Toledo 36, Iowa State 35

Two freak special teams plays helped Toledo rally late to beat Iowa State, and earn its first win of the 2007 campaign Saturday night at the Glass Bowl.

After the Cyclones’ (1-3) Jamicah Bass scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with five and a half minutes to play to beat Iowa State up 35-24. But Jalen Parmele took the ensuing and short kickoff 82 yards for an amazing touchdown, pulling Toledo within 5, at 35-30. Parmele (16 carries, 74 yards) ran hard all night, but it was his special teams play that instantly brought momentum back to the Rocket sideline.

Toledo botched the extra point attempt, but kicked back to ISU back within striking distance. The Cyclones couldn’t move the ball, and lined up to punt. A short snap to punter Mike Brandtner skidded through the sophomore’s legs, and Brandtner immediately set about trying to pick up the ball. He tapped and juggled the ball backwards to his own goal line, but could never find the handle. Eventually, Toledo’s Greg Hay fell on the ball just across the end line for a Rocket touchdown to give Toledo a 36-35 lead. Aaron Opelt’s two-point conversion pass was unsuccessful.

The Cyclones still had one more chance, and got some help from Toledo before they even touched the ball. Hay’s special teams score set off a wild celebration in the south end zone which drew a 15-yard excessive celebration flag. Kicking off from the 15, the Rockets gave ISU possession at its own 47. The Cyclones converted a couple first downs, but stalled at Toledo’s 21. Bret Culbertson’s 38-yard field goal attempt was blocked with 14 seconds left, sealing the win for the Rockets.

“I’ve never experienced a loss like this,” said Iowa State head coach Gene Chizik. “That’s why I feel so bad for our guys – because they all fought really hard.”

The only place the Cyclones came up short was on the scoreboard. ISU outgained the Rockets, 397-297, posted more passing yards (251-199), more rushing yards (146-98), almost twice as many first downs (22-12), and converted an impressive 12 of 22 third and fourth down conversions.

Toledo drew first blood, getting a 13-yard run from Parmele at the 7:30 mark of the first period. The first drive epitomized Iowa State’s day; after a Brandtner punt pinned the Rockets at their own five, ISU killed themselves with two crucial mishaps. Cyclone CB Allen Bell found himself beat badly while defending a deep Aaron Opelt pass, and committed an obvious pass interference penalty to bring the Rockets out to their own 20. Two plays later, Toledo attempted a reverse to Andrew Hawkins. The Cyclones had Hawkins cornered for a 12 yard loss, but he slipped two tacklers and wiggled his way to the sidelines, where ISU LB James Smith committed a 15-yard facemask penalty. The 27-yard swing on the play gave Toledo first down at their own 42; Parmele scored eight plays later.

The teams traded scores during the first half, with the Cyclones’ JJ Bass (34 carries, 134 yards) tallying a 10-yard TD score at the end of the first. In the second stanza, Opelt scored on a 1-yard sneak before ISU’s Wallace Franklin turned the second catch of his career in to a 5-yard touchdown, tying the game at 14 heading to the locker room.

Toledo’s thrilling win continued a remarkable string of success at their old home, the Glass Bowl. Toledo is now 39-5 in their last 44 at home.

Slim Lineman Nets ISU Offer

(This article originally appeared on iowastate.rivals.com.)

Iowa State is in the running to obtain the commitment of a self-proclaimed "big finisher" from a traditional hotbed of football talent - Garland, Tex. But he's got visits to take and weight to gain and a senior season to play. Still, Jimmy Chase is pumped to have an offer from ISU.

Chase is a 6-foot-3, 235-pound offensive line prospect who currently holds offers from Iowa State and UL-Monroe. And several other BCS conference programs are showing him solid interest including Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa and Louisville.

Coach Scott Fountain is the point person on Chase's recruitment for the Iowa State staff, and according to Chase, Fountain has made a good impression.

"He's a cool person," said Chase. "I talked to him a couple times, and I just kept thinking that he seemed like a real cool person."

The offer from Ames was the first Chase received from a major D-I school and it came in a very now way - via text message.

"Coach Fountain texted me one day and just said 'We're ready to offer you, we're going to play ball'," said Chase. "I was pretty excited because that was my first big school."

Chase currently lists Arkansas as his favorite school, due both to the Razorbacks' recent emergence on the national scene, and their proximity to his Texas home. According to Chase, he will likely visit there, Kansas, Iowa and Iowa State come fall.

Wherever Chase ends up, his top priority once he hits college will be putting on pounds to his strong, but lean frame. He thinks his ideal playing weight is somewhere around 290, leaving him about 55 pounds to gain by the peak of his career.

ISU Goes Hollywood to Offer Linebacker

(This article originally appeared at iowastate.rivals.com.)

Iowa State is running third behind Central Michigan and Arizona State in the quest to obtain the commitment of a standout Hollywood (Fla.) outside linebacker.

Alex Pattee, a versatile, 6-foot-1, 209-pound OLB from Hollywood Hills High School, lists Ames as one of three places on which he'll definitely spend an official visit. While Pattee says ISU is just outside his top two at the moment, he likes what he sees from the Cyclone coaching staff.

"Coach (Tony) Petersen has been telling me all along that I'm going to be a good fit for their system," Pattee said Thursday. "Last week he texted me with an offer and said they were ready to play ball."

One draw Ames may present for Pattee is the level of Big 12 competition.

"I just love competing against the best."

However, don't expect any offer to sweep Pattee off his feet any time soon.

"I'm going to take my time and really feel this out," said the flexible Pattee, who has played stand-up defensive end in high school and will be used more as a linebacker this coming fall. "I'm going to get all my visits under my belt and really take my time."

According to Pattee, offers from Wisconsin, Wake Forest and West Virginia could be close at hand. He previously claimed offers from Colorado and Air Force along with I-AA programs Eastern Kentucky and Florida A&M.

Pattee recorded over 60 tackles last fall and also rang up eight quarterback sacks.

ISU Offers Smith Chance at RB

(This article originally appeared at iowastate.rivals.com.)

When Iowa State's coaching staff says it's recruiting Erik Smith as a running back, it's what he wants to hear from every school that is seeking his services in the Class of '08.

Smith, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound prep star from Bolingbrook (Ill.), says the Cyclones are one of the few schools making no bones about their desire to have him play running back, and only running back.

"Some schools say they're going to try me at cornerback, which is fine," said Smith. "But my heart is really at running back, and I really like that Iowa State is telling me that's where they want me."

According to Smith, it isn't what the Cyclone coaching staff says but how the recruiting team, led by Tony Petersen, says it.

"They just all seem real genuine. Everyone there, Coach Petersen, everyone, they just really seem like genuine people. They send me text messages every day, they ask me all the time how I'm doing. Not everybody does that."

Smith, who boasts offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Akron, along with a recently added one from Northern Illinois, admits that a decision is probably a long way off. Smith claims he will likely wait until signing day, but don't expect him to spend the next eight months idly waiting for offers.

"I already went to the Cincinnati camp," Smith said Friday. "I've got to get to Wisconsin before the end of the month, and Iowa State before the coaches go on vacation in July. I've also got to get to Boston to see Boston College. Yeah, I'm going to visit as many schools as possible."

ISU Goes Back to Garland for CB

(This article originally appeared at iowastate.rivals.com.)

A coveted Garland (Tex.) cornerback is hearing the praises of Iowa State on a regular basis as sung by a member of the extended Cyclone family.

Jarrett Ben, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound corner, shares a barbershop with the father of fellow Garland products DeAndre Jackson (played at ISU, 2003-06) and Devin McDowell (redshirt freshman at ISU) and says he likes what he's heard about Ames.

"Yeah, I go to a barbershop with their daddy," Ben said. "He tells me how nice Iowa State is up there, and how good the Big 12 is."

Ben currently lists Iowa State in his top five schools, along with Kansas State, Rice, Iowa and TCU. Ben says TCU is running slightly ahead of the pack, but insists "there's still a long way to go." Doggedly pursuing the Horned Frogs is Iowa State with assistant coach Scott Fountain on the point.

