*** Official Iowa State Season Thread ***

[Clyde4cy]

...yet the computer ranking still had them #25 nationally.

Bart Torvik had the "hated" 2019 team #16.

Both were very good teams, mind you, but I think the legend of the Kane-Ejim team is somewhat overstated. On the flip side, the 2019 team is slightly underrated (at least from what I can tell of the median fan on here).

I would agree that the computer ratings didn’t like that team. They were very well equipped, however,to finish and win close games. Their 28 wins is the second best in program history.

 

[Cat Stevens]

Being from Texas what is your opinion of Joe Golding at Abilene Christian? That defense is effective and I have a feeling it would translate at a higher level with better athletes. He will be a Power 5 coach at some point IMO.

It’s really hard to watch them here, they’re so far away. I have read up on him a little bit when I saw you mention him

It’s a tough call. On one hand he’s never coached above a low mid major level. He’s an unknown in that respect.

On the other hand, he’s built that thing from scratch. They get after people, probably as close to early tim floyd as I’ve seen.

but he’s from there, played there, I don’t know he’d look at moving to a completely different part of the country with new recruiting relationships. I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to him. I love that style of basketball. But I think the fans would have an adjustment period.

 

[Urbandale2013]

These are all good points.

I am just never going to believe we had a damn near guaranteed to beat Michigan State, Florida, and Kentucky had we made it past UConn who, Georges or not, was burning down everything in their path.

We had a shot or a path but saying that team was basically guaranteed to win a title that year is preposterous.

We almost beat the Kentucky super-team that went on to win a national title in the Royce year. Just because you come close to beating a very good team doesn't mean you replace what they did on the bracket.

No one is saying it was guaranteed but I still think that we would have done it. It would have been tough but no one can ever know. It’s the same concept of the 2000 team. There are plenty who say that had we beat Michigan State we would have won the National title.

I am a basketball first guy. I can’t even watch the team right now. What makes basketball great is the excitement of thinking we can always beat whoever we play. Fred’s teams embodied that. Even Fred’s early years no one scared me.

 

[madguy30]

Game is on ESPN+ tomorrow.

I'll get to watch at least.

If ESPN+ works.

 

[Sigmapolis]

No one is saying it was guaranteed but I still think that we would have done it. It would have been tough but no one can ever know. It’s the same concept of the 2000 team. There are plenty who say that had we beat Michigan State we would have won the National title.

No one?

I will go to my grave with the belief that if George’s doesn’t get hurt we win the National title.

I think you're walking that statement back pretty far.

 

[CycloneErik]

No one is saying it was guaranteed but I still think that we would have done it. It would have been tough but no one can ever know. It’s the same concept of the 2000 team. There are plenty who say that had we beat Michigan State we would have won the National title.

I am a basketball first guy. I can’t even watch the team right now. What makes basketball great is the excitement of thinking we can always beat whoever we play. Fred’s teams embodied that. Even Fred’s early years no one scared me.

Well, I knew we'd lose to Kentucky in the tourney that first year.
Scared wouldn't be my word, but I knew we'd lose.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Well, I knew we'd lose to Kentucky in the tourney that first year.
Scared wouldn't be my word, but I knew we'd lose.

You know what really scared me during the Fred years?

Crappy Texas Tech teams.

 

[Urbandale2013]

No one?



I think you're walking that statement back pretty far.

That’s not even close to inconsistent. I absolutely think they would have. There is no way to prove it and it is reasonable to think they wouldn’t have. It isn’t reasonable to say someone who thinks they would have is stupid. That was your argument. I have no problem if you think nothing would have changed in that year. I think you’re wrong but that’s fine. You were arguing that people can’t think they would have done better.

 

[rochclone]

You know what really scared me during the Fred years?

Crappy Texas Tech teams.

Now it’s just any Big 12 team.

 

[CycloneErik]

You know what really scared me during the Fred years?

Crappy Texas Tech teams.

Yeah, that was rough.
I think Kansas felt like that with crappy TCU teams, but with less defeats.

 

[Cyched]

No one is saying it was guaranteed but I still think that we would have done it. It would have been tough but no one can ever know. It’s the same concept of the 2000 team. There are plenty who say that had we beat Michigan State we would have won the National title.

I am a basketball first guy. I can’t even watch the team right now. What makes basketball great is the excitement of thinking we can always beat whoever we play. Fred’s teams embodied that. Even Fred’s early years no one scared me.

The difference is had we gotten past UConn we probably wouldn't have been favored against MSU, Florida or Kentucky if we had advanced. The 2000 Final Four was relatively weak, and ISU would've been heavy favorites had they gotten past MSU.

Hogue went off against UConn, but by in large the team had an off game, and we were playing catchup most of the game. In 2000 we outplayed MSU most of the game and were up 7 with 5 minutes to go.

The 2014 team was a good team that could beat anyone if they played well. The 2000 squad was legitimately one of the top teams in the country by year's end.

