A bad night for a bad night

 When your opponent shoots 58% from the floor including 11-19 from 3, you are going to need an exceptional game to keep up. When many of the opponents made shots are tough, circus plays from guys who don't normally score, it may just not be your night.

When the Iowa State offense only has 9 assists on 27 buckets, they ran into a defense that made them run uphill, forcing guys to manufacture offense from low-percentage shots. Iowa State seldom wins those games.

We've all seen how success on offense can improve ISU's defense, and stops on defense can crank up their offense. They feed on each other, and so often results in runs that leads to wins.

But when neither end of the floor is working, a negative feedback loop kicks in. Players start forcing plays on offense, and try to do too much on defense, causing the whole system to break down. Our Cyclones often cause the negative loop on other teams, and we all know what that looks like. One team is running uphill, the other downhill.

We aren't used to being in the negative loop.

The single-elimination format of The Tourney is what makes it both great and awful. Thrilling when your team delivers unexpected wins, brutal when your team falls short.

Some nights you lose, and some nights you get beat. This time, Iowa State got beat.

Schemes

The match-up against Lipscomb will be entertaining. I'm a big fan of any team that boosts 47% of its shots from behind the 3 point line.

We are intrigued with the strategy for the Cyclones on slowing Lipscomb's 5-Out-ish offensive style. Giving help in the lane while preventing open looks is a challenge. 

On offense, transition points will be tough without a lot of live ball turnovers at mid-court. Losing Gilbert, one of the keys to forcing steals, is a big loss. Lipscomb prefers to get back on defense rather than scramble for offensive rebounds, so the Cyclones will have to find peak efficiency in the half court.

Just find a way, fellas. Survive and advance is a cliche for a reason.

Options

 A team out its two starting guards has a chance to win with 90 seconds left? Straight courage. 

Best shooter goes nuclear for 35 points? Legend.

Despite the loss to BYU, the team should have renewed confidence in their offensive options among the eight guys who normally play.

Rest everyone’s legs, prep for the eventual opponents and go make a run.

Chances

 Our Cyclones should be celebrated for erasing a 21 point lead. But when it came time to win the game, they faulted. 

Execution in just-need-one-bucket moments will determine how far this team goes in KC and beyond. Get some sleep. 

Running Up and Down Hill

When our Cyclones are forced into a half-court game,  they can look as if they are running uphill. Everything is hard, the timing is off, simple shots roll out instead of in.

When they are creating live-ball turnovers or getting stops and live rebounds, they are much more dangerous, and score at a better clip, which only energizes effort on the defensive end. The floor tips, and the Cyclones are running downhill.

ISU had the uphill climb for about 32 minutes against Kansas State, which kept the tempo slow, and forced the half court game. Every drive was met by two or three defenders, and hard shots refused to go in. Tough possessions on offense stole momentum, and the defensive effort seemed a step slow, as if KSU was full of surprises. 

Losers of 3 of their last 5, Iowa State is in a funk. Lawrence is a tough place to right oneself.

High Level Loss

The Cyclones did everything but win tonight. Missing the front end of a two-shot foul was important. 

The 2000 team lost in Boulder in an OT forced by a 60 foot 3. Tonight was the same. 

The difference is that Arizona is a lot better than that Buffaloes squad. 

Our Cyclones can play high level basketball on the road against quality teams. But closing out games is harder. Gotta do the little things.

The Streak is dead. Long live the Streak

Making a three in 945 consecutive games is a real accomplishment, especially since it started in a time when teams only took 2 or 3 long shots a game, usually out of desperation.

Most coaches didn't consider a three-first strategy as "real" basketball then.

It is odd that a team that brought in four players over the summer with gaudy shooting stats would struggle all season once the lights came on.

Tech was obviously trying to limit attempts from deep, and conceded shots in the lane. They still lost.

But they will always have the hide of The Streak tacked to their wall. Congrats.