"Coach Fountain up at Iowa State, I like that guy," said Ben. "He really tries to keep in touch every day, and I like that."

For the time being, Ben and Fountain may have to communicate from afar. In the midst of a busy summer track schedule that includes trips to the west coast, Ben says he'll be hard-pressed to visit many schools before his senior year. Therefore, a decision on his commitment likely won't be forthcoming until close to signing day. But that's just fine with Ben.

"I really want to take my time and evaluate everyone and everything," said Ben, a 4x100 specialist for the Garland track squad. "But I'm getting offers from Duke and Rice, so I know my academics are in order. Its just wait and see."

Ben also holds an offer from North Texas.

Biere Hopes to Move Ahead with ISU

(This article originally appeared at iowastate.rivals.com.)

Iowa State may be about to officially enter the race for a nearby tight end whose recruiting stock is on the rise.

Tim Biere, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound TE from Omaha (Neb.) Westside visited Ames in March, and Cyclone coach Wayne Bolt's demeanor left an impression on the senior-to-be.

"He's a great guy," Biere said. "He's really funny and laid back, and he likes to talk a lot."

According to Biere, Bolt said that the Cyclones have a real need for tight end in the 2008 class and the Westside product's skills would be exactly what the team is looking for.

While the Cyclones have yet to offer, all indications point to an impending scholarship tender, which could extend the Cyclones long history of success recruiting the Omaha area.

If Iowa State is going to land Biere's services, they may need to move quickly. Biere has already received offers from Kansas, Kansas State, Colorado State and Ohio, and hopes to make a final decision before the first game of his senior year.

Additionally, the Cyclones aren't the only major conference program seemingly on the cusp of extending an official offer. Iowa, Northwestern and nearby Nebraska have all made steady contact with Biere, and he has visited campus in both Iowa City and Evanston.

Biere, who carries a 3.66 cumulative GPA, will attend the upcoming Iowa State camp in his second unofficial visit to Ames.

Iowa St. a Favorite for Receiver Finney

(This article originally appeared at iowastate.rivals.com.)

Gene Chizik has Iowa State a nose ahead of the pack in the derby to earn the services of an Illinois wide receiver. Kevin Finney from Lake Forest (Ill.) is drawing interest from a host of upper midwest schools, including Iowa State, Indiana, Miami Univ., Purdue, Illinois and Michigan State. According to Finney, Iowa State is a co-leader along with Miami but the race is far from over.

"They've got all new coaches, and they're going to come out and compete in the Big 12, and that's real enticing to me," Finney said. "The level of the schools they play, and the tradition of both them and their opponents is a big turn on."

The Chicagoland prospect visited Iowa State over VEISHA weekend, and was impressed, not just by Chizik's Cyclones, but with the town of Ames.

"It was a good weekend, there was a big parade that thousands of people were at," said Finney. "The town really supports the team. Coach Chizik rode down the street in the parade, and it was just awesome."

"I've always seen myself kind of wanting a smaller, quieter town, and the whole place seemed really homey. I like that."

One decision that could impact Finney's recruitment is exactly how the Cyclones plan to use his talents. The 6-foot-7, 200 pound WR thinks his greatest potential for growth may be at TE. Miami is the only school to explicitly tell Finney that he may see time at that position, although the fact that his point of contact on the ISU coaching staff has been TE Coach Scott Fountain may indicate the Cyclones have a similar desire.

Another factor that may enter the equation is Finney's lifelong allegiance to Michigan State. While he says he "doesn't so much bleed green and white anymore", both parents are MSU alums and a sister currently attends school in East Lansing. He will visit sometime later this summer.

Finney says he'll attend several camps this summer, including those at Michigan, Miami, Ball State, Illinois and Purdue.

What's Your Forecast for the Big 12 Tourney?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Brian #1

I was thinking of boycotting this column until the Big XII tournament returns to Kansas City, and Kelly’s, and Westport, but alas…a deadline is a deadline. I just wrote an ACC Tournament preview in 35 minutes for the Virginia Tech Rivals site, I guess I can churn this one out as well.

Iowa State vs. Oklahoma, first round.
Oklahoma seems a lot scarier than they are, probably because I still get confused as to why the best player on their whole team is actually the coach. I like Jeff Capel, but he may be in over his head in the Big XII. The same can’t be said about Greg McDermott, and I like the Cyclones to pull this one out by 6. Wesley Johnson with his umpteenth double-double.

Iowa State vs. Kansas, second round.
Ssshhhhh. Take a nap, Jayhawks. Don’t worry. We set your alarm for NCAA tourney time. Just…lean back…head on the pillow….Sssshhh….Rock-a-chalk Jayhawk, in OKC…Cyclones catch Kansas napping, and squeak the stunner.

Iowa State vs. Kansas State, semifinals
Dang it. There’s no way in H-E-L-L this Cyclone team has a Big XII title run in them, but I certainly can’t pick ISU to drop three in one year to Huggy Bear Thuggins from the Little Apple? Gawd, what to do? OK. I’ll be reasonable. Hopefully Jiri sings the Jayhawks an authentic Czech lullaby, because that’s the only way we’re getting to this game. I say Michael Taylor finally stops shooting when we’re down by 15 with a minute left. 17-16 on the year, and an outside shot at an NIT bid. Yeah, that’ll do.

Brian #2

When it comes to predicting the Big 12 tournament, not much of my analysis really involves Iowa State. In fact, I see the Cyclones falling in the first round to Oklahoma, 62-54. The first time around, we were able to beat Oklahoma because Jiri Hubalek went unchecked for a 10 minute period while we built a huge lead. In the rematch, Longar Longar will have none of that, and Cyclone fans will probably have an array of wild shots and turnovers from Mike Taylor to keep them off balance and interested in defeat. I am predicting at least one Rahshon “Radioactive” Clark dunk over Longar Longar, but little else on the offensive end for the Clones.

First Round:
Iowa State 54, Oklahoma 62
Texas Tech 68, Colorado 52
Oklahoma State 67, Nebraska 69
Missouri 57, Baylor 55

Second Round:
Kansas 84, Oklahoma 71
Texas Tech 72, Kansas State 66
Texas A&M 70, Nebraska 65
Missouri 63, Texas 61

Semifinals:
Texas Tech 72, Kansas 69
Texas A&M 58, Missouri 54

Finals:
Texas Tech 65, Texas A&M 60

A title for Bobby Knight just a week after his team beat Iowa State by only 2? Call it a hunch, because there certainly is not much else behind it, but they have risen to the occasion in big games all season, and it is no fun to pick Kansas or A&M. Watch for Tech to play their way off of the bubble and into a 6 seed with a great tournament performance.

Brad

Although Brian #2 is my brother, he tends to see ISU’s fate a little bit differently than I do. The Cyclones have been playing better basketball of late, and Oklahoma simply isn’t the team people think they are. Yes, Rahshon Clark had Longar Longar’s number on a posterizing dunk in high school, and that will continue. Yes, Jeff Capel can’t coach his way out of a cardboard box compared to Greg McDermott. Yes, ISU is ready to make Oklahoma City Cyclone country for a weekend. Here is the way I see the Big 12 tourney playing out:

First Round:
Iowa State 61, Oklahoma 51
Texas Tech 72, Colorado 60
Oklahoma State 70, Nebraska 60
Missouri 68, Baylor 55

Second Round:
Iowa State 55, Kansas 54
Kansas State 73, Texas Tech 64
Oklahoma State 81, Texas A&M 78
Texas 67, Missouri 60

Semifinals:
Iowa State 64, Kansas State 59
Texas 76, Oklahoma State 73


Finals:
Texas 82, Iowa State 67

It won’t be easy for ISU to make it this far, but I truly believe that it won’t have much trouble with the Sooners in the first round. As long as it closes the deal on KU in the second round, Cyclone fans will be online in large numbers trying to purchase first round NCAA tournament tickets. The law of Averages says it’s tough to beat a team twice in the same season. Well, hopefully that applies to three times, too. Kansas State downright embarrassed ISU in Manhattan just a couple weeks ago, but if Mike Taylor pulls a Minnesota (we’ve all been hoping for that since the Minnesota game), we can do it.

