Iowa State Men’s Basketball: Why The Cyclones Can’t Win On The Road
By Brian Spaen
Similar to the loss against the Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12 season opener, the Iowa State men’s basketball team let Ioannis Papapetrou drain a 3-point shot to force overtime and led to a heartbreaking loss on the road against the Texas Longhorns.
Feb 4, 2013; Ames IA, USA; Iowa State Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg talks to his players during their game with the Oklahoma Sooners in the second half at Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State beat Oklahoma 83-64. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Before fans start breaking out their sniper rifles and pin Fred Hoiberg in the middle of the crosshairs, know that the coach wanted a foul on the last possession in regulation. He even called for it earlier in the final minute.
“I’m sick,” Hoiberg said in post-game press conference, “I’m absolutely sick for our guys. We fought all the way down to the wire again and we couldn’t get it done. We chose to foul this time. We worked on it everyday. Papapetrou gets loose on that last one and makes the shot.”
He even clarified to a reporter, “Yes,” when asked if he wanted a foul in the last four seconds. The problem was the Cyclones not being ready for an immediate pass back to the inbounder. It’s like a flea flicker in football; you don’t expect the initial passer to get it back and launch a home run shot.
Give credit to Texas for the play. Give them more credit to having success against the defensive switches Hoiberg implemented. Give them even more credit for grabbing a win without having Myck Kabongo and Jonathan Holmes in the second and final overtime, two sophomores that fouled out late in the game. Clearly Kabongo made Texas more fluent on offense.
It was Sheldon McClellan, the Longhorns’ leading scorer, that stepped up after receiving a reduction in minutes on his previous games. He only played one minute against Iowa State in the first meeting. In Austin he played 26 minutes, scored 18 points, grabbed eight boards, and made all eight free throws.
Who do Iowa State fans need to blame for this loss?