*** Official West Virginia vs IOWA STATE Game(Day) Thread ***

[CoKane]

I think making the Tournament 3-4 years in a row is something to be pretty grateful for as an Iowa State. I’m 45 years old and watched many good teams and great coaches. Not too many can get to that tournament consistently. Hell I love Dana Altman but Oregon is about to miss the tournament for the second year in a row and they play in the PAC-12. Can you imagine what we would be doing here?

I guess that just depends on what you really want to see then. If you're fine with 6th to 8th every year and a blah tournament seed then that's fine, you don't want to want anything more. I actually wont grill anyone for that because want you want is what you want. That would be a **** move to say what you want is wrong.

I'd like to see us be able to rise up and challenge the top dogs from time to time. IDK at what rate that could look like at all, but we aint getting there if we can't figure out the other teams and they all figure us out once February hits every year.

 

[ClonerJams]

Agreed. But his lack of composure has been a huge part of several close losses, too.

I agree, but I think its all related. If he's healthy and playing like he has been prior to the injury, I doubt you see the lapses in judgement. Maybe not tonight, but the OSU game was definitely out of frustration.

 

[WastedTalent]

You got a problem with “decorum” that crosses site rule lines, report it. Otherwise stfu. You tell us to take the night off. Why don’t people who have a problem with game threads redirect their smug energies from officiating game threads to something that isn’t so clearly far below them.

Let it out... let it all out

 

[Darius Bieber]

Big picture before the NCAA tournament, assuming we lose at Baylor and are one and done in Kansas City, we would have lost 12 of our last 16 games… What tournament bound team in history has limped into the tournament like that? It has to be a mentally drained locker room.

 

[madguy30]

Yes. It would be generally unreasonable for people to throw tantrums if we make the tournament but we are #75 in the country in offensive efficiency. If it looks pretty on offense but we go to the NIT is that going to give people warm fuzzies.

The students: 'Basketball games are SO fun and they went to some tournament thingy!'

 

[CoKane]

Id disagree with this. I think a couple bad hires over the last 15 years have people's perspective off.

Power conference programs that care about basketball are generally more likely than not to make it most years, and that has increased over the last couple decades.

And with portal and pay for play legal you can bounce back way easier than before. I'm still not sure where to say a reasonable amount of tournament bids in a decade is with all the new stuff around

 

[CoKane]

The students: 'Basketball games are SO fun and they went to some tournament thingy!'

Ok, I don't think the students are that stupid

 

[NENick]

I really thought this game was going to end differently. The team showed more energy, saw a few smiles, came back from a double-digit deficit. Things were pointing in the right direction. Then the double tech.

BTW, I thought the Cyclones had 3 good possessions down the stretch, getting Gabe a good look from the corner, Osun a point blank post-up, and Holmes a wide open 15 footer. None went in and they made 5 FTs on the other end. Frustrating.

Last point: Toussaint is a punk.

 

[rochclone]

At the same time, this is what is annoying when people get up in arms at any criticism of TJ. Of course he has flaws, everyone does.

I guess my expectation is not that a guy in his mid 40’s is going to consistently out coach Hall of Famers. He certainly outcoached Self and Drew on occasion this year. But Huggins is just as good as those two.

 

[Cupped]

I agree about the flagrant foul actually hurting us. Also, the delay while looking for a contact lens for BRE gave WVU another rest break. They were just gassed at the time, especially Mathews.

 

[CoKane]

No, I'm not going to be worried about it.

3 years in a row of making a tournament (if that happens--I didn't think they would the last two seasons) is really good at ISU.

It'll be like 'hey, ISU's decent at basketball. Cool.'

Ok, guess that's just where we're different. Getting capped at a 7 seed every year is pretty blah for me personally

 

[CoKane]

As bad as the month before was good??

Sure. And oh boy is it bad right now

 

[Malone]

Let it out... let it all out

Do you grant permission, wise one?

 

[alarson]

And with portal and pay for play legal you can bounce back way easier than before. I'm still not sure where to say a reasonable amount of tournament bids in a decade is with all the new stuff around

And to TJs credit, i think he's setting himself up well if he can get his teams to gel quickly every year. With everyone having to rebuild their rosters almost every year, that will get us a baseline resume that will get us some wins above our talent level early in the season during years (like this year) that would otherwise be down\rebuilding years and get us in the tournament. The test will come when we get to years where we have talent and should be making some noise with it.

 

[Darius Bieber]

Ok, guess that's just where we're different. Getting capped at a 7 seed every year is pretty blah for me personally

Exactly. Kansas State was down bad when we were down and now they’re projected 4 seed at worst in the tournament. And they also lost a “pay for play” star transfer to Miami.

 

[Raiders70]

Did you happen to catch other games/teams?

I think with Grill not getting injured ISU flips a couple of games but doing this penciling in of a conference title that some apparently did before the conference season is even half over was not a smart move.

I don't think too many people pencilled in a conference title but the idea that the team would regress to the point where in there last two home games they would get blown out by the worst team in the conference followed by losing to a West Virginia team that struggles mightily on the road is pretty unfathomable. Texas Tech loss just killed this team. They have never recovered from that loss. If they had pulled that one out I don't think this team would have gone into such a downward spiral.

 

[fcclone]

Big picture before the NCAA tournament, assuming we lose at Baylor and are one and done in Kansas City, we would have lost 12 of our last 16 games… What tournament bound team in history has limped into the tournament like that? It has to be a mentally drained locker room.

Ummmm, maybe last years sweet 16 team?

 

[madguy30]

Ok, guess that's just where we're different. Getting capped at a 7 seed every year is pretty blah for me personally

Then you would have not liked 80s and 90s super duper fun ISU basketball that gets celebrated on here. Johnny typically had losing conference records.

 

[Darius Bieber]

Ummmm, maybe last years sweet 16 team?

We won’t have the luxury of playing a team whose coach got fired a week before the first round NCAA tournament game, with their players filing their transfer portal papers right after the game. And even then, last year’s team barely won against LSU.

 

[Final42b]

On the bright side I don’t think anybody is going to try to buy any of our returning players this year.