The semis will include a rematch of the Texas-OSU classic in Stillwater this year, and it will live up to its expectations. In the finals, Jessan Gray re-injures his nose, and Michael Taylor has one of those games where he misses every shot (you know, every other game?). Kevin Durant will be seen stomping on anything closely resembling a Cyclone logo after the game, and all the ISU fans that travel down for Sunday will be crushed. Revenge stinks—thanks, Tasheed.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

Which Big 12 Rival do you most enjoy beating?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Brian #1

Being asked which Big 12 opponent is the most fun to beat is kind of like being asked which of the five straight victories over Iowa was the most fun; the mere question brings back a flood of happy memories, and there are just too many choices.

My colleague Brad has separated schools in to their football and basketball programs, picking Kansas in basketball and Nebraska in football. This is fair, but I’m looking for a global answer here, so I’ve got to rule out schools where I don’t have any ill-feelings toward one of their two programs. This knocks off:

Kansas football: what did the Maneating Mangino ever do to anybody?
Oklahoma State football: kind of like watching Bobby Reid and Adarius Bowman, not gonna lie
Baylor basketball: Scott Drew is related to Bryce and Homer Drew of Valpo fame. That’s enough for me.
Texas football: They’re a lot better than everyone else, and Vince Young is probably the coolest dude I’ll never meet.
Texas Tech basketball: The general always has good teams, and has never thrown a chair at Hilton.
Texas A&M football: 12th man = cool.

So that’s half the league gone, and we’re left with: Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma.

I’m going to throw out Oklahoma and Kansas State, because we just don’t have enough experience beating them in football in my lifetime for them to be seriously considered, and I’m going to throw out Colorado, because they’re typically so bad in basketball, and ISU pounded them at Hilton so many years in a row, that beating them has lost a lot of meaning.

Which leaves Missouri and Nebraska.

The 36-14 slaughter of Nebraska was one of my favorite Cyclone wins ever, as it represented such a watershed moment of the program truly “arriving” has a competitor in the Big 12. Marvin’s Miracle and the 35-27 conquest in 2004 are also high on the list. When it comes to basketball, the Devaney Center is pretty much a big warehouse with a couple rims, so its never been too special to get ‘er done in Lincoln, but who can forget the unreal victory there, when Tinsley inbounded to Martin Rancik with .9 on the clock, helping ISU win their second straight Big 12 Title?

My antipathy toward Missouri goes back to my early childhood. For some reason, in the early-mid 80s, ISU and Missouri got in to several brawls on the gridiron, and it seemed like every time the Cyclones and Tigers were playing, punches ended up being thrown. The teams in general have been bad together, good together, mediocre together, and almost every contest in the series seems to go down to the wire. There’s ISU’s 20-14 goal line stand in Columbia, Mizzou ruining our Big 12 North title, 17-14 in Ames, and of course this year’s epic Dan McCarney send off, 20-16, in Ames. On the basketball side, Brian #2 will chronicle one of the weirdest, longest games in Cyclone history (rest peacefully, Zach Fortune), and two of the most reviled coaches in the Big XII, Gary Pinkel and Quin Snyder. When one of those guys isn’t doing crack with his player’s girlfriend, the other is demanding apologies from officials and pretending like his team won a football game it fairly lost. I’m going with the Tigers here, and cheers to our next victory over that OTHER black and gold enemy.

Brian #2

My first reaction to the question of which Big 12 rival I most enjoy defeating was probably the same as almost any other Iowa State fan’s; Nebraska in football and Kansas in basketball. If I can only pick one between the two sports, though, it has to be Missouri.

It seems like there are a thousand reasons to hate Missouri. Gary Pinkel, them keeping us out of the Big 12 title game, their colors, Gary Pinkel, Quin Snyder in his day, and just the face that they come out in the shotgun on the goal line. In basketball, Missouri just pisses me off because they seem to have one of their average players go off against us every year. Marshall Brown, Thomas Gardner (before he blew up), and others just start bombing in threes with no abandon when the Cardinal and Gold are on the other side of things.

Missouri is also fun to beat because we have so many dramatic games against them. There is the goal line stand with the knockdown by Atif Austin, the 4 OT loss where Leonard Perry almost had to go in to play point guard, and this year’s basketball game at Missouri, where a last second Wesley Johnson tip-in won the game. The two teams seem to play close, fairly matched games more times than not, and those games are always more fun.

Don’t get me wrong, I certainly hate Nebraska and Kansas. Missouri, however, is a game that I always love winning because it is generally close to a measuring bar for our season, and they run in the middle of the Big 12 in football and basketball most seasons, meaning that a win over Missouri usually means that we will be going to a bowl game, or have a decent chance at the basketball postseason. So my reasons to love beating Missouri are not as emotional as my reasons for loving to beat some others teams, but Missouri is my favorite Big 12 Rivals to beat. It is not quite my Super Bowl, but it is always a pretty big game.

Brad

The question of which Big 12 rival I enjoy beating the most is a difficult one, and is dependent on the sport we are talking about. When it comes to basketball, nobody is more fun to beat than Kansas. During the fall on the gridiron, watching the Huskers to the west cry themselves to sleep is a victory in itself.

I had the privilege (misfortune) of living in Omaha, Nebraska during the 2004-2005 year. Don’t get me wrong—Omaha is a nice city with a lot to offer and, overall, the people are exceptionally friendly. But the utter arrogance and stupidity that permeates its college sports fan base is unavoidable.

First of all, the people aren’t loyal to a school—they are loyal to a winner. To be sure, 99% of the population cheers for Nebraska in football. When it comes to the second biggest Division I sport, basketball, they are all over the map. Creighton, North Carolina, Duke, and yes—KANSAS. So, it’s about the worst combination of teams that any single population could cheer for.

Of course, Nebraska football has a rich tradition that is to be admired. Lincoln, Nebraska claims to be the third most populated city in the country on a Husker game day. However exaggerated that is, there is no denying the passion of Big Red faithful. That doesn’t stop me from hating them—doesn’t even do anything for that cause, really. Nebraska has always been a winner, and a big one against ISU. During the 90s it had no trouble pouring it on until Jim Walden and Dan McCarney called for mercy—and then the Fuskers would score some more.

This all changed in 2002 when, due to the running ability of Seneca Wallace and a stout defensive effort, ISU outscored Nebraska 36-14. This prompted one of my all-time favorite Pete Taylor quotes: “This may not be the Nebraska of old, but it’s certainly the Cyclones of new.” That pretty much sums up the triumphant feeling we all had that day.

As for basketball, it boils down to the same arrogance of the KU faithful but, of course, arrogance is usually backed up. Kansas basketball has a tradition that is unquestionably in the top five nationally, with names like Fog Allen, James Naismith and Roy Williams. ISU has had considerable success against the Jayhawks and it feels oh so good. Early in the decade, Larry Eustachy guided ISU to five straight victories against KU, which would have seemed impossible. Roy Williams even remarked, “You know when you go up against Larry, you aren’t going to out-coach him”

Kansas basketball fans and Nebraska football fans are from the same breed. That breed is one we ISU fans would love to pummel into extinction, wishing them an infinite streak of losses.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

How is ISU's Football Recruiting Class?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Brian #1

This season, my first covering recruiting nationally for Rivals.com, helped me understand recruiting from an entirely new perspective. There are plenty of stories, and 100 MB worth of digitally-archived interviews, but the short version of my conclusion is: everything is definitely not what it seems.

