kane had before half did to effect the team overall? It could be absolutely nothing, but it's never a good sign when you go into half losing and fighting with each other.

Looked like a combination of things. First, Kane was frustrated that he didn't get a better shot off. Second, Edozie had turned so he couldn't bail him out on the missed shot, even though there probably wasn't enough time. Nice to see Morris step in between them. And Hoiberg was right behind the three of them as they headed into the tunnel, so I doubt if the argument kept going too long after they left the court.

 

[hoopitup]

Is it really just a coincidence that one of our best players gets 2 fouls almost immediately in recent games? Perhaps Hoiberg should start Edozie and let him play really physical so that the calls get made on him. Half serious.

What are you suggesting here? That Niang is not a strong defender, that we are not a good defensive team or that the refs are calling more on Niang right away or something else all together?

 

[Cycsk]

What are you suggesting here? That Niang is not a strong defender, that we are not a good defensive team or that the refs are calling more on Niang right away or something else all together?

It hasn't been just Niang. It has been Ejim also. And I think it happened to the WV guy who "couldn't" guard Niang. I don't think refs target players, but I do think they come into a game (or a second half) with strategy for calling fouls. For instance, they might say that they are going to call the first two bumps in the lane just to establish control of the game. If a player starts the game (or half) with a strategy of making sure he is giving bumps in the lane, then he is in trouble.

 

[CloneZone13]

Baylor is a Top 50 RPI team before this game, and 2/3 of our best players couldn't hit anything tonight. Niang only played like 5 minutes of the 1st half. We had the worst start of probably any game this season, committing like 5 turnovers in the first 7 possessions. We were still in it right up to the end.

Right, and THIS is why fans are talking negatively about the game last night. It's nothing to be cheery about, going into the part of the season when you want to be elevating your game.

 

[Amesboy]

And what a terrible time. OSU is red hot as well. Thank God it's at Hilton or we'd definitely be looking at 3 straight losses the end the season.

We better be ready to play against these guys Saturday even at Hilton. OSU is looking for 5 wins in a row and Smart has been playing well. One of their wins was against Kansas. OSU is on the bubble for the NCAA and a big win for them at Hilton would put them in IMO. It's our senior night and if we don't have our heads on straight and aren't motivated to play hard we will be in trouble.