Iowa State Basketball

If I told you at the beginning of the season that there would be one remaining undefeated team in the Big 12 and that same team would be first in the nation in scoring, you would most likely guess either Kansas or Oklahoma State. 

If you did guess either of those preseason favorites to win the conference, you would be completely wrong.

The correct answer to that riddle is the Iowa State Cyclones, who are 7-0 and average 91.7 points per game. 

The Cyclones, coached by former NBA veteran Fred Hoiberg, have already pulled off victories against Michigan and BYU heading into their fierce rivalry showdown with Iowa on Friday night at Hilton Coliseum.

One of the reasons for this early-season success is the play of stars Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane. Another reason has to do with magic, of course. 

Iowa State plays in one of the most underrated home venues in the nation in Hilton Coliseum, where it has won five of its seven games, including its victory over then-seventh-ranked Michigan back on November 17. 

The last game that the Cyclones played may have been their toughest victory yet, as another in-state school—Northern Iowa—pushed them to overtime before they came out on top 91-82. 

With one rival down, one remains with Iowa heading into Ames for the least talked-about ranked matchup of the season. 

Hoiberg and his Cyclones were bound to fly under the radar this season with Kansas and Oklahoma State receiving so much hype thanks to stars like Andrew Wiggins and Marcus Smart.

Even when the Jayhawks and Cowboys lose games, it is a story because of how well or awful the two superstars played. 

Most fans around the nation may not even rank Iowa State as the third-best team in the Big 12 because of Baylor's high-profile upset of Kentucky just last week. 

While that may be the perception around the nation, it truly is not the point of view that the Cyclones themselves share. 

Iowa State is a viable force to be reckoned with after going 23-13 during conference play over the last two seasons, leading to two 23-win seasons. 

The two very productive seasons in Ames have also led to NCAA tournament victories over UConn in 2012 and Notre Dame in 2013.

What I'm getting at here is that Iowa State is here to stay for the foreseeable future—especially if Hoiberg continues to stay around and build up the program. 

This season, Hoiberg has built his team into an explosive, offensive squad that ranks first in points per game and second in assists per game in the nation.

The Cyclones feature five—yes, five—players that average over 10 points per game—led by Ejim's 18 per game—and shoot close to 50 percent from the field.

If that isn't enough to get you excited to watch Iowa State, it has also failed to score fewer than 75 points in a game this season. Moreover, the team has scored over 90 on five separate occasions. 

Based on those statistics, it is worth tuning into an Iowa State game—especially when it challenges the top programs in the Big 12, because who doesn't love a team that scores points at will? 

No, the Cyclones will not challenge for a national championship when all is said and done in March and April, but they will be a team that creates a lot of buzz along the way.

For a program that has struggled mightily since the turn of the century, that is impressive in and of itself. 

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NBA teams won't get the chance to interview Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg for one of their head coaching vacancies next season.

In fact, Hoiberg could be off the NBA market for a long, long time.

Hoiberg and Iowa State agreed on a 10-year, $20 million contract extension that will keep the 40-year-old head coach in Ames through the 2023 season if he stays in town through the lifetime of the deal. Jamie Pollard, athletic director at Iowa State, tweeted out the news on Thursday evening:

In just three seasons with Iowa State, Hoiberg has completely changed the culture of a fluttering program.

After a seven-year NCAA tournament drought, Hoiberg has taken the Cyclones to the third round of the Big Dance the past two seasons.

In 2012, Iowa State lost to eventual-champion Kentucky, and this year, a late Aaron Craft three gave Ohio State a chance to be the second-straight champion to beat Iowa State en route to the title. 

Through three full seasons, Hoiberg's record with the Cyclones is 62-39. He's also 26-26 in Big 12 play, a mark that doesn't exactly jump off the page but is impressive nonetheless with powerhouse schools Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State all on the schedule twice per season.

Under his leadership, the team finished with a 23-12 record in 2013, beat both Kansas State and Oklahoma State in thrilling upsets and took No. 1 seed Kansas to overtime twice (both losses).

In 2012, Hoiberg won the Co-Big 12 Coach of the Year award, along with Kansas' Bill Self.

He was also rewarded by the university on Thursday night, a move that keeps the former Cyclone guard at the helm for quite some time. Hoiberg was a four-year starter for the Cyclones in the early 1990s before enjoying a 10-year NBA career with the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Hoiberg will have to bounce back next season without seniors Will Clyburn, Korie Lucious, Tyrus McGee and Chris Babb. All are headed for greener pastures next season, but the return of Melvin Ejim and Georges Niang should give Iowa State a solid start for the rebuilding process.

