UNI game....

[CascadeClone]

As long as they don't turn the ball over like its their job (e.g. Iowa 1st half) they should be OK. But they have been real sloppy early, driving in and trying to make tough passes, jumping in the air into trouble, etc. Gotta get that cleaned up.

I expect UNI to shoot well and slow it down. Gonna have to value the ball.

 

[CyArob]

Not big enough. ISU has to win by 60 to prove they're any good.

 

[cyclonedave25]

I will predict that UNI will lead by double digits at some point, but ISU will end up winning by 10 +/- 3 points.

 

[Cyclonepride]

UNI now (officially) next up. At the beginning of the season I wanted to see us get to 10-0 and then head to Cincinnati and see what happens. Only one obstacle left.

I thought we could perhaps lose 1 or 2 in the non-conference, particularly with Burton's late start and getting him into the groove.

UNI certainly has the ability to beat us if they are on and we are not. The defensive end will be the key, and playing well there should give us the opportunity to win, even if we aren't shooting well. We also can't afford the turnovers, especially since our transition defense has left a lot to be desired.

 

[VeloClone]

I thought we could perhaps lose 1 or 2 in the non-conference, particularly with Burton's late start and getting him into the groove.

UNI certainly has the ability to beat us if they are on and we are not. The defensive end will be the key, and playing well there should give us the opportunity to win, even if we aren't shooting well. We also can't afford the turnovers, especially since our transition defense has left a lot to be desired.

You are right; he does kind of remind me of a defensive end.

 

[JRE1975]

Question for a UNI fan, will Austin's transfer out hurt UNI for this game or the rest of the year?

 

[andymhallman]

Hello again Cyclone fans. Hoping this game is more competitive than the football game was this fall.

I'm expecting another good game between these two teams, even though ISU appears to have the advantage on paper. Jacobson will have the team ready for ISU as he always does. UNI really needs this game to get another strong non-conference victory if they have any shot at an at-large bid this season.

For more info on UNI, we currently use a four guard lineup with Washpun, Bohannon, Morgan, Jesperson, and Koch starting every game this year. UNI is currently 6-3 with a win over previously No. 1-ranked UNC (although without Marcus Paige) and a decent Stephen F. Austin team. The losses are to Colorado State at home in the season opener (probably a game UNI should have won), and on the road to Richmond and New Mexico (likely two NCAA tournament teams this season). As you can tell, UNI has been inconsistent early on. If they play to their potential, they can beat any team in the country. If not, they can lose to any team in the country. Our bigs (Koch, Friedman, Carlson) are young and have experienced some growing pains this year so the team relies heavily on the guards and 3-point shooting. If UNI can hit their outside shots and defend the paint, I like their chances to keep this game close. If not, I can see ISU winning by 20 points.

As someone who follows UNI basketball closely, I will say that we have increased our offensive pace this year, to me it seems like we have picked up the pace drastically but we still rank 312th in the NCAA in terms of offensive tempo (I think we were about 348 last year) - so yes, you can likely count on UNI trying to dictate the speed of the game, if at all possible.

As I mentioned before, if UNI can limit the damage down low and hit some 3s, they can make it a game. In all honesty, I think it will be close for the first 30 minutes or so, with ISU pulling away by about 10 points late. UNI just isn't the same team without Tuttle this season and it shows with their inconsistency.

After Saturday, I wish you well on the rest of your season. Congrats on beating the Hawkeyes (F*** Iowa) and I hope you can dethrone Kansas.

Thanks for the team summary, UNIPantherFan. I hope all opposing fans feel welcome to do the same (although I felt the posters here were inhospitable to the Hawk fans who tried to engage with them during Thursday's game).

My guess is that Matt Thomas will start in place of Naz Mitrou-Long since Thomas has earned the spot and Naz will probably play fewer minutes now that Burton is available off the bench. I don't expect Burton to play much in this game, maybe 10-15 minutes at the most. I think McKay played 13 minutes in his first game back last year against Drake, and now he routinely plays 30+ minutes per game.

Does UNI have any big men who can hit from outside? That's what really killed us against Iowa, when Niang and then Nader tried to guard Uthoff. They just couldn't keep up.

 

[Cyientist]

Question for a UNI fan, will Austin's transfer out hurt UNI for this game or the rest of the year?

