Iowa Highway Ends (etc.)

Regarding the WBB game Saturday: Thirty turnovers won’t endear you to anyone, not even the Associated Press.

Iowa State was in the NCAA tournament for the sixth year in a row. But the Cyclones sneaked into the field after losing to Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament, and they offered little proof they belonged there with such a sloppy effort protecting the ball.

It should be noted that a version published later, with press conference quotes, didn’t include the above passage.

“We ran into a buzzsaw today…” — Fred Hoiberg

Ames, Iowa — When the wheels fall off a Cyclone team, they spin out far and wide.

First up, the women against UW-Green Bay, which more recently has been de-emphasizing the “University of Wisconsin” part. Today was the second day I wore a T-shirt and no coat to a basketball game — the first was Jan. 29, in College Station — and the weather was perfect for tailgating if only people had had the idea. Or if the tipoff hadn’t been 5:50.

The first notable aspect of the game was Iowa State’s use of road red jerseys as the lower seed. It was something different in Hilton, although I’ve seen them three times this year in three different states (at Drake, A&M, and Missouri) and two last year (at Iowa and Nebraska).

The Phoenix had the Cyclones cornered all night.

From the opening missed layup, nothing went right. The Phoenix swarmed to the ball and harassed the post players. The turnover bug bit everyone in red. Worst of all, GB kept hitting threes while stopping ISU from doing the same. In the first half, Green Bay made the same number of field goals that Iowa State attempted. At the risk of understatement, that’s bad.

The second half was more of the same, and the best Iowa State could do was cut the deficit to single digits a few times. Final score, 71-57.

NCAA regulations require the removal or cover-up of all advertising, leaving the ribbon and even the scoreboard background bathed in blue. While that theoretically sounds good, it leaves timeouts kind of empty. The “other scores” display should also include the men’s scores; it’s not like the fanbases don’t overlap at all.

The women’s game ended during halftime of the men’s game against Kentucky, and the athletics department started showing the second half with a decent-sized chunk of fans hanging around to watch. The Cyclone men opened the half with a huge run, making the crowd cheer, and when it was 42-all it was almost like the game was right there.

Then Kentucky went and showed why it was the overall top seed, and Iowa State went and showed why it had nine regular-season losses including Drake and UNI. Even when the rebounds came, the shots didn’t.

How bad was it? Fred Hoiberg never got a technical foul in high school, college, or the pros, but he got his first one as a coach. Unfortunately, CBS was not expecting anything unusual to happen and was in the middle of interviewing Ashley Judd. A couple more blinks and Kentucky was up 20, and it was time for me to leave Hilton. The final score, 87-71, was crushing.

So the ISU men’s and women’s basketball seasons ended on the same day, but in a sense both teams were playing with house money. Both did more than expected either before or during the season. Both can add an NCAA tournament appearance to their lists.

It had been 4019 days — precisely 11 years — since the most infamous loss in Iowa State basketball history.

Then, in 2 hours and 51 minutes, the title of “most recent 2 seed to lose to a 15” turned over twice.

Missouri was a 3 seed in 1990, UNI a 14.

First, in a victory for conference loyalists, Missouri lost to 15 seed Norfolk State. NSU is in the MEAC, same as Hampton. Unlike ISU in Boise 11 years ago, this 2 seed’s loss was in front of a crowd full of fans of the Tigers’ most-hated rival, as Kansas would be playing in Omaha later in the night. Missouri also lost as a 3-seed to Northern Iowa (14) in 1990 and as a 4-seed to Xavier (13) in 1987.

Then, in a victory for everybody outside the state of North Carolina, Duke lost to Lehigh — the same Lehigh that lost to Iowa State by 9 in November.

The 2001 Cyclones will always be part of this group of notorious underachievers, but some new compatriots just walked through the door.

(Numbers at the beginning come from the “Inside March Madness” wrap-up show.)

Remember the “BCS bylaw” joke after Oklahoma State lost to Iowa State? Well, Pat Forde is at it again, this time going after more than the basketball team:

Best case: With the nation anticipating a Kentucky-Connecticut round of 32 game, underappreciated Cyclones pop the Huskies in the mouth. Versatile forward Royce White has a triple-double and shooter Scott Christopherson does a fine imitation of coach Fred Hoiberg, splashing five 3-pointers. After losing in overtime to top-seeded Kentucky in the round of 32, appreciative Iowans decide “Mayor” is too mundane a nickname for Hoiberg and promote him to “Governor.” Iowa fans object. Iowa State fans respond by asking them how they’re enjoying the NIT.

Worst case: With UConn fully engaged, the Cyclones are overmatched and blown out in the round of 64. Indifferent interior defense is exploited, Chris Allen takes bad shots and turns the ball over, and White’s bulk is neutralized by the Huskies’ thick front line. Hoiberg is demoted to “City Councilman.” Worst of all, fans must go back to living in Ames. [emphasis added]

Regardless of tonight’s outcome, that last crack is nothing but another cheap shot.

(Wide Right & Natty Lite points out that ISU is the only non-15 or 16 seed that doesn’t make it to the Sweet 16 in “best case.”)