In a former life, I was a vehement opponent of pursuing a recruit after he had verballed somewhere else. But I learned this year – you just never know what the specifics of a story are. Take Logwone Mitz, a Washington State recruit who was told by the coaches there that if he didn’t commit on his official visit, his offer would be pulled. Having no other offers, and desperately wanting a college scholarship, Mitz committed. If a school coming in the derby late laid off this kid because he had “verballed” to Bill Doba, both Mitz and the school would be at a disservice. Take Trey Baysinger, who had verballed at least one place before committing to ISU, whose dad is apparently a bit of a tyrant who scheduled all the official visits for his son without much input from Trey. Should other schools be “hands off” this kid because family pressure forced his hand? Take every kid recruited by every staff that got their jobs in December, replacing a fired staff. Should they not be able to have a fresh start on kids, like they would have if they had had their job for the entire recruiting period?

Chizik has caught some heat from the local press (while somehow, Ferentz has received tongue-in-cheek praise) for this practice. Jamicah Bass, Kelechi Osemele, Cameron Bell, Allen Bell and Chris Weir are probably the athletes I’m most excited about in this class. Each one was coveted at other big-time schools, and each one bought Chizik’s sales pitch that he’d be better off playing in Ames.

I buy the pitch too, as everyone in the class seems jazzed to wear the cardinal and gold. To come out of what many anticipated would be a lost class with 25 quality athletes, and to beat SEC and Pac-10 schools for late recruits is a big sign of the kind of first impression Gene Chizik can make.

Brian #2

As is always the case, we won’t really be able to evaluate this recruiting class until a couple years down the line. This year, however, almost half of the class will be either entering their senior year or graduated by then. Signing 12 JUCOs is certainly something that no coach ever wants to do, but the roster returning for next fall required it. The four Spring Semester offensive linemen, especially, address a need that has been lingering for the past few years. Quite simply, the Cyclones haven’t been able to block anyone since Ennis Haywood was still wearing the Cardinal and Gold. I am all for allocating your resources to signing 8 offensive linemen. I have seen too many talented teams fall apart for no reason other their poor offensive line to not be happy with that number.

The other JUCOs look good, as well. Allen Bell and Michael Bibbs could be starters as soon as this fall, and I’d be shocked if we didn’t see at least one of the defensive linemen getting significant snaps. The high school haul seems like it includes a lot of projects, but what else did you expect? Gene Chizik and his staff essentially had two months to throw together a class, and they got athletes who appear to be able to grow into Big 12 players. They also kept both big gets that they inherited, Philip Bates and Jamaica Bass, despite stiff competition for their services.

I really entered this recruiting period with little in the way of expectations, so giving the Cyclone Staff a B+ might just be a product of my generosity and low expectations. If that is the case, then Happy Valentine’s Day to Coach Chizik. I just can’t wait until the pads (and the blood vessels in Chizik’s head) start popping at Spring Practice.

Brad

When Gene Chizik took over as the ISU head football coach in December, there were rumblings that this could be the worst recruiting class in recent memory for the Cyclones. Well, Dan McCarney and staff did their part to make that a reality, but Chizik would have none of it. With only six commitments and a couple wavering at the time, he had his work cut out for him.

The first and most important thing that Lt. Col. Chizik did was target some assistant coaches. The two coordinators appear to have great experience and, if Chizik is half-correct when he says that Robert McFarland is the best offensive line coach in the country, then he is still ten times better than Barney Fife…err Cotton. Mike Pelton appears to have coaches several NFL defensive linemen and is doing his part to ensure ISU doesn’t get embarrassed on the DL recruiting circuit anymore. Sorry Nelly—it’s the truth.

Getting Jamicah Bass to recommit to ISU after switching to Oregon State was a huge coup, as he is the highest rated Cyclone commit according to Rivals.com. That was the first event that made me believe big things could be in store. McFarland kept Phillip Bates as solid as ever, along with getting about 20 OL commits. No, seriously though, eight! Our biggest weakness by far going into the off-season and I can only hope that the old adage “strength in numbers” plays out. Not to mention that four of those OL recruits are already on campus participating in workouts. That’s huge.

Gene Chizik has impressed me with his words but, we all know, actions speak louder than words. His time-crunched recruiting effort of both players and coaches was remarkable. I’m not sure how much sleep he got during the last two months, but it probably wasn’t much. This Cyclone fan is on cloud nine with the saving of this potentially horrid class, especially the juco emphasis. I can only imagine what Chizik and staff will be able to accomplish with a year, or years, to build relationships.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

How did ISU men's basketball do on their Big XII mid-season report card?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Brian #1

Three weeks ago, Two Brians and a Brad asked what the % chance was that ISU would make the NCAAs this season, with answers coming in between 10% - 51%. A recent five game losing streak has plunged that probability to dependent completely on leaving Oklahoma City with the Big XII Tournament Title, an outcome that isn’t going to happen.

In our family’s preseason prediction pool, yours truly set the over/under on the amount of Cyclone wins this season at 15, knowing that the two suckers who share this column with me would drink some cardinal & gold Kool-Aid and take the over, even though I expected more in the ballpark of 11-13 wins. As it stands, ISU is 12-10 and 3-5 in the Big XII, with 8 conference tilts and at least one bonus game in OKC remaining.

Left with just four scholarship players after a boatload of defections from the Wayne Morgan regime, McDermott has transformed this team’s identity in just a season. The Cyclones, despite not always succeeding at doing so, clearly place a priority on valuing the basketball, treating each and every possession with reverence, and pounding the ball inside on as many possessions as possible. The problem is, without any solid Big XII ball handlers, and lacking the size to consistently gain leverage in the paint, this team isn’t that great at accomplishing its priorities. Last year’s team, even when giving away possessions like food stamps at a Hawkeye alumni gathering, was still pretty good at the other things, like scoring in transition, and wearing sporty head bands.

Wesley Johnson, at 12.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg, is clearly the story of this year’s team, but I’m a bit skeptical of his ability to turn into an all Big XII caliber player. He’s currently 6’7 and 190 lbs. Are people 6’7 even allowed to be that skinny. Putting on weight in basketball isn’t as easy as it is in football, and if Wesley doesn’t add a good 25-30 pounds, he doesn’t have a prayer of being a true banger in the Big XII. His outside shot is pretty good, however, and I think if continues to develop, he can make a big impact in the cardinal and gold.

I have no doubt whatsoever in McDermott’s ability to turn the Cyclones in to a long term winner, but this year isn’t the smashing success we were all projecting two weeks ago. The next two weeks of games will be absolutely crucial: Missouri, at Texas, Oklahoma and at Kansas State. If ISU wins 2 of 4, it’s an NIT team and might have a chance to win a first round game in OKC. 1 of 4, and they’ll be sitting at 13-13 with 4 to play. A goose egg over the next two weeks will kill any thoughts of post season play, and almost ensure a losing record.

Grade: B

Brian #2

I see the question “How do Greg McDermott’s Cyclones break down on the midseason report card” breaking down into two categories- recruiting and coaching. Basically, I feel like McDermott should be graded first against the team I expected when he took the job, and second against the potential of the players now in place.

After McDermott accepted the job and people were done defecting, I was strongly considering trying out for the team in hopes of being the starting point guard. We had Ross Marsden, Jiri Hubalek, Rahshon Clark, and Jessan Gray coming back. None of those guys are remotely close to being able to handle the ball well enough to play guard, and the consensus entering the year was that only one of them was really a Division One player (Clark). This was after the Spring signing period, so basically even all the leftovers were already pledged to a school.

So what did McDermott do? He went out and signed a JUCO guard who could dominate the ball (Mike Taylor), and two serviceable guards in the short term (JUCO Corey McIntosh and freshman Dodie Dunson). And then there is Wesley Johnson. The story of the rock under which McDermott’s staff found the coltish 6’7” freshman has been told too many times, but guys like that don’t usually slip through the cracks. He has every chance to become an All Big Twelve performer as soon as next season. So McDermott’s grade on compiling talent in such a short, talent squeezed window has to be an A. He got three players better than any that I thought were still available.

