I am not sure what to think about this team anymore. At some point, you would think that a team made up of experienced juniors and seniors would learn how to close out games, but this team doesn't seem to be capable of that.
How the hell does your All-American not take a shot the last six minutes of a close game? I don't care what the other team was doing defensively....that just can't happen. Plus, it appears that some of Monte's last second heroics from last year have gone to his head or something. That or he is trying to impress some NBA pundits and scouts, and failing miserably at it.
This team is not a team any more. That is pretty obvious. I don't know if they have tuned out Prohm, and each other, or if he is just incapable of taking over a bunch who act like a group of prima donnas. Whatever the problem is, this group, including the coaching staff does not seem capable, or maybe willing to work it out.
It is obvious now that losing Naz, and what he added, on the floor was devastating. This team is a very pedestrian, mediocre 10-8 since he ended his season. Yes, those losses have been almost exclusively to top 35-40 RPI teams, but so what? They also include a loss to UNI on a neutral court. Plus, this was a top 5 rated team to start the season, and is in the top 40 in RPI itself.
Another obvious problem, as most everyone points out, is depth. Yes, this team lacks strong bench play, but after 7 or 8 last possession losses, it should be obvious that maybe, just maybe, the starters do not have the stamina left at the end of games to close them out, and maybe just maybe the rotation needs to be adjusted so that those starters have something left at the end of the game. It really doesn't matter if those bench players contribute much on the floor. Their purpose should be to do what they can out there, don't do anything stupid, and give the starters 5 - 10 minutes of rest. If this current pattern continues, no way will this team do well in March after the first round.
This team will be lucky to finish 10-8 in conference. Maybe by some miracle they will get their act together and win at KU or WVU, but I just don't see it happening.
I think this is going to go down as perhaps the most disappointing MBB season in ISU history (relative to expectations), if it isn't already there.