Tempered Enthusiasm

While I love what the Twister sisters have pulled off, their toughest test is next: Stanford.

The Cardinal beat ISU by 38 in December, and just beat Ohio State, the 1011 champ, by 18. They're good in a how-were-they-not-a-#1-seed kind of way. They haven't lost a game in 9 weeks- but it came on the court in Berkley, so there is good karma for us there.

If ISU earns its first trip to the Final Four, nobody can say it is a fluke.

Peter

Heart

Words fail to describe.

Peter

Bass

I wonder how Floyd finds the bass fishing in LA.

Peter

Friends

I don't think ISU fans will have much trouble cheering for a former ISU coach, with a team dressed in familiar colors, against Michigan state in the NCAA tourney.

Peter

Memories

Didn't Minnesota fire their MBB coach after an NCAA loss to ISU?

Hasn't Minney made a return visit first? Correct me if I'm wrong. I want to be wrong.

Peter

One

If the men had figured out how to win one more game along the way (Lincoln? Drake? Boulder? Austin? K-State? South Freaking Dakota State?) they would still be playing, all be it in a second-tier tournament.

I know many mock those tourneys, but when your program is struggling, every additional practice and game helps.

Just sayin'.

Peter

Confused

You average about 65 fans at your home games.

You are an 8 seed.

Yet you get to be a host site for the NCAA tourney.

Odd.

As long as the WBB tourney has crazy scheduling like that, they will always be a little bush league. I thought your team had to be a #4 or better to play on your home floor. Apparrently not.

If GT doesn't roll them like they did last season, I hope OU smacks them around a bit.

Perhaps more than 110 tickets will be sold. Maybe.

Peter

Plausible

The Twister Sisters could, plausibly, get to the Sweet 16, and then it's anybody's guess.

I have big concerns about Tennessee, though. Even in a down year they play the style of basketball that usually trips up BF's crew.

Peter

Memories

I miss Quinn Snyder.

Peter

Hilton Magic Creeping Back?

In light of how well Tech and Baylor have played in the B12 tourney, and yet lost in Ames (badly in the case of Baylor), one has to acknowledge that there is some degree of Hilton Magic still bouncing around the gym.

Teams don't play that badly by accident. Maybe it's the water.

A few more athletic bodies and I think things get interesting again.

Peter

Mizzou

The Tigers are my favorite B12 team to watch right now from a pure entertainment standpoint. About as close to the Grinnell System as you will see in DI.

Push it, push it, push it.

Peter

Peppers All Around

Baylor fans get all the Dr. Pepper they want tonight.

If I was KU fan, I would be real nervous of their first round game this week, regardless of who it is. We all know what happened the last time the #1 seed lost in the first round of the B12 tourney.

Peter

Better Math

Funny what happens when players not named Brackins and Steiger score 57 points.

But giving Tech two clean looks at the game winning shot means you aren't very good. Tech missing both means Tech isn't very good. Hilton Magic at work.

I'd make ISU a 3:1 against OSU. They gave them a good half in Stillwater. Interior D and outside shooting would mean a win.

Peter

Pledges

I'll be shocked if UNI finds 1.2 million in pledges for its baseball program because that's a lot of cash and its baseball, which only friends and family go to watch.

On the flip side, I'm surprised more schools don't do this on some level. My fuzzy memory tells me that a couple of the WBB scholarships are endowed, and I wouldn't be surprised if JP isn't working on more.

Given the ups and downs of ticket sales, a stable income (flaky stock market not withstanding) would help stabilize the budget.

Peter

Simple Math

2 Cyclone players combined for 42 points in Lincoln.

The other 11 Cyclone players combined for 19 points in Lincoln.

That simple math sums up ISU's struggles all season, and nothing will change until the math improves.

Peter