Coaching, though, has not been as good. He is far from struggling, but I was expecting him to excel in this area, and I’ve seen more individual player development than actual cohesive growth of the team. Certainly, Hubalek is much improved from when this year started, and others have gotten better, as well. But the team hasn’t grown by the leaps and bounds I expected. We are better right now than I expected three months ago, but not as good as I expected one month ago, if that makes any sense. However, Hubalek has improved enough to merit a B in the coaching category for McDermott.

So an A and a B. In my book, that averages to a B+ when you take into account Mike Taylor’s on court antics. I cheer for him, but I know that he would be public enemy number one if he was wearing the opposing team’s jersey because of his propensity to showboat. I’m happy with McDermott, but I almost want to give an incomplete, because these are far from his players. Taylor is a necessary piece right now, but he would have no place in a regular McDermott offense, so that may be slowing down the team’s growth. He will probably be necessary next year, as well, so I think the 2008-2009 season will be the first one where we can really evaluate McDermott as we will know him for the rest of his time.

Grade: Incomplete

Brad

I’ll admit it—to say I got my hopes up too high too early for this ISU men’s basketball team would be the understatement of the year. Everyone in my family, and every sensible Cyclone fan, was telling me otherwise. But I didn’t listen. My optimism overtook any common sense like it does every season, whether it be football or basketball. Maybe it’s because I long for the days when I would eat Cyclone sherbet over bowl victories, or hang out with Curtis and Will at Aunt Maude’s. I want winning to be synonymous with Cyclone basketball again.

Of course, this optimistic guy does not see the program going to hell in a hand basket; in fact, I think “NC-two-A” tourneys are right around the corner. I miss you Larry. The fact is, this team has some decent players, and it has some terrible players. And then there’s Chris Caesar. The problem is: he actually plays—significantly against Baylor. He is, surprisingly, quite athletic. I’ve seen him almost pull off 360 dunks in warm-ups. So, he could be good in an amateur And-One League with no one guarding him, but that won’t get us anywhere in the Big 12.

Greg McDermott has stuck to his guns and played the style he likes to play, even if it doesn’t suit the current roster like it did his gritty UNI teams. He likes to slow the game down, play tough defense, and grind out wins. Our defense has improved immensely under his guidance, but our offense allows us to grind out more losses than wins. I’m still disappointed with the loss at Colorado and, until seeing the recent K-State success, was mildly upset over the home loss to the wild kitties. But we never play well in Boulder, and KSU still has better talent and more experience than the Cyclones.

McDermott and staff are moving things in the right direction. Recruiting looks strong for next year and we even have quite the head start on the upcoming years. He’s making our man-to-man defense fun to watch, even though we are usually outmanned. When we fill some of our holes and the guys get more experience in the system, the offense will come around. Right now, I’d give McDermott and Co. a B+.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

Iowa State Gets 3-star Cornerback

(This article originally appeared at iowastate.rivals.com.)

Gene Chizik's coaching staff put on a full-court press of attention in attempting to land two defensive recruits from Independence (Kan.) Community College, and Iowa State learned yesterday that the efforts were a slam dunk. Allen Bell, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound cornerback, and Chris Weir, a 6-foot-3, 270-pound defensive tackle, both committed to Chizik and the Cyclones Monday evening.

Bell has previously given his verbal commitment to Ole Miss, while Weir was the subject of an intense battle between Iowa State and TCU, and Chizik's staff devoted large amounts of time and attention trying to land the two, who were generally perceived as a package deal.

"Yesterday night, Wayne Bolt was visiting me here (Independence)," Bell said Tuesday afternoon. "The D-Line coach was at Chris' house in Miami, and the D-Back coach was at my dad's house in Tallahassee, all at the same time."

Within the last few days, Chizik made a trip to Tallahassee himself to visit with Bell's father, and it was that visit that sealed the deal.

"I told him before he came down that I was kind of leaning toward Iowa State's way," Bell said. "One of my father's biggest concerns was getting to watch me play, but Coach Chizik convinced him basically that it wouldn't be that difficult, that there wasn't that much difference between 9 hours to Mississippi and 19 hours to Iowa State."

"I mean, if you're gonna fly, a plane ticket's a plane ticket."

In addition to the personal impression Iowa State coaches made on the Bell family, Chizik came with advance praise from several people whose opinion matters a lot to Bell, including a former teammate and a former coach.

"My high school coach played for him when he was at Central Florida," said Bell. "And all he told me was: the man is a technician. He is going to give you the tools and techniques you need to be your absolute best player I can be."

According to Bell, the Iowa State staff has indicated to him that he has a good chance to play a prominent role not only in the secondary, but returning punts and kickoffs as early as next season.

"Coach Chizik is pumped up about it," Bell said. "I just want to be an impact player and see how far we can go."

Bell also said that he will run track at Iowa State with the football staff's blessing. According to Bell, Chizik expressed no reservations whatsoever about his participation on the track squad, stating that his (Chizik's) only rule was: as long as your grades are solid, you have my blessing.

Bell's early struggles with academics landed him at Independence CC, but he says now that the problems weren't from lack of effort or intelligence, but due to unspecified family problems in his home during his final two years of high school.

"I've been doing good here so far, and all those problems with grades are behind me now."

What Cyclone Would You Most Like to See in the Super Bowl?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Brian #1

When I start thinking about Cyclones I’d like to see get a shot on sports’ biggest stage, the list gets long fast. Jordan Carstens is rushing Sage Rosenfels out of the pocket, Seneca Wallace is lined up in the slot on a trick play, Reggie Hayward and James Reed are stuffing the run, Ellis Hobbs is returning Tony Yelk’s booming kickoffs, Troy Davis is watching from a TV somewhere in Canada, and Pete Taylor is doing play-by-play from the big pressbox in the sky. But if I could pick one former Cyclone to shine on Super Sunday, its really not that hard. I’m going with the one common link between all these great Cyclones: Dan McCarney.

Now that Bill Cowher is out of the league, there’s a huge vacancy just waiting to be filled for a coach that leads with a scowl and an angry chin. Cowher never went Clapping Monkey like Mac, but just imagine Mac at Media Day for the Super Bowl. Even with the limited coverage at Iowa State, the amount of hot air Mac spewed at reporters was probably the chief cause of Global Warming. Picture him at media day:

Reporter: What are your chances on Sunday, Coach McCarney?

Mac: I tell ya, its not gonna be easy Sunday, Jimmy, no way. This is the fourth straight playoff team we faced, we had one of the hardest schedules in the entire NFC North this season, we’re going up against a team on a three game winning streak, you don’t win that many football games by accident, they’re doing it with toughness, with heart, they’re playing smart, they make big plays, they get turnovers, they don’t turn the ball over, they have a good plan, they’re big, they’re strong, they’re experienced, they have amazing fans, they perform well under pressure, they’re great on both sides of the ball, they have unbelievable special teams, we’re going to have be better than we’ve ever even considered thinking about being before just to be in this game at halftime. And oh yeah, their punt coverage in the second half when leading is tops in the AFC East, so we’ve got to be ready for that. Did I mention what an honor it is to coach against Romeo Crennel, who is one of the all-time legends in this sport?

(Polar ice caps melt.)

Seriously, I love Coach Mac, and I always will, and I’ll always pull for him wherever he goes. I want him in the Super Bowl. I want to hear what Joe Buck says as Mac grimaces after we get stuffed on 4th and short. I want to see him cheering and clapping after our defense gets a stop while trailing 42-7. I want to see him manage the clock in the 4th quarter with the added complication of the two minute warning. I want to see him lead the team in “kumbaya” when they’re trailing 24-7 at halftime.

Truly, no Cyclone, past, present or future, deserves a chance to have his hard work appreciated and praised for all the world to see as much as Dan McCarney.

Brian #2

There are certainly a number of Cyclones who were fan favorites throughout their careers who I would love to see play in a Super Bowl. There may be no one who deserves a chance in the spotlight more, though, than Tony Yelk. The state of Iowa’s football version of Jess Settles, Yelk experienced some serious ups and downs throughout his 8 year Cyclone career. Or at least some serious downs.