Not a UNI fan, but I took a look at Kenpom. He was averaging 17 minutes in the 6 games in Nov., but only 10, 8, and 1 minute for the games in December. It appears he was a decent 3pt threat going 8/21 in his limited action.

 

[Seedman]

I realize there are two types of people that can damage a sports program: the one who knows and doesn't talk and the one who doesn't know and talks. I am not offering any self-proclaimed clairvoyance and don’t wish to be a Debbie downer, but let’s be honest here. We have just seen 3 lackluster games in a row. Truly great teams don’t play like that! To win at the highest level, a team must possess a warrior like mental toughness, intensity and work ethic. Warriors adhere to code of conduct that defines what they can and cannot do both on and off the court. Certain actions and lackluster inactions are unthinkable! Becoming a warrior or team of warriors is clearly an achievement in character.

In order to live up to preseason expectations a considerable amount of growth from this point forward will be an absolute prerequisite. The growth required reminds me of several timeless quotes that have a direct bearing on achievement in this sport. “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.â€￾ “If you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships!â€￾ Let’s hope this group of Cyclones is able to coalesce into team of warriors we all hope they can be!

 

[H8fkr]

I am not offering any self-proclaimed clairvoyance and don’t wish to be a Debbie downer, but...

Proceeds to be a Debbie Downer. :sad:

This team is ranked #5 and has the pieces it needs to make a run to the final 4. It's shaping up to be a special season so enjoy the ride.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Trampling these guys would be just as satisfying as trampling KU, OU, Texas, or Iowa, but that's not how being a Cyclone works.

I think we'll put on a better effort against UNI than we did early against Iowa or all game against APB, but UNI will shoot about 15% over their historical average (because ISU) and put us in a position for another frantic, stressful second half. I see Georges and McKay in foul trouble most of the night, just because.

Naz or Matt hits a late 3 to give us the edge.

The last five years have worked out pretty well for being a Cyclone.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

I realize there are two types of people that can damage a sports program: the one who knows and doesn't talk and the one who doesn't know and talks. I am not offering any self-proclaimed clairvoyance and don’t wish to be a Debbie downer, but let’s be honest here. We have just seen 3 lackluster games in a row. Truly great teams don’t play like that! To win at the highest level, a team must possess a warrior like mental toughness, intensity and work ethic. Warriors adhere to code of conduct that defines what they can and cannot do both on and off the court. Certain actions and lackluster inactions are unthinkable! Becoming a warrior or team of warriors is clearly an achievement in character.

In order to live up to preseason expectations a considerable amount of growth from this point forward will be an absolute prerequisite. The growth required reminds me of several timeless quotes that have a direct bearing on achievement in this sport. “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.â€￾ “If you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships!â€￾ Let’s hope this group of Cyclones is able to coalesce into team of warriors we all hope they can be!

Have you watched every game of every other top 5 team this year? I can guarantee you they've all had similar stretches in games this year.

 

[ProhmDate]

Proceeds to be a Debbie Downer. :sad:

This team is ranked #5 and has the pieces it needs to make a run to the final 4. It's shaping up to be a special season so enjoy the ride.[/QUOTe

I agree with Seedman and believe a more intelligent observation would require considering all his points as a whole rather than taking selected sections out of context. That said, I also believe we have the pieces in place. However, I also struggle to understand the subpar performance we have witnessed thus far.

 

[H8fkr]

Proceeds to be a Debbie Downer. :sad:

This team is ranked #5 and has the pieces it needs to make a run to the final 4. It's shaping up to be a special season so enjoy the ride.[/QUOTe

I agree with Seedman and believe a more intelligent observation would require considering all his points as a whole rather than taking selected sections out of context. That said, I also believe we have the pieces in place. However, I also struggle to understand the subpar performance we have witnessed thus far.

Great job on that quote. I read the whole seedman post but only quoted the relevant portion. Brevity is the best way to have an intelligent conversation.

All teams have subpar performances. It is mid December. It's way to early to freak out or be overly negative about this undefeated Cyclone squad.

 

[ProhmDate]

Great job on that quote. I read the whole seedman post but only quoted the relevant portion. Brevity is the best way to have an intelligent conversation.

All teams have subpar performances. It is mid December. It's way to early to freak out or be overly negative about this undefeated Cyclone squad.

The next 4 games will answer a lot of questions!