The city of Ames, Iowa can rejoice tonight, because its head coach has been rewarded for his efforts in turning Iowa State into an attractive basketball program yet again.

Royce White just couldn't wait to play against a former Iowa State Cyclone in the NBA. Tonight, he won't have to wait. 

Craig Brackins, now with the Philadelphia 76ers, will play against White in the Capital City League this evening in the Greater Des Moines area. 

White—who is anticipated to be picked anywhere from 15th to 30th—has had workouts with many NBA franchises, including Minnesota, his hometown team, but hasn't really been playing in front of crowds since being eliminated by the eventual national champion Kentucky Wildcats in this year's Sweet 16.

ESPN.com's Chad Ford has White landing with the Atlanta Hawks at pick No. 23. 

For those who aren't quite familiar with White, he brings great upside to the NBA. His greatest strength is his size. He is 6'8" with a wingspan of seven feet, and he let it be shown in the Big 12. 

Brackins is coming off of a quiet season, however. Philadelphia went on to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Brackins played in 14 games for the Sixers during the season, respectively, and averaged only 1.1 PPG and around the same for rebounds.

Prior to making it on the Sixers' roster, Brackins played in the D-League for the Maine Red Claws where he averaged 18.9 PPG and 9.3 RPG.  

Because of the age difference, the two have never faced each other—until tonight.  

The two will face off in a Capital City League contest starting at around 6:45 p.m. Iowa time at Valley Southwoods Freshman High School in West Des Moines.

Recently announced, Royce White has decided to forgo his remaining two years at Iowa State to enter the upcoming NBA draft.

One of the most exciting players to watch has decided now is his time to step up his game and play with the big boys.  After leading the Iowa State Cyclones in five categories and being the most valuable player of the Cyclones, he helped lead the team to the Big Dance behind the savvy coaching of Fred Hoiberg.

Before the season, outside of Minnesota and Iowa, he had fallen under the radar since his stellar high school career.  Being touted one of the best in his high school graduating class of 2009, Royce went forward and signed a letter of intent to play basketball for the University of Minnesota.  Unfortunately after a scandal tainted his reputation, Royce White was granted his release from the school.

Taking time off and focusing on life, the Minnesota native turned the negatives into positives and elected Iowa State over the likes of the Kentucky Wildcats.  The choice definitely proved to be in the favor of White. After red-shirting the 2010-2011 season, this latest season had Royce White written all over the Cyclone’s entertaining and competing run.

He led the Cyclones in five categories of team statistics: 13.1 points per game, 9.2 rebounds per game, 5.1 assists per game, 1 block per game, and 1.2 steals per game.  Iowa State surged through the Big 12 earning them a third place finish.  Despite Hoiberg’s crafty coaching, none of this would have happened without the leader that Royce White had become.

Is he NBA ready?

Royce White is a hundred percent ready physically and mentally for the NBA.  Are all of his skills polished to a tee?  No, a full range jumper would be nice to work on and maybe a better free throw percentage, but what he does have is the leadership and body.  White has grown an inch since graduating from high school and bulked up quite a bit weighing near the 270-mark, yet does not appear as such except for being bulky.  With a strong back to the basket game, the 6’8" power forward will be able to bang in the post with the best of them while showcasing his talent defensively.  The witty forward even has the strength to drive past defenders with much improved ball handling skills developed in the past year.  With an all-around talent, a knack at hustling, and a great work ethic, it would be a shame to surpass him in the draft. 

Where to pick Royce White?

The upcoming NBA draft has the potential to be a smash or a dud as everyone awaits to hear the draftees.  One thing for sure is the presence of White in the draft due to his signing of an agent, which will force White to forgo his final two years of eligibility at Iowa State. Fortunately for White and his skill set, he will not have to wait long this June before he hears his name called.  The NBA team who snags him will be obtaining one of the most all-around talents in this draft most likely to bust through and be an NBA impact player. 

Royce White is out of the NCAA Tournament, but not before making some waves. He even impressed in an 87-71 beat-down at the hands of Kentucky, where White tried valiantly to the tune of 23 points, nine boards and four assists. Scouts who'd been in town to parse a Kentucky vs. UConn match that never happened were quite taken by the Iowa State star.  

Pros: Royce can go coast-to-coast, creating on a whim. If you are optimistic regarding his pro prospects, White is a prototypical point forward. Listed at 6'8", 270 lbs, the enlarged bowling ball puts up the unique stat line of 13.4 points, 9.3 boards and 5.0 assists. He can create his own tempo from a basic rebound, like if Boris Diaw could actually move. His strong hands suction boards from opponents and occasionally his own teammates. 