When Yelk was a freshman I remember feeling like he had the world at his feet. Sure, he was inaccurate, but he had the leg to knock down field goals from 55+ yards, and his punts were absolute bombs! Who cares if he took 6 steps before he punted? Gramted, I was a little angry too when Yelk went 0-4 on FG in a 24-21 loss to Texas A&M, or “missed” that field goal that would have won the Independence Bowl against Alabama. But its cool. We get chances to beat two of the most storied programs in the country in the same year all the time. Don’t sweat it, Tony.

Lots of kickers are injury plagued, and that’s why I was understanding of Tony when he spent his second senior year out with a pulled muscle when many fans were throwing him under the bus. It’s not like we lost 4 really close games where an inch could have made a huge difference, and the two guys who tried to replace him combined for 56.4 yards a kickoff, putting their average blast at the 9-yard line, before the average 18.6 yard return put teams at the 28-yard line. Wait, all that actually did happen.

Sure, maybe I am a little bitter about the Tony Yelk era. But I am ready to see him succeed so that both of us can exercise our demons. I just want to see Tony catch on with a team that can afford to use one of its roster spots on a guy who can be a very good kickoff man and emergency quarterback (Tony was an all-state QB in high school). Maybe I just want to see Tony in a Super Bowl because I could makes jokes about it with my family for month, whether about his hair, his brittle body, or his career at ISU. Regardless, Tony is my man.

Brad

When people need some hard work done in Bagley, Iowa, they don’t have to look very far. 6 feet 5 inches, 300 pounds of lean muscle. Jordan Carstens is a man among boys but, more than that, he embodied what it meant to be a classy Iowa State Cyclone football player under Dan McCarney.

He walked on at ISU in 1999, weighing only 215 pounds. Getty probably had him on more protein shakes than Herschel Walker. What seemed like overnight, the boy from Bagley had turned into the beast from Bagley. Improbably he became a starter and, eventually, a star. In 2002 and 2003 he earned all conference recognition while playing through several obviously painful injuries.

One only has to look to the Oklahoma game his junior year. The Cyclones came into Norman the #9 team in the country, and came away wondering what hit them. But on that day, even Sooner fans would agree, Jordan Carstens was packing a punch. Limping around the field Carstens piled up 13 tackles and was the only ISU player who looked like he belonged on the field that day.

I wish that Carstens could rid the injury plague that has continued to hinder his NFL career with the Panthers. Although it never seemed to stop him from having career games in college, the stakes are higher and the he’s not competing with Klayton Shoals anymore. Carstens will always be one of my favorite Cyclones and I think he deserves a Super Bowl. I will always miss the beast from Bagley, ole #92 in cardinal and gold.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

Dallas Lineman Set to Visit Iowa State

(This article originally appeared at iowastate.rivals.com.)

Trey Baysinger, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound multisport athlete from Dallas (Tex.) Carter High School, will visit Iowa State this coming weekend with the Cyclones running strong in the derby to win his services.

Iowa State has moved up dramatically in Baysinger's eyes, with offensive coordinator Robert McFarland making a great impression on the big athlete amidst late competition from Tulsa and Kansas State. Baysinger has already visited Baylor and Kansas, and will visit Ames January 26.

When Baysinger visits Ames, the Carter OL prospect who at one point listed ISU as his top choice, knows exactly what he hopes to find.

"What I'm looking for is how the players interact with one another," Baysinger said Sunday night. "When we see each other campus, if we're riding our bikes and we see each other, are we going to ride next to each other, or just look at each other and keep going."

"I'm talking about teamwork," said Baysinger. "I love teamwork."

He said that his high school program at Carter was an example of a team that didn't support each other, and he will make sure his future destination doesn't suffer the same malady.

Baysinger is considering at least two schools that have recently endured a coaching change, and he will also be looking for an "optimistic attitude" about the future of the program, not just from the coaching staff and team, but from the entire community.

"I want to see how the town is responding to the coaching change, if they're optimistic," Baysinger said. My friend at Tulsa (Cornelius Arnett) says at Tulsa that all the boosters are putting up the money, and all the town is rallying behind the team. That's what I'm looking for."

Baysinger has not received an offer from Tulsa, but is high on the school because of his connections to Arnett and the Oklahoma school's proximity to his Dallas home. He said that the travel time from Dallas to Ames may play in to his decision, but without an offer from Tulsa, Iowa State looks to be in very strong position to secure his talents.

Allen Bell Likes what ISU is Building

(This article originally appeared at iowastate.rivals.com.)

Jaime Pollard's facilities improvement plan has a lot of people talking, including Independence (Kan.) Community College cornerback Allen Bell. Bell visited Ames last weekend, and was impressed with Iowa State's vision for the future.

"The facilities they have right now are top of the line, and with the new coach you can see they're willing to invest in it even more," Bell said Thursday night. "You can tell they're really trying to change something there."

Bell, who emphasized that he is currently a "soft commit" to Ole Miss, has visited Iowa State, Louisville and East Carolina in recent weeks, presumably while still weighing offers from these schools. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound speedster has been quoted elsewhere as saying that Ole Miss is a done deal, but Bell said Thursday night that the Cyclones are still very much in contention.

"After the visit, they're moving up a lot higher than I expected," said Bell. "Wherever you go, if you can play, you're going to get a chance to play. It's going to come down to where I feel comfortable."

Bell also said that Coach Gene Chizik met all his criteria for picking a school.

"He was a really nice guy, and all the good stuff I had heard about him was true," Bell said. "And I know I can trust him."

The derby for the services of Bell, who runs the 100-meter dash in 10.5 seconds, may not last much longer. Bell revealed that he "thinks he has a decision made," but would not reveal that decision.

Whether Bell will come as a package deal with teammate Chris Weir is also unclear. Bell said that playing with Weir was somewhat important, but would not make or break his decision. According to Bell, he will enter in the fall as a redshirt sophomore, with three years to play three.

Will Pollard's Plan Work?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Last week, Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard revealed on KXNO’s Marty and Miller radio show the details of a new ticket policy for Cyclone football games. In an effort to drive up season ticket purchases, Pollard announced that no single game tickets would be available for this fall’s contest against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Additionally, season ticket prices have gone up from $36/game to $50/game for the 2007 season. The move has raised conflicting opinions in Iowa, with Hawkeye fans and radio personalities threatening thousands of empty seats and playing the “how dare you ruin the spirit of the rivalry” card.

What do two Brians and a Brad think? Read on!

Brian #1

Jamie Pollard is a big picture guy, and that’s what I love about him.

I don’t have the spreadsheets or the attendance projections he does, and even if I did, we’ve got to admit we’re underqualified to make judgments sometimes, and let the man do his work. But I don’t think this question is really about the immediate bottom line as much a long term public relations vision of how Iowa State will be perceived.

Iowa State is treated by both the local and national media, and of course its rival to the east, as the “little brother.” Even when ISU was beating Iowa five straight times on the gridiron, and winning back-to-back Big XII basketball titles (men’s AND women’s), the media continued to perpetuate the myth that Iowa State was somehow a second-class version of the University of Iowa. The Hawkeyes (who have a strong and respectable athletic program, no doubt) play in the media market-rich Big Ten, while the Cyclones compete in the prairie and oil-field heavy Big XII.

I believe Jamie Pollard looks at this treatment as a public relations disaster, both locally and nationally. Iowa State needs a leader prepared to call a spade a spade and make bold moves that will get people respecting what Iowa State is and what Iowa State can be: a competitive, bold player on the national stage. PR is a state of mind, and it is impossible to measure the effect an adjustment of public image will have in the commentators discuss ISU, the way recruits feel on their visit, and the pride and confidence with which Iowa State’s own employees, coaches and players will do their jobs on a daily basis.

I’m on board.