 

[1UNI2ISU]

Question for a UNI fan, will Austin's transfer out hurt UNI for this game or the rest of the year?

He was slowly falling out of the rotation and wouldn't have played at all at New Mexico if Jeremy Morgan wouldn't have fouled out with a little over a minute left. He came in with pretty unrealistic expectations of what his role was going to be and also put himself in the doghouse with an OWI and possession arrest in May before he ever made it to campus.

This is at worst a non-impact thing and at best addition by subtraction by getting a negative influence off the team.

 

[Nycclone]

We're you around 15 years ago? Cuz if you were, you'd know that there were many a night where tinsleys n fixer would play terrible yet we would still win anyways. It's actually a dign of a great team where you can play like dog yet still find ways to win.

Although I love your analogies and they sound really cute, you're still wrong.

I realize there are two types of people that can damage a sports program: the one who knows and doesn't talk and the one who doesn't know and talks. I am not offering any self-proclaimed clairvoyance and don’t wish to be a Debbie downer, but let’s be honest here. We have just seen 3 lackluster games in a row. Truly great teams don’t play like that! To win at the highest level, a team must possess a warrior like mental toughness, intensity and work ethic. Warriors adhere to code of conduct that defines what they can and cannot do both on and off the court. Certain actions and lackluster inactions are unthinkable! Becoming a warrior or team of warriors is clearly an achievement in character.

In order to live up to preseason expectations a considerable amount of growth from this point forward will be an absolute prerequisite. The growth required reminds me of several timeless quotes that have a direct bearing on achievement in this sport. “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.â€￾ “If you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships!â€￾ Let’s hope this group of Cyclones is able to coalesce into team of warriors we all hope they can be!

 

[UNIPantherFan]

Thanks for the team summary, UNIPantherFan. I hope all opposing fans feel welcome to do the same (although I felt the posters here were inhospitable to the Hawk fans who tried to engage with them during Thursday's game).

My guess is that Matt Thomas will start in place of Naz Mitrou-Long since Thomas has earned the spot and Naz will probably play fewer minutes now that Burton is available off the bench. I don't expect Burton to play much in this game, maybe 10-15 minutes at the most. I think McKay played 13 minutes in his first game back last year against Drake, and now he routinely plays 30+ minutes per game.

Does UNI have any big men who can hit from outside? That's what really killed us against Iowa, when Niang and then Nader tried to guard Uthoff. They just couldn't keep up.

Klint Carlson, our 6'7" PF who comes off the bench, is the only real outside threat in terms of our post players.

Question for a UNI fan, will Austin's transfer out hurt UNI for this game or the rest of the year?

He played quite a few minutes to start the year while Carlson was out. He seemed to be a good 3-point shooter, but that was really all that impressed me about his game. I think a lot of UNI fans were expecting him to take over at PG next year after Washpun graduated. However, he was sloppy with the ball and seemed to forget that basketball was a team game at times. Needless to say his minutes dropped significantly the past few games and now he is leaving. Throw in the off the court issues that he had before he ever transferred to UNI and I think this will end up being addition by subtraction.

 

[CycloneErik]

Have you watched every game of every other top 5 team this year? I can guarantee you they've all had similar stretches in games this year.

Not just this year, but every single year.

 

[isutrevman]

I realize there are two types of people that can damage a sports program: the one who knows and doesn't talk and the one who doesn't know and talks. I am not offering any self-proclaimed clairvoyance and don’t wish to be a Debbie downer, but let’s be honest here. We have just seen 3 lackluster games in a row. Truly great teams don’t play like that! To win at the highest level, a team must possess a warrior like mental toughness, intensity and work ethic. Warriors adhere to code of conduct that defines what they can and cannot do both on and off the court. Certain actions and lackluster inactions are unthinkable! Becoming a warrior or team of warriors is clearly an achievement in character.

In order to live up to preseason expectations a considerable amount of growth from this point forward will be an absolute prerequisite. The growth required reminds me of several timeless quotes that have a direct bearing on achievement in this sport. “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” “If you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships!” Let’s hope this group of Cyclones is able to coalesce into team of warriors we all hope they can be!

1. These guys aren't warriors, they are basketball players, playing a game.
2. Show me a championship team in history that played perfect every game.
3. We are 8-0.
4. We are not going to win every game