Food for Thought 2: Help Out the 99/00 ISU MBB Team

UnCytely

Well-Known Member
Sep 24, 2017
3,523
3,606
113
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Another time-time scenario. You have a time machine that can only be used once, and can only move one person through time. Pick one Iowa State player to help out the 1999-2000 ISU team that ultimately lost to Michigan State in the Elite 8.

The temptation at first might be to pick a really good ISU player, but team chemistry and also the needs of that team need to be considered. For example, you might pick Monte Morris, but that team already had a really good point guard, and Morris would likely just end up spelling Tinsley occasionally.

My pick? Kelvin Cato. Not the best player in ISU history, but he'd be a great fit for that team. Imagine Kato volleyball-swatting balls to the other end of the court for Johnson or Nurse to take for easy lay-ups.

After dropping off Kato in 1999, I'd also pass a note to Michael Nurse to always look both ways before crossing Lincoln Way.
 

cytor

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Nov 20, 2011
8,190
13,064
113
I liked that team the way it was.

If anything, I would prefer new refs that don't incorrectly call a double foul on Paul Shirley. That turned the tide of the game completely. ISU would have easily dispatched the remaining teams in the final 4.
 

CYdTracked

Well-Known Member
Mar 23, 2006
18,713
9,513
113
Grimes, IA
I like the Cato pick actually. Sub out Stevie Johnson in the starting lineup for him as he could still be a glue guy as 6th man and that team would be tough. Hard to argue anyone else out of Fizer Tinsley Nurse and Horton you'd want to replace because all just complimented each other so well. That team was so well balanced on offense because teams had to double up on Fizer or collapse on Tinsley when he drove and you had sharpshooters in Horton and Nurse who would get some great looks because of it. Defensively they were a pretty good team but a rim enforcer like Cato would have made them even better
 
  • Winner
Reactions: Farnsworth

UnCytely

Well-Known Member
Sep 24, 2017
3,523
3,606
113
Council Bluffs, Iowa
I'm not sure if this thread is a series, but give me 2014 Niang all day.

Last one, honestly. Bringing 1995 Troy Davis into the present and bringing one good player onto the 99/00 MBB team are my most-thought-about scenarios.

I thought about Niang, but I think he'd clash with Fizer like Morris would clash with Tinsley.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: CYdTracked

Farnsworth

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
17,368
5,864
113
Des Moines, IA
Last one, honestly. Bringing 1995 Troy Davis into the present and bringing one good player onto the 99/00 MBB team are my most-thought-about scenarios.

I thought about Niang, but I think he'd clash with Fizer like Morris would clash with Tinsley.

Sorry, I meant if I got 1 MBB moment back it'd be Niang's injury. It didn't correlate to the original post but I agree with what has been said regarding that team.

I didn't start super fandom until I came to school in 2002 so hard to say as I didn't follow that particular team too closely.
 

Cyched

CF Influencer
May 8, 2009
38,591
66,691
113
Colorado
I'd bump Sullivan up a year. Adding a sharpshooter like him along (I know Nurse was a good 3 point shooter) could've made that team especially lethal.
 

pulse

Well-Known Member
Mar 24, 2006
9,422
2,651
113
I’d just not have Rancik get hurt earlier in the year.
 

DeereClone

Well-Known Member
Nov 16, 2009
8,281
9,649
113
I think Royce and Georges are versatile enough and unique enough that they’d bring value to about any team.
 

CYdTracked

Well-Known Member
Mar 23, 2006
18,713
9,513
113
Grimes, IA
I'd bump Sullivan up a year. Adding a sharpshooter like him along (I know Nurse was a good 3 point shooter) could've made that team especially lethal.

Does he come off the bench because Horton and Nurse both were deadly from 3 and played better defense. Jake is one of my all time favorite players cuz he had such a pure looking shot but he couldn't play defense worth a kick, especially early in his career.
 

jdoggivjc

Well-Known Member
Sep 27, 2006
61,634
23,892
113
Macomb, MI
I know Cato is a popular pick, but the truth is with Fizer & Co., ISU already owned the paint. It's the same reason why I wouldn't go with Royce White - we already have Fizer playing as that guy. But if you want that added interior presence, I'm going with Niang. He would compliment Fizer so well - both in being an extra go-to finisher option in the lane as well as someone that can pull a big guy out to the perimeter, allowing Fizer to do what he did best - dominate the paint. The other thing Niang would do is make it that much harder to guard Nurse and Horton on the perimeter. Their range was already asinine - imagine if defenses had to worry about what Niang was going to do as well.

I know people would say Tinsley over Morris, but I'm not sure I'd go in that direction. Tinsley was a freak talent, but he was never the leader that Morris was and was also prone to making stupid mistakes. Meanwhile, you could always trust Morris with the ball - he was only destroying NCAA assist-to-turnover records, to the point where experts unfairly criticized his play as far too conservative, which anyone that ever watched him
 

boone7247

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Aug 15, 2011
3,021
944
113
Near the City
If you want to win the title I feel you have to recognize what killed us. That was Mo Pete from MSU. So I would pick Chris Babb as a lock down 3 and D.

You could also talk me into Nadar or Clyburn. They were missing mid roster length.


let’s also not act like Fred wouldn’t help that team.

and my last thought you can never go wrong with adding instant offense off the bench and McGee does that better than anyone.

ultimately I feel like Babb helps them the most.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cyched

CyberJJJ

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Dec 19, 2006
4,088
3,392
113
Johnston, IA
Ejim,

While that team could play small, they also had height in Fizer, Rancik & Shirley. Mel would allow them to play small or big like Stevie did. He could rebound against bigger guys, and by his senior year was deadly from three so could allow them to spread the floor as well.

Jeff
 

SCyclone

Well-Known Member
Mar 11, 2014
9,475
12,233
113
Fort Dodge, IA
I think Ejim is a great choice, but I'd go with Jared Homan. Physicality, rebounding, set picks for the guards, be the intimidator in the middle.