Brian #2

The idea of sitting inside Jack Trice Stadium for a game against Iowa and not having the Jack full and rocking is a depressing one to this Cyclone fan. I look forward to the Iowa game or the Nebraska game every year because I know that it will be the best environment of the year inside the stadium. Yes, I do hate those opponents more than every other team we play, but it is game day itself that makes me love those games so much, not rubbing it in the other 364 days of the year (even though I enjoy that part too).

So, my gut reaction to this is fear of losing part of what makes that day so special. There are certainly other ways to generate more revenue using the Iowa game as the carrot dangled in front of the casual fan. Why not just up that ticket price even more, into the $90 to $100 range? Or the ticket could come at its usual $65 as part of a season ticket package but cost more if it is sold as a single game ticket. I feel pretty confident that we could sell the Iowa game out with a ticket costing up to $100.

The reason I support what Jamie Pollard is doing, though, is because he is trying to make every game one that has an atmosphere like the Iowa one, not just profit off of our guaranteed draw through one high priced game. I also feel like he will find some way to have 55,000 butts in the seats and on the hillsides next September 15 when Iowa comes to visit, so we won’t lose that electric atmosphere in the short term. The biggest reason that I am supporting Pollard in this, though, is that he has given me no reason not to in his time at Iowa State. He seems to understand the need for revenue and the best ways to generate it at a major university, so I will just follow the company line until he shows me otherwise.

Brad

In his first year as Iowa State’s Athletic Director, Jamie Pollard has caused quite a fuss among Hawkeye fans to the east. Who cares? This, for Cyclone fans, should always be considered a good sign. This fuss is no question a certain fear from Iowa fans, who realize that Iowa State is no longer going to be settling as the second rate team in this state. Pollard has the cajones that Cyclone administrators have lacked over the years, and has the vision needed to take ISU to the next level.

He’s made tough decisions in firing the head coaches of the two biggest programs, but his replacements might be the bigger story. You don’t have to listen to Fran Fraschilla and Ron Franklin to know that Iowa State and Greg McDermott were like love at first sight. And Gene Chizik replacing Dan McCarney seemed a long shot just weeks ago, but Pollard pulled it off. Both searches ended and even the most ardent Iowa State fans were surprised, as well as major media outlets fooled. How does Mr. Pollard do it?

The latest stir he caused is over Iowa State’s football ticket policy. He decided not to release any Iowa/ISU single game tickets for this year’s contest. It’s mid-January and Pollard strategically (of course, it’s Pollard) has the Iowa media focusing on ISU’s season ticket policy. The reasoning behind this plan is not hard to understand—as Pollard said, it’s a “business decision.” If ISU sells an additional 5,000 tickets at the $350 level, that yields $1.75 million. If it sells the additional 20,000 Iowa tickets at the $65 level (the price from last year), it yields $1.3 million. We have more money for the program and still have the remaining tickets for the other games to sell. This is about motivating Cyclone fans to buy tickets, expanding the fan base, and of course, dollars and cents. Yes, there may be empty seats for the Iowa game in Ames, but there will be more money in the AD coffers. Given his first year track record, why not trust Mr. Pollard? I do.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

Visit Cements Black's Commitment to State

(This article originally appeared at iowastate.rivals.com.)

Jerrod Black, the 6-foot-2 280-pound defensive tackle from Houston (Tex.) Cypress Falls, told Iowa State Head Coach Gene Chizik this afternoon that he would definitely be a Cyclone next year, cementing a commitment Black made to defensive line coach Mike Pelton earlier in the week.

Black visited Ames this weekend, and despite some mishaps with the winter weather, considered the trip a success.

"It was the first time I'd ever seen snow, and I slipped a few times on the concrete because I couldn't tell I was stepping on ice," Black told CycloneReport.com from his airplane seat just moments after his flight landed in Houston. "But I didn't mind the weather too much, and everyone there was so cool."

In addition to checking out the facilities ("very nice compared to what I've seen") and rooming with a fellow Texan - Cyclone DL Austin Alburtis - Black met twice with Coach Chizik over the weekend.

"He told me his plans for the school, and he told me they don't involve losing," said Black. "So we're going there for the same reasons."

According to Black, he headed to Ames Friday thinking that if the visit went well, he would firm up his commitment upon leaving. And the Cy Falls DT wasted little time in making up his mind, calling Chizik by telephone Sunday before leaving town to tell him he was a solid commitment.

After committing to Pelton early in the week, Black had considered exploring Texas A&M as another option. But after seeing snow for the first time, Black was ready to sign on to Chizik's quickly growing 2007 class.

Black, who logged 121 tackles, eight sacks and 20 tackles for loss on Cy Falls' 5-A state runner-up team this season, said he's been told his strengths are a quickness getting off the ball and an ability to use his hands aggressively and effectively. However, he also said he needs to get faster and improve his footwork before he can be "one of the great defensive tackles in the Big 12."

ISU Faces Little Competition for TE

(This article originally appeared on iowastate.rivals.com.)

Jordan Scoggins, a 6-foot-2, 255-pound, Euless (Tex.) Trinity product, will officially visit Iowa State on the weekend of January 26. And unless something unforeseen happens on the visit, he will likely commit to becoming a Cyclone.

Scoggins visited North Texas last weekend and will trip to Division I-AA Central Arkansas this weekend. With that tepid competition for his services, the Cyclones are definitely the leader for Scoggins' commitment. Originally from Arkansas, the TE/DL prospect said the ability to play in the Big 12 would be the main selling point in Iowa State's favor.

The Cyclones are also the only squad inviting Scoggins to play tight end, a stance which he says makes ISU's offer all the more enticing.

"They want me at tight end, and I want to be at tight end," Scoggins said Wednesday. "That's really important to me."

Scoggins said he was first contacted by Robert McFarland just before Christmas, and the stance of the new Cyclones' offensive coordinator when it came to Scoggins was clear.

"They told me they needed me to come up there and play tight end, and help them get the program moving in the right direction."

Scoggins' Trinity team bowed out in the second round of the Texas 5-A playoffs, and playing in front of the 60,000 fans that witnessed the game was the highlight of the Euless star's season.

Distance from home is no consideration, so the only trepidation Scoggins currently has regarding Iowa State and Ames is the weather. "I want to see how cold it is," said Scoggins. "That's about the only thing holding me back."

The forecast for Saturday, January 26th is 38 degrees.

Sandvig Dishes on his Iowa State Visit

(This article originally appeared on iowastate.rivals.com.)

In between dishing out lattes at Scooter's Coffee House in West Des Moines, Iowa State commit Alex Sandvig took time Tuesday night to share his excitement about this past weekend's visit and the future of Iowa State football.

"Everybody there, all of the new guys and all the coaches, they all feel the same way about football," Sandvig said while on break from his part-time job at the WDM hangout. "We all just want to win."

Sandvig echoed what Kelechi Osemele and others have said about the visit - this group of recruits has yet to put on a Cyclone jersey, but already they feel like a team.

"Nobody was shy, we got to know each other right away," Sandvig said. "I love those guys already."

In the midst of the fun and bonding, there was some business to take care of, and Sandvig said meetings with wide receiver oach Jay Rodgers and Head Coach Gene Chizik were successes. According to Sandvig, Rodgers told him that the Cyclones will be passing "all the time" and plan to introduce a bevy of four- and five-WR sets in to the offense.

Sandvig also reported that the Coach Chizik addressed the players at a Saturday morning meeting with two simple sentences: "I'm here to win. Nothing less is acceptable."

Throughout the recruiting process, Sandvig had become good friends with UNI commit Will Eilert, and the Valley standout had a perspective on Eilert's decision to leave the ISU program and head to Cedar Falls.

"I've talked to Will about it, and the coaches really wanted him to play center, because they thought he was quick," Sandvig explained. "And they wanted to greyshirt him, not because of any slight to him, but really to help him because they wanted him to have another year to grow into his new position. But they still wanted him in the program."

Sandvig will run track for the first time this spring, on recommendation from the ISU strength and conditioning staff. A torn ACL sidelined him for the final four games of 2006, and running vertical sprints is expected to strengthen the knee ligaments before the zig-zagging of football kicks in to high gear.

