Iowa State Cyclones
Big 12 (22-10, 12-6)
Iowa State had a lot of firepower sitting on the bench last season. This year all of those transfers were eligible and they propelled the Cyclones into the postseason. Chris Allen has plenty of postseason experience after spending three years at Michigan State. Chris Babb was a starter at Penn State before heading to Ames. Royce White was one of the best recruits to sign with Minnesota before opting to transfer and Anthony Booker was a starter at Southern Illinois. All four of those players were watching a year ago…now they will lead the Cyclones.
Big Wins: 1/4 Texas (77-71), 1/28 Kansas (72-64), 3/3 Baylor (80-72)
Bad Losses: 11/15 at Drake (64-75), 11/30 Northern Iowa (62-69), 2/7 at Oklahoma State (67-69)
Coach: Fred Hoiberg (2 seasons at Iowa State)
Why They Can Surprise:
One thing most of the newcomers have in common is their ability to shoot the ball. Allen, especially later in the year, has turned into the Cyclones main perimeter scoring threat. He is a fine shooter from everywhere on the floor and his experience will be invaluable during the tournament. Babb is not a very dynamic scorer, but he can shoot the ball. Babb’s consistency has been up and down this year, but when he is hot, he can score in bunches. Scott Christopherson used to be the long range threat on Iowa State, but now he shares the spotlight. Despite sharing, Christopherson is getting more open looks with the talent around him and he is knocking down the long ball with ease. The 6-3 senior can also get to the basket and has been much more aggressive during his final collegiate campaign. Tyrus McGee will hoist up a slew of three-pointers as well. He is not in the starting lineup and will have to provide a spark off of the bench with his shooting ability.
Why They Can Disappoint:
It is nice to have some shooters, but when Iowa State starts missing shots they have to rely on the frontcourt to score. Sometimes that will work since White and fellow forward Melvin Ejim are very capable of scoring around the basket. White actually leads the team in scoring, rebounding and assists, but Iowa State needs shots to fall if they hope to win a game or two. The fact that White leads the Cyclones in assists shows just how good of an all-around player White is, but it also proves that this is a team that has four fine shooting guards and no real point guard. Allen and Christopherson can handle the ball, but neither are true point guards by any means. This is a group that has to bring up the ball by committee and lacking a leader with the ball in their hands is never a good thing when trying to pull off an upset on the big stage.
Probable Starters:
Chris Allen, Senior, Guard, 11.8 ppg, 2.4 apg
Scott Christopherson, Senior, Guard, 12.5 ppg, 2.3 apg
Chris Babb, Junior, Guard, 8.2 ppg, 1.6 apg, 4.1 rpg
Melvin Ejim, Sophomore, Forward, 9.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg
Royce White, Sophomore, Forward, 13.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 5.1 apg
Key Roleplayers:
Anthony Booker, Junior, Forward, 3.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg
Percy Gibson, Freshman, Center, 4.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg
Tyrus McGee, Junior, Guard, 8.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg
Bubu Palo, Sophomore, Guard, 3.9 ppg, 1.7 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 73.5 (50th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 66.6 (163, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.0 (107, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.8 (214, 9)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 9.0 (7, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 38.2 (32, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 67.7 (222, 8)
Rebound Margin: 4.7 (41, 4)
Assists Per Game: 14.6 (47, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.5 (83, 3)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Iowa State 2005 NCAA Round of 64 win over Minnesota
Iowa State 2005 NCAA Round of 32 loss to North Carolina
Iowa State 2004 NIT First Round win over Georgia
Iowa State 2004 NIT Second Round win over Florida State
Iowa State 2004 NIT Quarterfinal win over Marquette
Iowa State 2004 NIT Semifinal loss to Rutgers
Iowa State 2003 NIT Opening Round win over Wichita State
Iowa State 2003 NIT First Round loss to Iowa
Iowa State 2001 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Hampton
Iowa State 2000 NCAA Round of 64 win over Central Connecticut State
Iowa State 2000 NCAA Round of 32 win over Auburn
Iowa State 2000 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over UCLA
Iowa State 2000 NCAA Regional Final loss to Michigan State
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
