Iowa State went to the NCAA tournament seven times in a 10-season stretch from 1991-2001, but there have been lean times of late for the Cyclones.
They have been to the NCAAs just once since that 10-season run, losing in the second round as a No. 9 seed in 2005. That is the last time the Cyclones had a winning record in Big 12 play, at 9-7. Iowa State won just 14 league games the past four seasons, never winning more than four.
This season, the Cyclones already have four Big 12 victories, and while they don’t necessarily look like an NCAA tourney team, that could change in the next week. Iowa State plays host to Kansas on Saturday and Kansas State on Tuesday; a sweep, while unlikely, would provide a huge boost to their NCAA hopes, but getting swept could end them.
Still, this has been a successful season so far. Second-year coach Fred Hoiberg had a rough debut, with the Cyclones going 3-13 in the Big 12 last season. His team was a mystery heading into this season because of seven newcomers, including four Division I transfers and one from a junior college.
The transition has been surprisingly smooth, and transfers have provided the bulk of the points, rebounds and assists. Actually, one transfer leads in all those categories.
The key guy has been sophomore forward Royce White, the No. 19 recruit in the 2009 class. He signed with hometown Minnesota out of high school but never played for the Golden Gophers. He was suspended for the 2009-10 season after numerous off-court problems, then decided to give up basketball to concentrate on a music career. He eventually had a change of heart and signed with Iowa State because of his relationship with Hoiberg, a former Minnesota Timberwolves front-office executive.
White (6 feet 8/270 pounds) is an excellent passer and can serve as a point forward. But he also is a good rebounder and an efficient offensive player. He leads the Cyclones in scoring (13.4 ppg), rebounding (9.6 rpg), assists (4.5 apg), steals (1.2 spg) and blocks (1.2 bpg). He also is shooting 53.5 percent from the floor.
Hoiberg gushes about White, calling him “a very unique player.” In league play, White averages 5.6 assists per game, which is third in the league.
“He’s so unselfish,” Hoiberg said on the Big 12 coaches’ teleconference Monday. “He has great passing instincts. … His ability to get our guys open looks is the best I’ve seen.”
White has physical tools but also has a high basketball IQ. His rebounding work helps the Cyclones outrebound foes by almost four per game. He has had six double-doubles this season, including 15 points and 15 rebound in a loss at Texas on Monday. He had a triple-double – just the 12th in Big 12 history – in a rout of Texas AM on Jan. 7.
Michigan State transfer Chris Allen is the Cyclones’ second-leading scorer (12.1 ppg), and JC transfer Tyrus McGee and Penn State transfer Scott Babb each average 9.3 points.
McGee’s play has been a spark of late. He is averaging 15.0 points over the past three games, including a 20-point outing in a rout of Texas Tech this past Saturday. He shot 50.0 percent from 3-point range in that span.
“I love the confidence Tyrus is playing with now,” Hoiberg said Monday, “not only his offense but his energy.”
White and McGee will have to be on their games Saturday when the Jayhawks visit. KU has won 13 in a row in the series, including a nine-point victory in Lawrence on Jan. 14, and has been victorious on 11 of its past 15 trips to Ames. Iowa State hasn’t beaten Kansas in Ames since 2004.
Iowa State lacks a marquee win, but has a shot at getting a few of those down the stretch. There are two games remaining against K-State and Baylor, along with Saturday’s game with Kansas and a Feb. 29 meeting against Missouri.
Even if the Cyclones don’t get that marquee win, they have a legit shot at an NIT bid, somewhat surprising considering the state of the program last season.
And, hey, more help is on the horizon for next season in the form of – what else? – two more transfers, guard Korie Lucious from Michigan State and forward Will Clyburn from Utah.
[Forde Minutes: It’s the year of the dragon in college hoops]
3 to watch
Kansas at Iowa State, Saturday, 1 p.m., ESPN: Kansas has won 10 in a row overall and is 4-0 in true road games this season. Iowa State would love to end the winning streak.
Missouri at Texas, Monday, 9 p.m., ESPN: Mizzou beat the Longhorns by 11 at home on Jan. 14.
Kansas State at Iowa State, Tuesday, 9 p.m., Fox Sports Midwest/ESPN FullCourt: The second of two huge back-to-back home games for Iowa State.
[Prep Rally: Unreal high school hoops comeback]
Who’s hot?
Kansas.: The Jayhawks are the only team unbeaten in league play. They have started 7-0 in the conference for the third time in coach Bill Self’s nine seasons and the fifth time in 16 years of Big 12 play.
Texas F/C Clint Chapman: Chapman, a senior, has scored in double figures just four times in his career – and all four occurrences have come in the past seven games. Since the start of the calendar year, Chapman has averaged 10.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks, and has shot 55.6 percent from the floor and 82.1 percent from the line.
Texas AM G Elston Turner: Turner, a junior, was known as a defensive stopper when he played at Washington. But the Aggies need offense with the injury to star swingman Khris Middleton and Turner has responded. He scored a career-high 24 points in a loss to Kansas on Monday; that came two days after he had scored a then-career-high 23 points in a win over Oklahoma. He also had 10 rebounds and eight assists in those two contests.
Who’s not?
Kansas G Elijah Johnson: We’re talking specifically here about his 3-point shooting. It’s awful – and he leads the team in attempts by a wide margin. He is 32-of-111 from beyond the arc, which is 28.8 percent. Connor Teahen and Tyshawn Taylor also have hit 32 3-pointers for KU, but Taylor is hitting 45.7 percent of his attempts and Teahen is at 36.4 percent. In his past eight games, Johnson is 9-of-39 (23.1 percent) from 3-point range.
Iowa State F Royce White: We praised White in the opening section, but, man, he is a bricklayer from the line. While he’s shooting 53.5 percent from the field, he is at 51.2 percent from the line. As bad as that is, he is an oh-my-God-are-you-kidding-me 38.8 percent in seven league games (19-of-49).
Baylor G Brady Heslip: After a stretch in which he scored in double figures seven times in eight games, Heslip has scored in double digits just once in the past four contests. He has hit just 38.5 percent of his shots in that span, 7 percentage points lower than his season average.
Good win last week
Missouri 89, Baylor 88. A great game between two top-10 teams – and a road victory for Mizzou, to boot. This is the most impressive league win thus far in the Big 12 and one of the five or so most impressive victories by anyone this season.
[The PostGame: Seton Hall hoops player Herb Pope cheated death twice]
Bad loss last week
None. There is a clear and distinct delineation between the good and the mediocre (or bad) in this league, and no “good” team deserves to be dinged for any loss they suffered in the past week.
Numbers game
Texas G J’Covan Brown is scoring, but he also is taking a heck of a lot of shots. In his past three games, he has scored 58 points – but those 58 points have come on a staggering 70 shots from the field; he has hit just 25.7 percent from the floor in those three games, which includes 31.0 percent from 3-point range. In those three games, Brown took 40 percent of the Longhorns’ shots.
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