What are the Chances that ISU Makes the NCAA Tournament?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Hey Big 12 fans. We’re happy to bring you the first weekly installment of the newest column on www.big12-fans.com: “Two Brians and a Brad,” a weekly look in to most important question in the sports galaxy of the Iowa State Cyclones.

The two Brians and Brad in question are all native Iowans and relatives who spend most family holidays, when the rest are eating turkey, watching old Cyclone highlight tapes or trying to win Ryan Koch the Heisman in NCAA 2007.

The goal of this column is to bring you inside Cyclone Nation, to the question of the week that we’d be wasting our time talking on the telephone about if we weren’t writing about it. Thanks for joining us.

This Week’s Question:

What are the chances that Iowa State makes the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament?

Brian #1

Most Iowa State basketball fans supported Jamie Pollard’s replacement of deposed coach Wayne Morgan with Greg McDermott last spring. That defeaning thump you heard just after the Cyclones’ oh-so-close OT loss to Kansas Saturday was the rest of Cyclone Country jumping on the bandwagon.

History, of course, will be the judge of McDermott’s success at Iowa State, but with everything we have to go with now, there seems little doubt that the Cyclones will be returning to the NCAA Tournament soon. But will it be this year?

McDermott’s Clones have three impressive showings in three Big XII games; a 66-65 road win at Missouri, a 71-62 defeat of Nebraska, and the aforementioned 68-64 OT loss to the Jayhawks. Iowa State has produced two consecutive conference Rookies of the Week, freshman Wesley Johnson has 9 double-doubles, newcomer Dodie Dunson is emerging as a capable backcourt option with a sweet stroke under pressure, and Jiri Hubalek has turned around a season that looked like it might end with a one way ticket to Prague, playing inspired defense and averaging 12ppg and 10rpg in conference play.

The schedule ahead isn’t terrible. The Big 12 is a strong conference this year but, as has been the trend in recent years, almost all the quality basketball is being played south of the Ozarks. Iowa State only has to play each of the South teams once, and gets a chance to do battle with its North opponents for 10 of the 16 conference games.

I don’t think Iowa State will be competitive at TAMU, Texas and Oklahoma State. Other than that, its becoming clear that a G-Mac coached team that follows the game plan is going to have a chance to win in the last five minutes almost everytime it takes the floor. However, it would be silly to think that a team this young, and without the ballhandlers that thrive in February and March, didn’t also have a chance to lose every game.

Nine wins will get the Cyclones to the bubble, sitting at 18-12 (9-7). If they could get to 9 conference wins, it would probably take 2 wins at the Big 12 Tourney to crack the field of 64, depending on how things shook out over the stretch drive. If the Clones can manage 4-3 against the North from here on out, holding serve against the weaker south teams at home (Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Baylor) would bump ISU to 9-7 in the Big XII.

There weren’t a lot of fans this side of criminally delusional that had Iowa State as a good preseason bet for the NCAAs. Most of us hoped to improve, gain experience, and sneak in to the NIT. So where the Cyclones sit now is a great place to be, from a fan’s perspective. Assuming there’s not a total collapse, we’re pretty much playing on house money. One thing to remember, however, is that if Wesley Johnson doesn’t get a great rebound put back in Columbia, this team is 1-2 and this year’s outlook might seem very different.

I don’t think ISU is an NCAA team this year, but I can’t rule it out completely. The game I’ve got circled on my calendar is February 17 at Kansas State. Coming off two tough South games and just at that point in the season where young players hit the proverbial wall, this will be a contest that could push the Cyclones toward success or failure for the rest of the campaign.

Chance of making NCAA: 18%

Brian #2

I have to be honest. I thought that there was almost no chance that “What are the chances Iowa State makes the men's NCAA basketball tournament?” would still be a legitimate question on January 17 as recently as a month ago. I fully expected the Cyclones to be 0-3 at this point in the conference season. Instead we are sitting at 2-1 with the only loss being in overtime to Kansas.

At 11-6, we need to win 8 more games to put ourselves on the good side of the NCAA tournament bubble. Of our remaining 13 regular season games, I see 4 games that can most likely be chalked up as losses. Roadies at Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M aren’t games that I feel this team is ready to win (although I thought the same thing about the Missouri game.) Both Colorado games, on the other hand, should be victories. That means that in the other 7 games and the conference tournament, all of which I consider tossups at this point, we need to manage to find 6 victories. That seems improbable to me for a couple of reasons.

Greg McDermott only has 8 players that can play extended minutes. Star guard Michael Taylor is averaging over 36 minutes over the past 7 games, and forward Wesley Johnson is averaging nearly 35 minutes over that span. Both of these guys are in their first year of Division One basketball, and I just can’t see them (or the other Cyclones playing major minutes) maintaining their high level of play over the duration of the entire Big 12 conference season at this pace. This team reminds of the 2001 team that eventually lost to Hampton in the NCAA tournament. That team was obviously on a different level performance wise, but Larry Eustachy got everything he could out of that team and they ended up running out of gas at just the wrong time. I see this year’s Cyclone squad hitting the wall with 3 or 4 games still left on their schedule and falling short of the resume necessary for a tournament bid.

Now, I could be wrong. This team could be extremely well conditioned and just hitting their stride, like it would appear if you were to just look at the last three games. Keep in mind, however, that McDermott’s UNI team started 19-3 before losing 6 of their last 10 games entering the NCAA tournament, and then bowed out in the first round. McDermott’s ability to push his team past their breaking point is the only reason we have any chance at all to be a part of March Madness, but it is also the reason that I believe that chances of making the NCAA are still very slim.

Chance of making NCAA: 10%

Brad

When Greg McDermott inherited the Iowa State men’s basketball program in the spring of 2006, his challenge was comparable to the one the U.S. faced during The Great Depression. With only four returning players from last year’s team, along with some “leftovers” he was able to land late, some thought ISU would have trouble competing in the Ames YMCA league. Just like FDR knew then, McDermott knows now that it’s going to take more than a few small tweaks in policy to get out of the mess his predecessors left. ISU needs to win a war.

After three battles thus far, ISU is an unexpected 2-1. Saturday’s game against Kansas gave Cyclone fans reason to cry…and hope. The remaining 13 battles in this war are not going to be easy, but the team that lost to Drake, UNI, and Iowa just a few weeks ago is, thankfully, missing in action. McDermott has Iowa State playing at a high level with more cohesiveness than we saw when Curtis Stinson was in Ames frequenting Taco Time. The Johnson newcomers are performing better than anyone could have reasonably expected. Cory Johnson, although green, gave every ounce of his 6-7 body defending 7-1 monster Greg Oden in Columbus. Wesley Johnson is looking like ISU’s best player and if he keeps averaging nearly a double/double, he’ll be one of the most decorated Cyclones in history. Jean Prioleau deserves a Bronze Star for landing him in the late period.

Ten days ago, McDermott was close to granting Jiri Hubalek an honorable discharge back to the Czech Republic. Now he has the 6-11 big man under control and playing the best post defense of his career. Michael Taylor probably makes fans more nervous than opposing teams, and his play probably wouldn’t be tolerated by these coaches under normal circumstances. But no one can argue that the Cyclones need a take-charge type of player, and his 16 misses against the Jayhawks can be reconciled by moments where he goes off to the point where you look at his eyes and can only see white. The guy truly does get possessed.

I expect ISU to win the next two against Colorado and KState to start the conference season an impressive 4-1. The home tossups against Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Missouri will go a long way towards determining the Cyclones’ tourney hopes. If they can continue the gritty play they have showed in the first three battles, more of these tossups than not will go Iowa State’s way. Although if one of Iowa State’s must-have players becomes unavailable for whatever reason, the momentum could change fast. Memo to those two players: Wesley—stay healthy. Mike Taylor—keep doing your homework.

To be sure, ISU does not have the Barney Fife of yesteryear prosecuting this war. In Greg McDermott, it has its own Chesty Puller.

Chances of Making NCAA: 51%


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.