I'm disappointed as anyone we didn't get to see what that 2014 team could do with a healthy Georges, but I don't think a NC is the guarantee people on here make it out to be. 2000 is still the most tangible missed opportunity at a title I can remember, especially in retrospect.

 

[madguy30]

You know what really scared me during the Fred years?

Crappy Texas Tech teams.

The last minute or two with like a 7 point lead could get interesting when ISU would keep launching 3s early in the shot clock/long rebounds/easy bucket the other way.

 

[fsanford]

I don't want to speculate too much on the possible coaching canidates unless Prohm actually leaves. TJ is an obvious canidate due to his connecitons but it is fair to wonder if this is the right time for him to make the jump to the B12. I do think he'll succeed in Ames but not having the national name it easily could be a longer rebuild than many on here would want IMO.

I do think some of the posts on here are only focused on Otz as the option and I don't think this should be the case. ISU has a history of supporting MBB, Hilton/facilities to sell and a history of competing in the B12. That should be a desired job by many canidates. Looking some of BC (a much lesser MBB school and in the ACC) rumored next coaches I don't see a reason that ISU would be a more attractive job and we should be considering a larger pool than what I have seen suggested so far.




Not to say all these would be intrested in Ames but should at least be vetted. I am sure there are more MW names that make more sense too, more posting to help widen the option horizons.

I think the one thing I learned with Prohm is you do need a guy who has a history in the geographic region he coaches in.

Steve's staff did pull some guys from Chicago and Wisconsin, but trying to pull high end talent from SE US for hoops, was a very tall challenge for ISU. Some of the kids signed and never even set foot on the court.

 

[rochclone]

The last minute or two with like a 7 point lead could get interesting when ISU would keep launching 3s early in the shot clock/long rebounds/easy bucket the other way.

Yeah that didn’t happen. Most of those teams dicked around for 33 minutes and then tried to actually play basketball the last 7 minutes of the game.

 

[Cyched]

Re: 2014, I'll also add that had UConn not gone on to win the title, we're probably not having this debate. Similar effect to watching MSU coast to the championship in 2000.

Though I think that says more about that UConn team than ISU that year.

 

[madguy30]

Yeah that didn’t happen. Most of those teams dicked around for 33 minutes and then tried to actually play basketball the last 7 minutes of the game.

Yes it did.

I'm not going to go back and forth on it but I remember it being a thing.

'Hero ball' was also a pretty consistent theme around here with Fred's teams.

 

[cyclones500]

Well, I knew we'd lose to Kentucky in the tourney that first year.
Scared wouldn't be my word, but I knew we'd lose.

I gave you an Agree. I don't claim I knew ISU would lose, but I wasn't expecting to win it. What actually transpired is about what I figured would happen -- maybe be a step behind most of the game, keep challenging most of the time, ultimately not enough to get there.

 

[NoCreativity]

I don't want to speculate too much on the possible coaching canidates unless Prohm actually leaves. TJ is an obvious canidate due to his connecitons but it is fair to wonder if this is the right time for him to make the jump to the B12. I do think he'll succeed in Ames but not having the national name it easily could be a longer rebuild than many on here would want IMO.

I do think some of the posts on here are only focused on Otz as the option and I don't think this should be the case. ISU has a history of supporting MBB, Hilton/facilities to sell and a history of competing in the B12. That should be a desired job by many canidates. Looking some of BC (a much lesser MBB school and in the ACC) rumored next coaches I don't see a reason that ISU would be a more attractive job and we should be considering a larger pool than what I have seen suggested so far.




Not to say all these would be intrested in Ames but should at least be vetted. I am sure there are more MW names that make more sense too, more posting to help widen the option horizons.

If Beilein is interested in coaching again and hes actually on BC's list(not just message board talk) then it's a must hes the first call Pollard makes.

 

[Statefan10]

I don't want to speculate too much on the possible coaching canidates unless Prohm actually leaves. TJ is an obvious canidate due to his connecitons but it is fair to wonder if this is the right time for him to make the jump to the B12. I do think he'll succeed in Ames but not having the national name it easily could be a longer rebuild than many on here would want IMO.

I do think some of the posts on here are only focused on Otz as the option and I don't think this should be the case. ISU has a history of supporting MBB, Hilton/facilities to sell and a history of competing in the B12. That should be a desired job by many canidates. Looking some of BC (a much lesser MBB school and in the ACC) rumored next coaches I don't see a reason that ISU would be a more attractive job and we should be considering a larger pool than what I have seen suggested so far.




Not to say all these would be intrested in Ames but should at least be vetted. I am sure there are more MW names that make more sense too, more posting to help widen the option horizons.

How much of a factor will our football program's upward trajectory have on us being a favorable destination for a basketball coach this off-season?

 

[fsanford]

You know what really scared me during the Fred years?

Crappy Texas Tech teams.

Crappy Texas Tech teams with like an 11AM tip off, with 500 fans in the stands in Lubbock.