The BIGGER picture.

besserheimerphat

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Apr 11, 2006
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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.

With the talent and coaching we have, we are CAPABLE of winning every game. You can probably say that about two to five teams every year. But how many times do you see a team go undefeated? Reality can be a real mother****er.
 

Luth4Cy

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Sep 19, 2012
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With the talent and coaching we have, we are CAPABLE of winning every game. You can probably say that about two to five teams every year. But how many times do you see a team go undefeated? Reality can be a real mother****er.

Never said they should go undefeated, but those who have watched a lot of basketball are capable of determining if a loss is a good loss or a bad loss. Too many of the losses have been bad losses. They have occurred due to fixable things such as work ethic, team play, or good team defense.
 

Thomasrickj

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Feb 26, 2012
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You, sir, have won the internet with the Debbie Downer picture! Some people can't be happy about a miraculous comeback.
 

CyFan61

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Oct 25, 2010
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Didn't read the whole thread, but didn't we have a 16 point comeback on senior day last year capped with Naz's three... after dropping two straight right before it?

This team has mirrored last year's almost to the point of being scary over the last 3 games then.
 

besserheimerphat

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Never said they should go undefeated, but those who have watched a lot of basketball are capable of determining if a loss is a good loss or a bad loss. Too many of the losses have been bad losses. They have occurred due to fixable things such as work ethic, team play, or good team defense.

Playing in such a competitive conference, there are going to be a few "bad losses" every year just because of sheer bad luck. As a fan, it's not worth it to get hung up onthe small handfull of games that could have been played better. You'll end up missing out on a lot of fun things (like 21 point comebacks against a Top 15 team on Senior Night) while worrying about what happened in Lubbock over a freaking month ago. Let it go. Our only "job" as fans is to support the team. The team is going to do what they do regardless of what you think of their work ethic, team play, and team defense.
 

IAStubborn

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Aug 16, 2012
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The bigger picture should not be "next year's" team when this is the team we have right now.

Wouldn't that be a bigger picture than the one you presented. Sorry but if this is a troll a tempt well played. Show me one piece of evidence that this team is anyway worse than last year's or any ISU team since 2001. I'll hang up and listen.
 

Dingus

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May 23, 2013
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As long as they practice in bounding the ball and facing full court pressure this team will have a good run.
 

Luth4Cy

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Playing in such a competitive conference, there are going to be a few "bad losses" every year just because of sheer bad luck. As a fan, it's not worth it to get hung up onthe small handfull of games that could have been played better. You'll end up missing out on a lot of fun things (like 21 point comebacks against a Top 15 team on Senior Night) while worrying about what happened in Lubbock over a freaking month ago. Let it go. Our only "job" as fans is to support the team. The team is going to do what they do regardless of what you think of their work ethic, team play, and team defense.

For the record I did enjoy last night's win. I'll also point out I get an incredible amount amount of joy from a team playing hard and playing great team basketball, in fact a lot of times more joy than I get from seeing this team win. So that's where I'm coming from.
 

clone52

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Jun 27, 2006
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For the record I did enjoy last night's win. I'll also point out I get an incredible amount amount of joy from a team playing hard and playing great team basketball, in fact a lot of times more joy than I get from seeing this team win. So that's where I'm coming from.

Personally, I'd find it hard to say that this team doesn't play as hard or play as much team basketball as last years team. The lapses in that are just fresh in everyone's head, so it might seem that way. We also remember the amazing finish to the season, so we forget the disaster at West Virginia, the horrible defense against OU and Texas. We didn't play great team basketball in late season losses to Baylor and Kansas State. It sure seems like last year's team had just as many lapses in the things that bring you joy as that year's team.
 

dualthreat

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Oct 8, 2008
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Would you rather have Baylor? We'll have to go through one of them if we want to win the whole thing, and I'd rather it be Oklahoma than Baylor. If there was some way to get West Virginia again then I'd be pretty happy.

Absolutely. I'd put OU and west Virginia at the top of teams I don't want to face. Then kansas then probably baylor. Drew isn't beating Hoiberg 3 straight times in 1 season!
 

Gunnerclone

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Jul 16, 2010
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Never said they should go undefeated, but those who have watched a lot of basketball are capable of determining if a loss is a good loss or a bad loss. Too many of the losses have been bad losses. They have occurred due to fixable things such as work ethic, team play, or good team defense.