Cons: Though the "cons" don't necessarily outweigh the "pros," they are certainly greater in number. For one, White has an anxiety disorder that gets in the way of flight travel. In a perfect world, all would be patient with White on this issue. I'm just not sure NBA coaches necessarily want to look after a rookie to this degree.

Though highly mobile, Royce is not an elite athlete. If you consider him "big" then his block numbers are a concern. White averaged .9 blocks per game, and NCAA frontcourt players who average less than one rarely make it in the league. If you expect White to be a wing player, then his shooting is a concern. The Iowa sophomore shot only .4 threes per game, and he improperly juts an elbow out on jumpers. 

Conclusion: A perfect high-risk/high-reward pick for teams drafting out of the lottery. If you want to get a full sense of White's skill set, I highly recommend this highlight package of his triple double vs. Texas A&M. 

It’s good to be back. In the just the second year of Fred “The Mayor” Hoiberg’s coaching tenure at Iowa State, the Cyclones put together a strong 22-10 season, tying for third in a strong Big 12 and earning their first NCAA tournament berth since 2005.

Congratulations, Iowa State. You get to play the defending champions in the first round before facing No. 1 overall Kentucky, in Kentucky.

But, contrary to the prevailing opinions of writers on this topic, I’m confident that the Cyclones will refuse to show up to March Madness just to be sent away in the Round of 64.

As soon as the South region was revealed on Selection Sunday, the sportscasters on ESPN spoke with the conventional wisdom regarding the matchup between Iowa State and Connecticut, all but bypassing the Cyclones to speak of the way the Huskies would play against Kentucky in the Round of 32.

This general sentiment has been greatly echoed by sportswriters everywhere who cite UConn’s size, toughness and experience as reasons why they should breeze pass Hoiberg’s squad.

Sure, the tournament is a blank slate, and everyone’s starting even, but the choice to pick Connecticut as an easy win ignores the entire 2011-12 season, and it focuses far too much on the way that team played (then with Kemba Walker) in last year’s tourney.

The Cyclones have remade themselves since The Mayor took over, with a new emphasis on good shooting from behind the arc. The Cyclones made an average of 8.9 three-pointers a game—eighth in the country—on their way to a 34th in Division I 38 percent from three-point range.

In addition, they hold their opponents (such as high-percentage Missouri and Baylor) to a mere 29.8 percent from behind the three-point line, better than all but 17 teams in Division I. That should be more than enough to secure a barrage of treys against a Connecticut team that makes only 33 percent of their three-point shots, a mere 213th in the country.

The Huskies have other weaknesses. Even with their size, they’re only averaging one more rebound per game than the relatively-small Cyclones. They will most likely dominate Iowa State in blocks, but it’s unlikely that blocking even twice the shots that the Cyclones can block will help UConn escape from their superior shooting.

Both teams turn the ball over more than they should, but neither of them are real foul magnets, meaning that the Huskies pitiful 67 percent free-throw shooting, and the Cyclones equally dismal 68 percent, may not be a huge difference maker.

Iowa State has another thing going for them: Royce White. Teams struggle to guard him, and he’s more than ready to take advantage of even a momentary lapse on the part of the opposing defense. Even his miserable 50 percent free-throw shooting is excusable because unless he gets fouled in the open field, there’s a good chance he’s going to get the bucket and have a shot at an and-one. Unless the Huskies can get a lot of fouls on him early in the game, he’ll be a dominant force throughout.

If Connecticut wants to win this, they’re going to have to defend the paint like it’s nobody’s business. They’ve been great about that, supplementing their 45 percent shooting with a seventh in the country field goal defense that allows only 39 percent of their opponents’ shots in.

If they can hold White off in this area, they can make the game more about the three-point shot for the Cyclones. Of course, even that could backfire, with two of every five three-pointers finding the net for Iowa State.

Iowa State, for its part, really needs to attack the backboard. Right out of the gates, they need to attack the Huskies’ vaunted defense and go to the paint and challenge for shots and rebounds. If they can win that battle, it’ll be smooth sailing for the Cyclones. Even if they can’t quite match UConn there, though, they can definitely follow tournament tradition and choose to live or die by the three—and I have a feeling they’ll live.

This is Iowa State’s game to lose, even with a relatively inexperienced tournament team. They’ve got all of the ingredients to prevent last year’s champions from dreaming of a repeat, and they could even look to challenge the Wildcats (because if Northern Iowa can upset Kansas, anything is possible).

With all of that in mind, I don’t hesitate to predict that the Cyclones will win this matchup, probably by the high single digits. With a bad loss to Texas in the rearview and Kentucky on the horizon, they’ll be able to focus on shutting down the Huskies and doing what they’ve done best this season—proving the doubters wrong.

