Would anyone be terribly surprised if these four teams made the Final Four?
After rolling through their first two opponents, Iowa State will seek to avenge their most recent loss as they take on the Arizona Wildcats for the second time in two weeks. In Tucson, it was ugly in all facets as Iowa State recorded just 57 points on a hideous 29% shooting. With this game being played at 6 p.m. on a Friday night, anyone that was on the fence about traveling to KC is working a half day and firmly establishing
Hilton South.
First, an in memoriam for the glass court
After many head coaches voiced their concerns and complaints about the new LED court, the Big 12 has decided to return to the hardwood for the last two days of the tournament. While there were some interesting utilizations when the play was inactive, the court was an eyesore on TV. Players were slipping at a much higher rate than normal and it came to fruition as Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson strained a muscle after a clear slip. Could this have happened on a hardwood court? Maybe, but it was clear that the players were having to adjust to a new material. It’s not like we had immediate feedback from the women’s tournament, right?
Oh.
The game in Tucson was bad
That might be an understatement. It should be no surprise that this game was going to be difficult, but it was just ugly play from the Cyclones for 40 minutes. Iowa State started the game shooting just 2-15 from deep, but Arizona was also shooting very poorly as the two squads found themselves tied with four minutes remaining in the first half. Unfortunately, continued poor shooting from basically everyone on the squad coupled with a 15-2 run for the Wildcats at the half spelled doom for the Cyclones.
Iowa State shot just 23% from deep, but if you take out Batemon’s 4-10 performance, it drops to just 3/20. Is this cherry picking? Maybe, but you also need to have your starters put up better performances than 27% from the field. Fortunately, the Cyclones have been playing a bit better since then.
The Cyclones are scorching hot
Iowa State has now won their last three games by a combined 88 points. That is normally reserved for the November slate of games against Grambling State and Citadel, not against an ASU squad that went 7-11 in conference and a highly potent Texas Tech team. Joshua Jefferson has recorded back to back double-doubles and Tamin Lipsey is 9-16 from deep in his last three games. Those two playing at their best opens up room for Momcilovic to get more space, or Pleta/Bucannan to receive the open pass after a double team. Hopefully their powerup during the conference tournament is intrinsic and not some secret powerup from a TV court.
In one of the biggest semi-finals in conference tournament history, how will Iowa State escape as the victors?
- Rebounds, Rebounds, Rebounds. Arizona has both the best offensive and defensive field goal percentage in the conference, so Iowa State will have to look to limit the amount of shots Arizona can take and maximize the opportunities Iowa State does receive. This all starts by rebounds
- Make the easy shots. It felt like there was a lid on the hoop for the Cyclones as there were many offensive rebounds close to the basket that still resulted in empty possessions. Open threes and second chances have to be converted when they arise.
- Bring the home environment. By my count, Big 12 teams had a road winning percentage of just .321. It is always difficult to win on the road, and if the “Cyclone Power” chants overrun the “U of A” chants, it may be a long night for the Wildcats
Prediction: ISU 68 – Arizona 62
