Is ISU the first team we played so far that is "better" on paper?

[Scot-e]

I watched their game and they are tough. Big bodies at all positions- great D- good balanced scoring. Looks like a tough matchup for us on paper. Thoughts?

My thoughts are that "WE ARE DOOMED!!!".

 

[storrsroars]

I'd say that "on paper" Nova was better than UConn as well.

 

[tzznandrew]

I watched their game and they are tough. Big bodies at all positions- great D- good balanced scoring. Looks like a tough matchup for us on paper. Thoughts?

My thoughts are that "WE ARE DOOMED!!!".

On paper, Louisville, Cincy, and Florida were better as well. They were 3-4 against those teams. But those Louisville games never happened.

 

[Bryan Lord]

Louisville is better on paper but we still kicked their asses. Oh wait doomed.

 

[Silk City]

No doubt. Nova was a soft 2 seed---built to succeed in the Big East for sure but clearly lacked the muscle to intimidate our guys. ISU's speed and strength combination is probably better than even Florida's, although their defense isn't as sound. We will need to run by them with our guards and count on DeAndre to graze around the wing for spacing and open 3s.

The Kromah/Niels matchups on Kane and Ejim are gonna be huge. I really have no idea how Brimah will impact their guys from driving but that is probably the biggest X-factor

 

[Kitaman]

Reminds me of 99 dook (paper matchup), but much smaller scale.

 

[Bryan Lord]

At this point anything can happen in any game. We arnt gonna win anything on paper. We have to want it more and no one wants it more than bazz, KO, Giffey, Kromah,Boat, Brimah, Tsam, Nolan, hopefully Daniels too!

 

[Marat]

I really have no idea how Brimah will impact their guys from driving but that is probably the biggest X-factor

By blocking their shots.

 

[mcs333]

IS is a one pt. favorite. Even matchup

 

[intlzncster]

IS is a one pt. favorite. Even matchup

That's good. I don't want the line to move too much either way.

 

[James]

ISU is not a juggernaut

 

[tykurez]

IS is a one pt. favorite. Even matchup

Wonder what the line would be if they had Niang and the game wasn't in MSG.

Just have a feeling it's going to be a rock fight.

 

[nomar]

ISU is not a juggernaut

No, they're not. They're very good but they're very beatable (as are we, obviously).

They lost their 3rd best player, and they have no shot-blockers. They average a total of 3 blocks per game. Ejim is 6'6" and Hogue is 6'8". Good players and good rebounders but Anthony Davis they ain't.

 

[Mots010]

With Niang, I would agree they are a superior team. Without? No so much. It seems like they ran a lot through him. Its a pretty even match.

 

[4UConn]

ISU is a good team. UConn is a good team. Both teams lost some games this year; ISU let West Virginia score over 100 points last month. They score a whole lot of points. Comes down to how well we defense me thinks.

 

[tzznandrew]

ISU looked very good yesterday. But it was in the aftermath of having lost a very good player and facilitator. Often times, adrenaline helps a team play better in the immediate aftermath, and then they come back down to earth.

I'm aware that Clark Kellog said this, which annoyed me, but it was something I was expecting to happen. Really thought they'd beat UNC after that...whether that is their new norm (and they would be very dangerous), or a game where they played above of what they can be without Niang, and come down a little, is something we'll see Friday night.

 

[nomar]

ISU is a good team. UConn is a good team. Both teams lost some games this year; ISU let West Virginia score over 100 points last month. They score a whole lot of points. Comes down to how well we defense me thinks.

Being in the Big East was always a plus for us, I thought. We'd go in the Tourny and face these teams that averaged 80 PPG with all these players with gaudy stats, and we'd either (a) get them into a rock fight or (b) run right with them, and make the stops when we needed to. We're in a new conference but we've got the same type of team and mindset now.

These ISU guys are good players. No question about it. But I'd be happy to see a game in the 80s. And I don't think they'd be happy to see a game in the 50s. We're built for either, that's my point.

