Peterson: Random thoughts, comments and concerns about Iowa State basketball and NCAA Tournament
OMAHA, Neb. – Bill Fennelly said it best Sunday night.
“The committee has a sense of humor.”
No. 7 Iowa State women's basketball against No. 10 Maryland in the NCAA Tournament’s first round. No. 2 Iowa State men's basketball against No. 15 South Dakota State in the NCAA Tournament’s first round.
Head coaches vs. former assistants – and in T.J. Otzelberger’s case, it’s also head coach vs. a former school.
More: Peterson: Why Iowa State can reach Final Four in our 2024 March Madness predictions
Sense of humor?
That’s one way to put it. Although I suspect, privately at least, that neither Cyclones coach is laughing about ironic selection decisions. They may be intriguing national television storylines, but they are also emotional gut punches to the coaches.
“When there’s people on the other side you care about, you want to make sure that those relationships matter a lot,” Otzelberger said Sunday. “At the same time, we know that at this time of the year, there’s only so many options, and things are going to go a certain way, so you just take it as it comes.”
The fourth-ranked men face South Dakota State (6:35 p.m.; truTV) Thursday at CHI Health Center in Omaha. The women go against Maryland at 6:30 p.m., Friday at Stanford’s Maples Pavilion.
Let’s hear from The Register’s Iowa State text group about the bizarre matchups and many other NCAA Tournament-related topics.
TEXT GROUP: The ISU men have a tough bracket. The women's game is going to be a good one, but the winner is very unlikely to beat Stanford in the second round.
RANDY: The men’s bracket isn’t just tough, it’s the toughest. Otzelberger’s former team, a very dangerous Drake team with a chip on its shoulder (and Tucker DeVries, of course), Illinois and BYU, and I’m just getting started. Auburn is just as aggressively physical as the Cyclones. And oh, by the way, UConn is the overall No. 1 seed. The Cyclones' success includes getting every ounce of energy from everyone in what’s recently been a nine-player rotation. The women’s tough bracket starts with Maryland (and former Fennelly assistant Brenda Frese), then regional host Stanford awaits the winner.
More: Ames native Tamin Lipsey living a childhood dream leading Iowa State basketball
TEXT GROUP: If refs call everything, the men will struggle with Illinois and UConn. Let them play within reason, and the Final Four is possible.
RANDY: Considering the Cyclones’ identity starts with physical and aggressive defense, the more that refs allow, the better. I reviewed the box scores of the previous two first-round NCAA Tournament games. Each time, against Pittsburgh and LSU, refs the Cyclones saw throughout the season worked the games. That trend continuing would seem to be good for Iowa State. Familiar refs know Otzelberger isn’t prone to sideline rants, preferring instead for timeout ref chats. That kindness goes a long way.
TEXT GROUP: I love the seeding, but 2-15 upsets have happened to Iowa State.
RANDY: I covered both. In 2000, the No. 2 Cyclones beat Auburn and UCLA before losing against Michigan State in the Elite Eight. A season later, they lost against Hampton in the first round in Boise, Idaho. Both times, there was uniqueness. In 2000, the Michigan State game was played in Auburn Hills, just outside of Detroit. A season later, coach Larry Eustachy said after the game that his team was tired. The quirkiness about this time around is a first-round opponent against a program Otzelberger coached for three seasons. The Jackrabbits had two NCAA Tournaments and an NIT appearance with him.
“At the end of the day, South Dakota State has been great to me,” Otzelberger said Tuesday night in the lobby of the Cyclones’ Omaha hotel. “There’s a lot of friends. We’ve got a job to do. Business as usual for us.”
TEXT GROUP: It doesn't matter who we play, the Cyclones must win on any court and in any city if they’re the best.
RANDY: Which they’ve already proven they can do, having beaten Baylor and Houston in Kansas City, and before that, winning at UCF, Cincinnati, Texas and TCU. My hunch is that thousands of Iowa State fans quickly bought the tickets disappointed Kansas fans sold. Ditto for Drake fans. Winning everywhere, not always an Iowa State men’s basketball trait, has happened because 40 minutes of extreme defensive aggressiveness translates to all basketball floors.
TEXT GROUP: Fans need to be less dramatic. Be proud. Stay humble.
RANDY: Iowa State fans’ passion has been raised a few notches because of recent success. They care, and you’d rather have it that way than the alternative. The narrative among some has been that the Cyclones are underseeded.
Should have been a No. 1 seed after smoking Houston in the Big 12 Tournament title game. Should have at least been better than the last or second-to-last No. 2 seed.
Some even wondered why Iowa State wasn’t a No. 1 seed. I’m not overthinking that stuff.
“Honestly, we don’t really care,” Tre King said Sunday night. “At the end of the day, we know what we do and do well, and we honestly think we can beat anybody in the country, whether we’re a 1-seed, 2-seed or whatever.”
TEXT GROUP: Complement the defense by making shots on offense. Must have help from our bench. And good old-fashioned luck.
Well put. Iowa State's bench outscored three opponents' reserves, 58-27, during its Big 12 Tournament run. Hason Ward averaged just under 10 points as Robert Jones’ primary backup. The bench scoring, however, is a bit misleading – Otzelberger uses his bench more than most opponents.
TEXT GROUP: What makes South Dakota State so good?
RANDY: The Jackrabbits were 22-12 and won the Summit League Tournament. Guard Zeko Mayo averages 18.8 points and 3.5 assists. The team makes 48.3% of its field goal attempts, including 36.3% from beyond the arc. They’re 0-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
“They have a lot of great shooters,” point guard Tamin Lipsey said. “They do a good job passing the ball. We’re going to try to make them dribble more than they’re used to.”
TEXT GROUP: Can Iowa State duplicate how it played in Kansas City?
RANDY: The Houston victory was Iowa State’s best all-around game since Otzelberger became the coach. The semifinal round win against Baylor was very solid, too. The Cyclones enter the NCAA Tournament on a major roll, but maintaining it means playing their best 40 minutes of hellacious defense and also shooting well. Keeping pace with the 19-of-42 3-point shooting the past two games might be a bit much to ask, yet they’ve proven they can indeed shoot well.
TEXT GROUP: It's the last hurrah for Rob Jones, Tre King and Hason Ward. They want to make an impact. I want to see Audi Crooks, Addy Brown and Emily Ryan have a chance against Stanford.
Rob Jones, King and Ward are out of collegiate eligibility after Iowa State’s final game. I’m sure they’ll be jacked for Thursday night. Crooks and Brown are part of Fennelly’s Five Fabulous Freshmen. Ryan, a senior who said she’s returning next season, will be a calming factor should the rookies get anxious during their first NCAA Tournament appearance.
More: Why Iowa State women's basketball can reach the Sweet 16 in our March Madness predictions
TEXT GROUP: I don’t want to play Drake.
RANDY: First things first. Iowa State against South Dakota State. Drake against Washington State. Save the thoughts about multiple storylines until 11:30 p.m., or so Thursday.
Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 52nd year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, on X @RandyPete, and at DesMoinesRegister.com/CyclonesTexts
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: From NCAA seeding to refs, Iowa State basketball fans speak their minds
