When even Hilton Magic isn’t good enough to get the job done, where does Iowa State turn? That’s one version of the questions Iowa State fans are asking after the Cyclones got tripped up again in Ames for their second straight loss at Hilton Coliseum. This was at least closer, but Iowa State still lost 72-69 to West Virginia, giving the Cyclones their fourth consecutive loss and eighth loss in 10 games.
For whatever reason, nothing has gone right for Iowa State ever since it arrived in Missouri on Jan. 28. The Cyclones came up against their former Big 12 rival in Columbia sporting a 15-4 record and got routed by 17. They haven’t been the same since, dropping seven of nine in the Big 12. The wins in that stretch are excellent, victories over Kansas and TCU. But some of the losses have been quite poor, even in a league as strong as the Big 12.
Currently, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Texas Tech and Oklahoma all sit behind Iowa State in the Big 12 standings and would have to open the conference tournament on Wednesday and play four games in four days to win the event. The Cyclones lost to three of them in Ames, only besting Texas Tech, and they lost to the Red Raiders in Lubbock. Clearly, something is wrong with this squad; let’s take a look at what it might be.
Final pic.twitter.com/Re2ZoQHyEL
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) February 28, 2023
The Big 12 is a Meat Grinder
There simply are no easy games in the Big 12. The West Virginia squad that beat Iowa State on Monday sits at 6-11 and eighth in the Big 12, and it’s currently on the bubble for an NCAA bid. Not only that, but the Mountaineers’ resume includes a 25-point beatdown of ACC leader Pittsburgh in a true road game. There’s no shame in losing to West Virginia, even at Hilton Coliseum.
That’s just life in a conference that houses the past two national champions, and it’s only going to get tougher next year when No. 1 Houston joins the party. Not one member of either the current or future Big 12 ranks below No. 90 in the NET rankings, and this year, Oklahoma ranks lowest at No. 65. That means every night, Iowa State’s facing one of the toughest teams in the country. Over time, that weighs on teams and can keep them from playing their best.
Iowa State has beat some really good teams, but projected as a 4-5 seed right now is just wild.
They’re 3-9 in their last 12 games and 1-6 in their last 7 😧
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) February 28, 2023
Iowa State’s 3-Point Shooting Has Been Atrocious
Nobody will ever confuse Iowa State with the likes of Baylor or Indiana, but the Cyclones aren’t Mississippi State either. They can take and make a good shot from behind the arc, and they usually aren’t terrible at it. Jaren Holmes, Gabe Kalscheur and Caleb Grill won’t be appearing in the 3-point contest on NBA All-Star Weekend anytime soon, but they collectively hit about 35% of their deep shots.
Against Texas, Kansas State and Oklahoma, that did not happen. Iowa State played without Grill against the Longhorns and the Wildcats, and Kalscheur and Holmes combined to shoot 3-for-16 against K-State and 3-for-13 against Texas. Things didn’t improve much against Oklahoma, as the Sooners held the three to 4-for-13 from deep. Not once did Iowa State shoot better than 27% from deep.
Things went a little better against West Virginia, at least. Shooting 8-for-21 from deep and getting 7-for-16 from your guards is something you can work with. It didn’t work, as Iowa State still lost, but the Cyclones gave a credible effort in the setback. With a few more showings like that, the Cyclones will start to turn losses into wins.
"Think about what the fans are going to bring and think about how we are going to make them proud."
𝒯𝒾𝓂𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒪𝓃𝑒 𝐿𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝑅𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝒶𝓉 𝐻𝒾𝓁𝓉𝑜𝓃#Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/ubn3antVZc
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) February 28, 2023
How the Cyclones Can Get Back on Track
Above all, Iowa State has to avoid panicking. The Cyclones aren’t going to fall out of the NCAA tournament picture. They’re safe from anything catastrophic happening; they might get a lower seed than they wanted, but they’re going to play in the NCAA tournament again. This skid might be nothing more than needing to get away from league play and play a few teams outside of the Big 12.
What the Cyclones need to do is get some confidence back and remember the things that got them to the point of sealing an NCAA tournament bid. Notably, that means playing good defense in the mid-range area and contesting every shot to make teams work for any points they get. Iowa State leads the nation in limiting attempts near the basket and in limiting attempts at the hoop overall. The Cyclones need to force teams to beat them from 15 feet away and further.
They’ve also got to maintain their composure even as they have problems in the win-loss record. Playing in the Big 12 should have toughened the Cyclones for what they see in March. However, if you want to bet on March Madness in Iowa don’t be too confident on the Cyclones.
Though, if Iowa State can get past this funk and get back to hitting some 3-pointers and playing their game, they’re set up nicely for a run. However, if the crisis of confidence continues, they’ll lose in the first round and undo all the work they have done.
Last time each Big 12 team made it out of the first weekend (Sweet 16+):
Kansas: 2022
Iowa State: 2022
Texas Tech: 2022
Baylor: 2021
West Virginia: 2018
Kansas State: 2018
Oklahoma: 2016
Texas: 2008
Oklahoma St: 2005
TCU: 1968 pic.twitter.com/AWTDS8sFaN— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) February 22, 2023
Credits on Featured Image: Mike Tigas
