#8 R.P.I. Iowa State vs. #139 R.P.I. Virginia Tech:

 

My sources say that being ranked #4 in the Nation might just be a sign that Iowa State is, actually, ok.
Maybe even good.
Actually, maybe even great.

And this just in: Happy Thanksgiving; and rain still=wet.

As Iowa State is not just good, they are very very very good, and they prolly are pretty dang great. Yes, Iowa State does have a new coach (Steve Prohm), yes Iowa State got upset in the Big Dance last year; and yes, every single preview mag’ I have says: Sweet-16 or better for this Cyclone’s basketball Big-12 basketball storm.

This one is dicey, at best; as this is the best out of conference team we will face all season long and it is not even close.

Iowa State at a glance:

• 13th in FG percentage O (52.5%)
• 13th in offensive rebounding
• 20th in FG percentage D allowed (33.3%)
• 23rd in Rebounding Margin (+13 rpg)
• 37th in Scoring (87 ppg)
• 329th in FG percentage (59.1%)

Iowa State returning starters=4

i. State Strengths:

• Best Defender in the Big-12: 6’9” 215 lb. senior P/F #1 Jameel McKay. Only leading I.S.U. in scoring (16.5 ppg) and on the glass (10.5 rpg). Only a pure shot-blocking machine from the P/F spot; only shooting 68% this year from the floor; however, he is only 14% from the FT-line thus far! Last year he netted 59.8% on 15′ set-shots. Does bring an incredible 7’5” wingspan to the court and does wield a Predator hairstyle in the truest sense. This guy is an Association Pro’, and he sure has come a long long way from Indian Hills Community College; great, on, him!

  

• Best play-maker in the Big-12: 6’2” 17o lb. Jr. Pt.Guard Monte Morris. A staggering career 4.69:1 assist to turnover ratio? You think??? I mean how much better of a ratio are you expecting? As this Morris is a full Monte indeed. A guy just halfway through his career already with 310 assists to go with 110 steals; yah; I’d say that counts. Now mix in 14 ppg, 4 rpg and some improved shooting range and you have at least an overseas pro’ on your hands. Michigan’s Mr. Basketball Award in 2013, undervalued high 90’s national scholastic rankee.
• Abdel Nader: 6’6” 225 lb. r-senior Swing. Versatile jack of all trades kinda baller who has really come up statistically thus far this season. Second in scoring with 15.5 ppg and and likewise second in rebounding at 7.5 rpg. Pretty damn good work from a career 5.8 ppg and 2.8 rpg guy. Maybe this upward mobility holds true and lasts the day and maybe it won’t. However, this is an early candidate for most improved in the Big-12, (previously) by way of Nor.Illinois. Who has done more than his incoming high school jacket would have suggested he could. A 7’1” wingspan prolly ain’t hurting this overachiever; either.
• Georges Niang: 6’8” 230 lb. point-P/F who has cut a whopping 30 lbs. post-op’ as right foot surgery goes –Godspeed. As he’s still pretty dang high-voltage with the emphasis on power in P/F. Though he is a point-P/F and leads I.S.U. with 6 apg from the Four spot. Now mix in 14 ppg in scoring and 4 boards and you suddenly have an extremely complete baller on your hands; or a previous 3rd team all-American, take thy pick.
• Nazareth Mitrou-Long: all world name guy, who has changed his name yet again, and is now honoring his mummy. Top-2 or at least a Top-3 pure distance marksman shooter from downtown as the entire Big-12 goes. N.b.a. range on his 3’s and he nets a buncha them as a 6’4” 2o8 lb. senior. 7th-best player in Canada coming outta high school (in Ontario) according to North Pole Hoops, eh. 40% career shooter from distance has been a little chilly (25%) to start 15-2016. Have to think he snaps outta that at some point, and he is giving you 13.5 ppg and 4 boards nevertheless.
• that’s 5 guys @13.5 ppg or better!

Cyclone Weaknesses:

• blooming star G Deonte Burton, a Bud Foster De sized Marquette transferring lead-G one 6’4” 240 lb. loaded for bear #30, is ineligible for this semester. And this outburst scorer is a Mitch Richmond physical+ sized load. And as great as Iowa State is, Iowa State may make a case for best backcourt in the land, if/when Burton gets his iowastate.edu triple-double posted-up. And yes, he WON a dunk contest this summer, wearing; hip-hop street signature Timberland boots! You can’t have the hip if you ain’t got the hop. Say it wif’ me: “Deonte Burton is a beast, a BEAST!”

  

• Kansas is still in the Big-12 last time I checked.
• and it will take time to transition from homesteading ex-Cyclone himself Fred Hoiberg’s innovative Spread Style system (N.b.a. esque motion 3-point heavy set) to what coach Prohm brings. That said, the summer Spanish trip should aid and abet matriculation here.
• Prohm is known for a high velocity fast-forward up-tempo offensive set. Which emphasizes scoring just as Hoiberg’s did. And even if it is not apples to oranges, it still is oranges to tangerines.
• Beyond that? You’d better hope I.S.U. ballers miss, or have a cold shooting nite.

I.S.U. Bench: ( depth=2 deep and spot minutes after that, bit thinner here, although the starting-5 is so good how much does it really matter beyond the 3-in-a-row Conference Tournament?)

Illation, conclusion (s) and OPT digits:

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is… unlike Hoiberg teams, Prohm’s is not so 3-point shot reliant at a close to last place 341st in 3-point FGA’s this young campaign. This is however a very very fun team to watch; as I.S.U. will motor up and down the hardwood; think of them as former V.M.I. squads with talent; and lottsa dunk. Lots of athletic talent and lots of juicy tempo on top of that. Gonna take lot to stuff Iowa State post-Thanksgiving; and honestly, I’m just not seeing that.

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This is either the 1st or 2nd best team we will face all year. Unconditionally no less than the 2015-2016 opposing bronze medalist as the Cyclone sure appear poised for a golden year; and you have to think this is their low-tide. As they will only absorb the fast-break mechanics of the Prohm offensive set’s all the more as this one rolls along –in addition to turning the whirlwind otherwise known as d.Burton loose in ’16. That reads pretty cyclonic to me.

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Only real call here is how far do you have Iowa State going in March Madness.
Elite-8 seems about right to me.

(86% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=65, Iowa State=86

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**