 

[OkaForPrez]

I've watched Iowa state 7 times this year. They were one of the 5 teams I drafted in a season long pool so I had a special interest in them. When I saw the brackets come out on selection Sunday I thought we would beat nova and ultimately fall to Iowa State because the matchup was decidedly in their favor.

Two things significantly changed that for me along the way.

1) Niang going down is really harmful for Iowa State for all the reasons mentioned above. It doesn't leave them without options, but it makes them much more predictable which is important. It takes away a lot of their pick and pop action. It's the equivalent to us losing Deandre. I don't think Carolina was disciplined enough to capitalize on the loss or had enough time to prepare, I think we'll be ready.

2) I was really afraid of getting our bigs pulled outside by hogue (who reminds me a lot of kevin freeman) and Niang while Kane and Ejim went to work on our back court in the low post. I mentioned it about a week ago today and @pj said

That's what zones are for

. I wasn't confident at that time we could be effective in one but our matchup zone with T-sam was very impressive against nova. I like us to use that again if we start to get abused in the paint. Iowa state can knock the three ball (less so without niang) but they also get to the rim alot. I don't recall them doing a lot of their damage in the mid range (hogue has a nice 12-15 footer) so I think one place where we have a shot to be effective is to pressure them at the 3 point line and let Amida clean up at the rim. They are an effective interior passing team though so if he's too aggressive it can hurt us.

While Kane is a great player, in pressure situations he can try to do too much (not unlike bazz). I think he tends to dominate on instinct more than IQ. Exhibit A is 3 player control fouls against Carolina. I actually like the idea of giving phil some minutes and funneling kane to him. Picking up a couple chippies on charges and getting him on the pine would be huge.

There's a reason this game is a coin flip. We're very similar teams at this point. Neither is a particularly daunting front court physically that can exploit where the other team is vulnerable. We'll need our A game. But at least now I believe our A game is good enough.

 

[Marat]

ISU looked very good yesterday. But it was in the aftermath of having lost a very good player and facilitator. Often times, adrenaline helps a team play better in the immediate aftermath, and then they come back down to earth.

I'm aware that Clark Kellog said this, which annoyed me, but it was something I was expecting to happen. Really thought they'd beat UNC after that...whether that is their new norm (and they would be very dangerous), or a game where they played above of what they can be without Niang, and come down a little, is something we'll see Friday night.

This is exactly it. Everyone else steps up, picks up their play immediately after. We have seen that in the past (example: @Indiana with AJ Price and no Dyson/Wiggins, etc..) . Now without Niang, Kane may try to do too much himself and that can result in poor decisions. We shall see.

 

[storrsroars]

Kane is going to be 25 on draft night. He's older than at least one 2008 NBA draftee.

I can't recall how old Carl Krauser was his last season, but I can't recall us playing anyone older than 25. That's a man.

 

[Gringo]

Kane is going to be 25 on draft night. He's older than at least one 2008 NBA draftee.

I can't recall how old Carl Krauser was his last season, but I can't recall us playing anyone older than 25. That's a man.

Bernard James at Florida State. I think he was 27 when we played him, but it was regular season.

 

[cohenzone]

Reminds me of 99 dook (paper matchup), but much smaller scale.

I guess I know what you're saying, but somehow comparing these two teams on any scale to the 99 UConn and Duke teams seems to be really kind to this 2014 match up. Our 99 team was possibly the toughest team mentally we ever had.

 

[sparky]

quite simply if we rebound we will win. Giffey needs another monster game on the boards. It will be a track meet

 

[Tenspro2002]

I said it in another thread, but my biggest concern is their size at the 2. I think our small lineup matches up with them well at the 3-5, and unlike UNC, we can play a small lineup with 5 guys who are comfortable defending on the perimeter against their 5 shooters.

If Kane is starting at the 2, it's a nightmare matchup for our guards.

 

[superjohn]

I can't believe how little respect our team's talent gets even from our own fan base. Reading some of the posts today, you would think we were going up against the Oklahoma City Thunder Friday night. For the millionth time we are not a one man team and we have good talent. I don't see where Iowa State has all this better talent and why most think they are the better team.