The first thing is impossible to quantify. You can go to any game thread and see someone saying we need to "play harder" no matter what the circumstance. As far as team play goes the common theme around here is that it's only down to what WE do. When a Maryland, SC, Baylor, etc scheme, take things away, are even built to take team play away in the first place no one gives them any credit. It's just like the 3 point defense thing.

When we're bombing on a team from 3 it's "Look how great of shooters we are."
When another team of relatively similarly talented D1 basketball players are bombing 3's on us it's "OMG our defense is so bad!"
 

Luth4Cy

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The first thing is impossible to quantify. You can go to any game thread and see someone saying we need to "play harder" no matter what the circumstance. As far as team play goes the common theme around here is that it's only down to what WE do. When a Maryland, SC, Baylor, etc scheme, take things away, are even built to take team play away in the first place no one gives them any credit. It's just like the 3 point defense thing.

When we're bombing on a team from 3 it's "Look how great of shooters we are."
When another team of relatively similarly talented D1 basketball players are bombing 3's on us it's "OMG our defense is so bad!"

If you go back and look at my post history, you will notice I rarely if ever talk about guys hitting shots, because while it is a big part of the game, it comes and goes so easily. As far as defense is concerned I have rarely talked about closing out on three point shooters, rather the poor defensive rotation that takes place from time to time.
 

VeloClone

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Jan 19, 2010
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I swear, ISU could beat a ranked team 112-0 playing in the fourth circle of hell with a hostile crowd of demons breathing fire at the team and someone would be on here complaining that ISU didn't win the initial center jump.
 

besserheimerphat

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For the record I did enjoy last night's win. I'll also point out I get an incredible amount amount of joy from a team playing hard and playing great team basketball, in fact a lot of times more joy than I get from seeing this team win. So that's where I'm coming from.

Gotcha. When it comes to basketball, I'm much more a fan of ISU than I am a fan of the sport. So I just want to see ISU win even if they don't always look good doing it. I'm much more of a fan of football as a sport so I have the same appreciation of a well played game even if I have no rooting interest.
 

niangstermvp

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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.
Does ISU win the B12 tourney if Naz doesn't hit that 3 vs Okie St. on senior day at home last year? I don't know momentum is a fragile thing but the biggest comeback in ISU history on senior night seems to be a pretty good spring board.
 

bc1379

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Does ISU win the B12 tourney if Naz doesn't hit that 3 vs Okie St. on senior day at home last year? I don't know momentum is a fragile thing but the biggest comeback in ISU history on senior night seems to be a pretty good spring board.

I don't think so. I also don't think we get to the B12 Championship game if Joel Embiid isn't out. That Big12 run last year cured a lot of ills and the NCAA run warped everyone's memory of last year's run. Last year, that team had a 3 game losing streak in conference and almost a second one withouth Naz's miracle 3. This year has only had 1 2-game losing streak in a much tougher conference.

A lot of things fell into place last year for us and I loved last year's team. This year's team is exceeding last year's team in a tougher conference. This team could easily repeat what last year's team did and still probably more. It's just a different mix of players.
 

TOFB4ISU

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Nov 6, 2010
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The bigger picture is ISU is now a consistent Top 20 program; arguably Top 15; and any loss will get more painful because they are less expected.
 

jsb

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I don't think so. I also don't think we get to the B12 Championship game if Joel Embiid isn't out. That Big12 run last year cured a lot of ills and the NCAA run warped everyone's memory of last year's run. Last year, that team had a 3 game losing streak in conference and almost a second one withouth Naz's miracle 3. This year has only had 1 2-game losing streak in a much tougher conference.

A lot of things fell into place last year for us and I loved last year's team. This year's team is exceeding last year's team in a tougher conference. This team could easily repeat what last year's team did and still probably more. It's just a different mix of players.


Yep....I'm not convinced that this year's team is quite as strong as last years. But the gap is small and in some ways this year's team has performed better. Things like the win at West Virginia and at Texas. Plus a much easier win against a better Iowa team on the road.

Last year was probably the second most satisfying/fun year I've ever had with Iowa State basketball. This year was never going to live up to that for me and it appears for everyone else.
 

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