The BIGGER picture.

[4theCYcle]

By my count CF has these posters:

Negative Nellie
Debbie Downer
Suzie Sour Grapes
Glass-Half-Empty Gladys
Manic Mike

Who am I missing?

Negative Nancy, who is related to Negative Nellie.
Devastated Dan.
Whining Willy

 

[zimman18]

Everyone compares this team to last year.... Well last year, before the big 12 tourney, we had lost 2 of our last 3. I wouldn't get too worried.

 

[CycloneVet]

Whoa there. Love the passion...and agree on comparing this year to last year. They are very similar years. However, I think a lot of the negativity is coming from people who expected more this year. I know, I know...how can you lose Ejim and Kane and expect more...I get it. But put me in the camp of those that did. I thought this would be the year we would take the next step and either win the Big 12 or at least tie for the regular season. I thought we would be more consistent. I thought Georges would be more dynamic and dominant than how he has been most of the year (obviously last night, he was huge). And as a lifelong Cyclone fan (21 years since my first game in Hilton), I think it's good that we are expecting more and frustrating when it doesn't pan out. This is still a good team, yes. We could still make it to the Final Four and win the Big 12 Tournament. I just really thought we would have the talent to be a Top 5 team and dominate most opponents. Obviously that isn't the case and I think that is part of the frustration and negativity.

Do you realize that all the teams that we play have a list of players that they would rather not have beat them from our team, guess who is at the top of that list for EVERY SINGLE GAME? Georges Freaking Niang. I would say he has performed very well this year considering that. We have a lot of talent on this team and I would rather not have to rely on Georges every single night. He has met my expectations for the most part.

 

[Luth4Cy]

No one is saying expecting more was wrong. But not being able to accept and move on from expectations in to reality is what is so grating around here. When I expect to hit the green light at the cluster intersection but I get the yellow and have to stop I don't go drive my car in to the stop light. I'll just roll my eyes and say "wtf" and realize it's not that b of a fd and reality is somewhere in the middle but much more on the high side than the low side of the middle.

The problem though is that too many times this season the reality falls short of what this team is capable of. If the reality was their very best then I could live with that, but oftentimes it just hasn't been. And while I was very pleased with the second half last night, it made it all the more clear to me what this team is really capable of when they play their absolute hardest.

 

[bawbie]

Whoa there. Love the passion...and agree on comparing this year to last year. They are very similar years. However, I think a lot of the negativity is coming from people who expected more this year. I know, I know...how can you lose Ejim and Kane and expect more...I get it. But put me in the camp of those that did.

It is certainly true that expectations were higher this year than last year. But, as I have said over and over again in these threads, the problem is NEVER with high expectation, the problem is with people who don't know how to handle when high expectations are completely met.

I'm one of those that was predicting a transcendent season, I think my preseason prediction was 27-3 or something crazy like that. But you don't see me melting down and writing off the season - because I have perspective.

I thought this would be the year we would take the next step and either win the Big 12 or at least tie for the regular season. I thought we would be more consistent.

We still actually have a chance at a share of the BigXII title and the #1 seed. Yet you are still disappointed.

I thought Georges would be more dynamic and dominant than how he has been most of the year (obviously last night, he was huge).

Georges has been great, but not perfect. One of the biggest differences with Georges this year is that teams are keying on him and game planning against him.

This is still a good team, yes. We could still make it to the Final Four and win the Big 12 Tournament.

Exactly. So why the **** are you writing them off already and ******** about the season being a disappointment when every single goal for the season is still attainable?

I just really thought we would have the talent to be a Top 5 team and dominate most opponents. Obviously that isn't the case and I think that is part of the frustration and negativity.

We could have been and we still could be. If this team makes the Final Four (still a very legit contender to do so), they would end the season in the Top 5. If it "clicked" last night and they can bring the same intensity and focus as they played with in the second half, they could destroy quite a few teams yet.

And if they don't, it's still one of the very best seasons in Iowa State basketball history. That is perspective that leads me to my very humble opinion that "frustration and negativity" are NOT the mature response to very high expectations not being met.

 

[bawbie]

The problem though is that too many times this season the reality falls short of what this team is capable of. If the reality was their very best then I could live with that, but oftentimes it just hasn't been. And while I was very pleased with the second half last night, it made it all the more clear to me what this team is really capable of when they play their absolute hardest.

my previous post was very long. I'll make this one shorter: the season isn't over yet, quit writing this team's epitaph.

 

[allfourcy]

The problem though is that too many times this season the reality falls short of what this team is capable of. If the reality was their very best then I could live with that, but oftentimes it just hasn't been. And while I was very pleased with the second half last night, it made it all the more clear to me what this team is really capable of when they play their absolute hardest.

