5 Questions on Iowa State

Coming off a disappointing loss to Kansas on Saturday, Texas basketball heads to Ames, IA for a Big Monday showdown against Iowa State. At a precarious 3-3 in Big 12 play, the Horns find themselves in need of a road win – something that’s tough to do in conference play.

Chris Williams of Cyclone Fanatic answered five key questions for us on Cyclone basketball:

1. Given what fans saw against KU on Saturday, how does Iowa State matchup with Texas?

First of all, Texas will have a major size advantage over the Cyclones. That’s no reason for Iowa State to panic. After all, Iowa State is undersized against most Big 12 teams that it plays.

They key to slowing down the Cyclones is limiting their opportunities in transition. Being that the Longhorns are one of the top rebounding teams in America, that’s certainly an encouraging aspect of this matchup for Texas.

However, this works both way:. Iowa State has won 17 straight inside of Hilton Coliseum including 10 league games in a row. The last team not named Kansas to win in Ames was Missouri in early 2012. When shots are falling and the Cyclones get running, Iowa State’s home-court advantage is as strong as any in the country.

2. What is the Cyclones’ strength? When games get tight, what does the team rely on?

Depth.

Iowa State has a legitimate eight-man rotation and any of those guys can beat you on any given night. That’s the reason why the Cyclones have had a lot of the success that they’ve had early on this year. Junior (Northern Illinois transfer) Abdel Nader is a great example. Nader is only averaging 5.9 points per game but stepped up to score 19, 19 and 11 in huge wins over Iowa (road), West Virginia (road) and Kansas State.

I’d label sixth-man Jameel McKay a strength in and of himself. Due to NCAA rules, the Marquette transfer wasn’t eligible to play until Dec. 20 but since then, he might be the best player on Iowa State’s roster with an average of 9.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. The “rim protector” has made a huge impact for the Cyclones especially on the defensive end.

When the game is on the line though, the ball will be in the hands of Monte Morris. He will facilitate things while juniors Georges Niang and Naz Long take the majority of the big shots.

3. From afar, it seems like Iowa State is able to rely on the collective, rather than 1 or 2 true stars. Agree?

This is absolutely true, as I was starting to allude to in the previous question.

Six Cyclones are currently averaging 9.0 points per game or more. Then there’s Nader, who at 6.5 per game has shown the ability to step up when his team needs him the most. Sophomore Matt Thomas started 17 games as a freshman and while he has struggled as of late (4.5 points per), has the ability to be a key contributor.

Monte Morris is Iowa State’s quarterback. In 214 minutes this season, the sophomore has only turned the ball over nine times (with 38 assist). Morris is a top-five point guard in the country, no doubt.

At 12.5 points per game, Georges Niang has actually been struggling quite a bit lately but the junior is an All-American caliber of player. It’s only a matter of time before he gets everything figured back out.

A real wildcard for Iowa State is UNLV graduate transfer Bryce Dejean-Jones. “BDJ” scored in double-figures in seven of Iowa State’s first eight games but has only done so in two of the last nine. He’s off a tick but has shown the ability to take over like he did in a 27-point outburst against Arkansas on December 4.

4. When the coaches rated this team at the bottom of the mid-tier in the Big 12’s preseason vote, how much did that motivate this team? Are they still using that mentality?

Personally, that really surprised me. Fred Hoiberg is one of the most respected coaches in America these days and, in my opinion, this is the most talented team he’s had at Iowa State.

The thing is though, Iowa State isn’t used to being a favorite. I’m sure it motivated the guys in October but right now? No way. If anything, Iowa State has a target on its back based off of how the first few months of the season went.

5. All of ISU’s losses have come on the road. Is that what happened in Lubbock, or did Tech find a weakness?

Iowa State’s greatest weakness is Iowa State. It’s a team that likes the bright lights and tends to play down to its competition. The Cyclones struggle in half-empty arenas, hence why they tend to play well in Allen Fieldhouse but have lost at lowly Texas Tech twice in three years.

As far as the road goes, I think that it is what it is. It’s tough to win on the road in college basketball. But so far this year, Iowa State has won at Iowa and at West Virginia in two very hostile arenas. This team has shown it can win on the road.

It’s all about focus with these guys. When they are ready to play, they can beat anybody in America. When they simply show up? Well, they can lose to a team like Texas Tech.

For an in-depth look at the Cyclones, head over to Cyclone Fanatic – they have a great site and it’s 100% free like HornSports. They published a scouting report on Texas and preview tonight’s game HERE. Chris is a great follow on Twitter at @ChrisMWilliams.