The Iowa State Cyclones finished 22-10 this season and posted a 12-6 record in a difficult Big 12 Conference.

In the Big 12 Conference Tournament, they were one and done and could be in store for the same in the NCAA Tournament as an 8 seed in the South Region.

Iowa State Cyclones Scouting Report

Strengths:

• Good Shooting the three
  
• Hi-Lo Offense
• Efficient Offense
• Solid Rebounding
• Play 'Low Side' Well
• Avoid Foul Trouble
• Royce White

The Cyclones have a fairly simple offense; they like to feed it inside to Royce White and allow him to dish it back out if he doesn't have a shot and there is an open man. This works for the Cyclones because White is an animal down low who fights hard every minute and they have some great three-point shooters, specifically Scott Christopherson.

Anybody who hasn't had a chance to see Royce White should take advantage of this opportunity because he is the heart and soul of the Cyclones. White does a nice job of playing 'low side' in the paint, doing a nice job staying between the ball and the basket.

It's an efficient group for the most part that knows what it does well, rely on it, and do it efficiently. The Cyclones don't have much going for them though and are limited.

Weaknesses:

• Below Average Post Size
• Average Length
• Poor Rotation
• Below Average Athletic Ability
• Tournament Inexperience

Iowa State's main weaknesses have to do with its talent. Royce White is a great talent, but he is the Cyclones top big man and only goes 6-8. The rest of the Cyclones are below average in terms of athletic ability, and their length on the perimeter is only average.

When Texas eliminated Iowa State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, I saw multiple times of the Longhorns exploiting the Cyclones poor rotation on defense. Somehow, they've managed to limit opposing teams from shooting the three and the Longhorns were still missing in that game. However, there was constantly times when Iowa State would leave a man open in a pick situation.

The Cyclones tournament inexperience doesn't help out either. They did a great job turning it around this season after years of obscurity, but tournament experience has been something of great aid to many teams before.

Chances of Winning First Game: 25 percent

I'm giving Iowa State a reasonable chance to get by Connecticut because of how sloppy the Huskies can get overall. UConn is the vastly superior team though. If Iowa State leaves shooters open as often as I saw at times on film, specifically against Texas, the Huskies will bury those shots all day. It's going to be extremely difficult for the Cyclones to match up with UConn's bigs as well. Royce White will give it all he has, but Andre Drummond, Alex Oriakhi, and Tyler Olander are going to be way too much for Iowa State.

And that's all without even mentioning Jeremy Lamb.

Iowa State will fight, but Connecticut has a talent edge, and a coaching edge with Jim Calhoun, that is too much for the Cyclones to overcome in my opinion.

Chances of Reaching Final Four: 2 percent

I'm probably being generous to Iowa State with that number, but at least it has Royce White and can hit the three.

If Iowa State can manage to get by Connecticut, it would then have to play Kentucky, another supremely talented team.

A very difficult draw for the Cyclones who are probably wishing they ended up in the West Region.

Chances of Winning it All: .2 percent

Again, probably being generous to Iowa State. It was a great run for the Cyclones this year, but it just doesn't seem to be in the cards for them to make much of a run.

Royce White had a highlight reel of a career at Hopkins High School in Minnesota.

During his youthful career, he even capped off his senior season winning the Minnesota state championship.

When he decided to stay home and play for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, everything went sour quickly. After scandals of theft involving inconclusive evidence caused a shortened season, Royce forcefully exited the university.

He then jumped state lines into Iowa.

Iowa State has not been productive in Mens' basketball for quite some time. With a few tournament bids throughout the years, Cyclone fans finally have something and someone to cheer for. 

With the inception of Fred Hoiberg's coaching career, last season produced a rough starting point for the team. An overall record of 16-16, and a conference record of 3-13, stranded the Cyclones in last place in the Big 12 conference.

Experts expected another down season this year as Hoiberg continued to experiment and build his program.

The exact opposite occurred.

A savvy coaching perspective and Royce's transfer rejuvenated a program in a tough conference pecking at notch holes in March. 

During his time off, White matured and taught himself to play sweet piano music and helped form one of the best up-and-coming players in the nation.

A more mature White leads his Cyclones in five stat columns: points per game, 12.8; rebounds per game, 9.2; assists per game, 5.1; steals per games, 1.17; and blocks per game, 1.

The 6'8" power forward has a threatening skill set ready to overpower anyone who steps up.

As Iowa State heads towards the end, Coach Hoiberg has melded and formed a core around White—a deadly combination heading to the big dance.