I get your point but the reality is that there are too many variables that go in to what you determined as them not playing their best....such as an opponent's great performance, mismatches, plan A defense not working, etc. Remember, the other team is a good team with the same objectives. I guess it amazes me how furiously quick and what extreme effort it takes to cover all the shooters like an OU has and still not get burnt inside. And STILL play basically only 6 or 7 guys. But having not played college ball, I wouldn't know if a player can give a continual 38 minutes of that or not.

 

[Gunnerclone]

The problem though is that too many times this season the reality falls short of what this team is capable of. If the reality was their very best then I could live with that, but oftentimes it just hasn't been. And while I was very pleased with the second half last night, it made it all the more clear to me what this team is really capable of when they play their absolute hardest.

I'll just leave you alone in your vacuum.

 

[ISUFan22]

Hey whiners - here is a stat...not the BIGGER picture, but it is the REALITY picture.

ISU has 16 wins over ranked teams in the last 2 years. No one in the entire MBB landscape can say that. I think next closest is KU with 14.

Shut.
The.
****.
Up.

 

[bawbie]

Hey whiners - here is a stat...not the BIGGER picture, but it is the REALITY picture.

ISU has 16 wins over ranked teams in the last 2 years. No one in the entire MBB landscape can say that. I think next closest is KU with 14.

Shut.
The.
****.
Up.

Amen.

 

[HFCS]

By my count CF has these posters:

Negative Nellie
Debbie Downer
Suzie Sour Grapes
Glass-Half-Empty Gladys
Manic Mike

Who am I missing?

Massive Head Wound Harry

It would explain some of it actually.

 

[Cyclonestate78]

Jeebuz Cripes...

Last year in the last 5 games we went 3-2 with losses to two unranked teams, and needed OT to win against another unranked team at home. This year we are sitting at 2-2 with one left to play, one of those losses was against a similarly ranked team, the other was in a notoriously difficult place to play (KSU also beat KU and Baylor in Manhattan prior to beating us).

People have such a selective memory about last year...

They beat Oklahoma in Manhattan as well.

 

[HFCS]

Hey whiners - here is a stat...not the BIGGER picture, but it is the REALITY picture.

ISU has 16 wins over ranked teams in the last 2 years. No one in the entire MBB landscape can say that. I think next closest is KU with 14.

Shut.
The.
****.
Up.

 

[DesignerClone]

I get your point but the reality is that there are too many variables that go in to what you determined as them not playing their best....such as an opponent's great performance, mismatches, plan A defense not working, etc. Remember, the other team is a good team with the same objectives. I guess it amazes me how furiously quick and what extreme effort it takes to cover all the shooters like an OU has and still not get burnt inside. And STILL play basically only 6 or 7 guys. But having not played college ball, I wouldn't know if a player can give a continual 38 minutes of that or not.

Exactly. There are far too many black and white thinkers. Its not like they are playing competetive Connect 4!

 

[DesignerClone]

Hey whiners - here is a stat...not the BIGGER picture, but it is the REALITY picture.

ISU has 16 wins over ranked teams in the last 2 years. No one in the entire MBB landscape can say that. I think next closest is KU with 14.

Shut.
The.
****.
Up.

And...Game. Set. Match.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Hey whiners - here is a stat...not the BIGGER picture, but it is the REALITY picture.

ISU has 16 wins over ranked teams in the last 2 years. No one in the entire MBB landscape can say that. I think next closest is KU with 14.

Shut.
The.
****.
Up.

 

[madguy30]

Yes, "The Comeback" was great. But aren't we all missing the BIGGER picture here? Iowa State is struggling right now at the end of the regular season & right before the Big 12 Tournament. This team is worrying me as they don't have that same "moxy" that last year's team had.

They might go 4-2 in the their last 6 games. That's pretty good. Last week wasn't great, and I thought the results were due to some things not being fixed, but it's about on par with last year's team getting worked at KSU and Baylor, and then getting worked for 25 minutes by OSU before putting into OT on Naz Long's prayer.

I remain astounded at the revisionist history of the 2013-14 basketball team.

 

[CycloneErik]

By my count CF has these posters:

Negative Nellie
Debbie Downer
Suzie Sour Grapes
Glass-Half-Empty Gladys
Manic Mike

Who am I missing?

clonedude

 

[isutrevman]

Yes, "The Comeback" was great. But aren't we all missing the BIGGER picture here? Iowa State is struggling right now at the end of the regular season & right before the Big 12 Tournament. This team is worrying me as they don't have that same "moxy" that last year's team had.

Last year's team was struggling quite a bit going into the Big 12 tournament, so I'm not worried. The game last night was very similar to the OSU game on senior night last year (I think we overcame an 18 point deficit in that one) and last night was against a better team.

Maybe you forgot about the wins @OSU and @Texas in recent weeks?

 

[Luth4Cy]

my previous post was very long. I'll make this one shorter: the season isn't over yet, quit writing this team's epitaph.

I'm not writing them off. They could have an excellent March. I just know they were capable of more wins during the regular season they didn't get.