Is ISU a Cinderella?

[NorthCyd]

Thought this seemed like a fun and dumb debate topic. Dan Patrick mentioned ISU in his opening monologue today and called ISU a "Cinderella" along with St. Peters. Clearly St. Peters qualifies, but does ISU? I get that double digit seeds in the sweet 16 are generally considered "Cinderellas", but ISU had been ranked in the top 10, has an elite top 10 defense, and up near the top in quad 1 wins. So what do you think? I'm not upset if people refer to ISU as a "Cinderella", just not sure it qualifies IMO.

 

[BCClone]

Doesn’t feel like it, but remember, we finished 7th in our conference. Or was it 8th?

 

[Marcelason78]

With all the negative hype on the team toward the end of the season- yes.
The Cyclones are rolling to the Elite 8, which nobody expected.

 

[jsb]

We aren’t one like St Peter’s is. But I sort of consider us a Cinderella this year. Cinderella adjacent.

 

[Muzzy]

I don’t even feel that either win was much of an upset? We belong and our seed was low because of our conference competition.

 

[allfourcy]

I think Cinderella is often attached to a mid-major team. But I think it applies to anyone below a 8 or 9 seed, too. I agree with above post also that it applies here due to the fact we finished 7th in the conference and quite honestly aren't aesthetically pleasing offensively to the typical basketball fan. But winning is winning. 'Ugly, but effective' is what I often say.

 

[8bitnes]

If it weren't for St Peter's, we would be cast in the role. I feel like there is only room for one Cinderella in the narrative. If they lose and we win, then we get "elevated"

 

[CyHans]

I could see us being considered a Cinderella because we went from 2 wins last year to the Sweet 16. But I agree with the previous post that we were ranked in the top 10 at one time and beat a lot of quad 1 teams this year and play in a power 5 conference so I personally don't see us as a Cinderella.

 

[CYCLNST8]

I think Cinderella is often attached to a mid-major team.

Agreed. I don't think Power 6 programs should ever be allowed that designation. Is anyone considering Michigan or UNC a Cinderella story?

 

[mynameisjonas]

Nah

 

[madguy30]

I voted 'no'. The seeding was probably fair for how the season finished and ISU let a few games get away from them but not enough people took the time to notice that ISU played this way in how they beat or even dismantled non-conference opponents.

I had someone tell me how great the ISU/Iowa game was because of how rivalries bring out the scrambling for loose balls, defending, etc. and I had to explain that they just play like that.

 

[NobodyBeatsCy]

Well we aint the ugly stepsisters

 

[madguy30]

Agreed. I don't think Power 6 programs should ever be allowed that designation. Is anyone considering UNC a Cinderella story?

Michigan???

 

[dafarmer]

More like Sleeping Beauty. Just needed someone to wake ISU up and start playing Cyclone basketball.

 

[jcyclonee]

I think Cinderella is often attached to a mid-major team. But I think it applies to anyone below a 8 or 9 seed, too. I agree with above post also that it applies here due to the fact we finished 7th in the conference and quite honestly aren't aesthetically pleasing offensively to the typical basketball fan. But winning is winning. 'Ugly, but effective' is what I often say.

I would agree with certain exceptions. A school like Michigan with nearly unlimited resources is not a Cinderella.

 

[jdoggivjc]

I don’t think we’re a Cinderella; I think we were badly underseeded. People saw our conference record and assumed we couldn’t be that good, not appreciating how difficult of a conference the Big 12 is.

 

[allfourcy]

By the way, and maybe its already been discussed, but as torturing as the Okie State and big12 matchup w/Tech were, is anyone else thinking it might have been the best thing that happened to this team as far as NCAA seeding goes? If we had been the 8/9, a second round game vs. a No.1 is a much tougher path (as in TCU). Was so pulling for TCU last night, what an effort by them.

 

[CYCLNST8]

Michigan???

Thought of it right after I posted. Beat me to it.

 

[Cyclonepride]

I voted yes, but it's a close call on this one the more you think about it. The Big 12 was by far the best conference, and we were under-seeded because they didn't give enough value to our horrendously tough schedule due to that. Probably should have been a 6 or 7 (Big 10 inflated their perceived value playing each other, and the crappy teams at their bottom). We didn't have that luxury.

 

[jcyclonee]

We are beautiful, work harder than anybody else, and are disrespected. Sounds like Cinderella to me.

I guess that makes JP our fairy godmother and TJ our seamstress mouse.