With an overall record of 21-8, (11-5 in conference, tied for third in the Big 12) and big wins throughout the season, including topping Kansas, there is much left on the table.

If the team plays smart and runs the offense through their best player, White, they can compete with any team.

The remaining schedule before the Big 12 conference tournament contains two games against two top ten teams in the nation.

The first game occurs Wednesday night at #7 Missouri, the second on Saturday versus #10 Baylor.

Beating the Tigers of Mizzou and the Bears of Baylor can only help them. Both games will be a great test before the conference tournament and help prepare White and the Cyclones for a march on madness.

Both Iowa and Iowa State entered the 2010-2011 season with new coaching staffs and not a lot of expectations. Their seasons would go almost the same, just vice-versa.

Iowa State went into the season with a veteran point guard with a ton to prove in Diante Garrett, a sharpshooter in Scotty Christopherson, another unproven senior in Jamie Vanderbeken, a transfer from Northern Illinois in Jake Anderson, and a freshman ready to take his skills to the Big 12 in Melvin Ejim. Not much else after that though.

The Cyclones' depth was going to be a HUGE concern going into the season, but they started off pretty hot. Iowa State opened up the season winning 13 of their first 15 games. The only two losses Iowa State suffered were at Northern Iowa and at home to the California Golden Bears. Both losses were taken to the wire, but Iowa State just couldn't pull it off.

This would be a future trend that would haunt the Cyclones. Iowa State looked great going into the conference schedule. Some thought Fred Hoiberg would take Iowa State back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five long years. Diante Garrett looked fantastic at the point, Scotty Christopherson was the best three-point shooter in the country, statistically, and the Cyclones were rolling along.

But that's when it all went south for the cardinal and gold. The Cycones just could not close out a game, losing nine Big 12 games by 10 points or less. At one point, Iowa State lost 10 straight Big 12 games; unbelievable turn of events. Iowa State went from a for-sure lock to the Big Dance to not being in question for the NIT. But towards season's end, there was no question that Iowa State would not be going anywhere in March unless they won the Big 12 Tournament. They lost to Colorado by two. Imagine that.

The Iowa Hawkeyes, on the other hand, returned plenty of starters for new coach Fran McCaffrey. Jerryd Cole, Matt Gatens, Eric May, Cully Payne, and Andrew Brommer all returned, alongside a ton of incoming talents in Bryce Cartwright, Melsahn Basabe, Roy Marble, and Zach McCabe.

But the Hawkeyes started off very sluggish, losing to South Dakota State and Long Beach State to open up the year. The brightest moment for Iowa in the non-conference schedule was a win over rival Northern Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It wasn't a huge win, but it was a building block for the Hawkeyes.

The Hawkeyes opened up conference with six straight losses before winning at home to the cellar-dwelling Indiana Hoosiers. A few weeks later, the underdog Hawkeyes would lay down a HUGE beat down on Michigan State at Carver-Hawkeye. That got Hawkeye Nation on their feet, and the fanbase was indeed "Mad Again."

The Hawks won a road game at Indiana and then laid down a huge shocker on Purdue for their senior night. While they only achieved four wins in conference, that was a huge plus for Hawkeye Basketball and the fanbase.

The question lies, who had the better season? Sure, the Cyclones won more games and beat the Hawkeyes head to head, but the Hawkeyes won more conference games and beat rival Northern Iowa, as well as having a signature win over Purdue at the end of the year. So I leave you with this question? Who had the better year?

Never in the history of mankind has a .500 ballclub had a worse year than an 11-20 team they beat in regular season. Iowa State had the better year and Iowa State has the better future. Iowa State is going to be a Sweet 16 team next year, if all goes according to plan.

Ex-Michigan State guard Chris Allen is taking over the point, sharpshooter Scotty Christopherson will remain at shooting guard and Penn State transfer Chris Babb is the leading contender to take over the wing. Returning starter Melvin Ejim and ex-Gopher Royce White will be down low in the paint.

Not only that, but former Top 50 recruit Anthony Booker will supply some depth on bench, and so will Charles Godfrey, who will actually compete for a starting position against Ejim. To top it all off, Fred Hoiberg and his staff brought in a Top 20 recruiting class to fill up the bench. Iowa State is going places next year, ladies and gentlemen.

Iowa will be okay next year. I'd say around .500.; no tourney, but maybe an NIT bid. They are two-three years away from going dancing under Fran McCaffrey. Don't be ashamed, Iowa Basketball is back on track, but it'll be their turn to be the little brother when it comes to the hardwood. Iowa State is the future of college basketball in the state of Iowa.