2011-12 Iowa State NCAA Basketball Predictions

2010 Review

Not much was expected out of Iowa State last year. Virtually all of us figured they could be at the bottom of the Big 12 conference with just two players returning from the season before, but the Cyclones were sort of a surprise. Typically, it is tough for folks to be energized about a .500 season, but it was the first time Iowa State didn’t have a losing record since the 2005-6 season.

In Fred Hoiberg’s very first year, Iowa State entirely adjusted their identity. Heading from a slow it down and grind it out group to one which ran much more and spread the court. That alteration of pace helped the Cyclones rank fifth within the conference and 39th within the country in offense at 74.8 points each game.

Iowa State also shot the three-ball very effectively last season, hitting 275 (8.6 for each game) of their shots from beyond the arc. That was plenty to pace the conference and rank 13th in the country.

2011-12 Preview

Only two starters return for Iowa State this year, but the real key could be the addition of four transfers. Last year this group was referred to as the top scout team around the nation and helped keep every single practice competitive. Now Chris Allen, Chris Babb, Royce White, and Anthony Booker might be prepared to prove themselves on the court.

Last year Iowa State wasn’t incredibly deep, so they performed a more conservative half-court defense. With much more talent on this season’s squad you can wager they might be extra aggressive in making use of pressure to force turnovers. View the entire 2011-12 ISU basketball schedule here.

Backcourt

The Cyclones are planning to have to discover a solution to replace Diante Garrett’s production. He was a high quality point guard who notched his name all around Iowa State’s record books for both assists and points.

There is certainly still lots of talent from the Cyclone backcourt. Scott Christopherson is a quite talented shooter who has drained 131 career 3-pointers already. He made 86 last season, ending up 2nd within the conference and 33rd around the nation at 2.8 for every game. His 44.1 three-point percentage was good for 11th in the nation and he has buried a trey in 34 consecutive contests. Christopherson doesn’t turn the ball over, works hard, and shouldn’t have to log a lot of minutes this year because of the Cyclones’s bench.

You’ll probably see Iowa State utilizing a lot of three-guard sets due to possessing a lot of talent in the backcourt. Transfers Chris Allen, Chris Babb, and Tyrus McGee are solid shooters. Allen and Babb ended up Big 10 starters and the two averaged just under ten points for every game back in 2009-10. McGee is coming through from Cowley Community College.

Chris Allen brings three years of expertise from his time at Michigan State. He has played in 14 tournament games and two Final Fours. He can not just shoot from the outside, but can also be a defensive stopper.

Chris Babb drained 69 three-point baskets in his last year at Penn State and averaged 10.2 ppg in Big Ten play.

Tyrus McGee made 115 3-point baskets last season at a 48.7% clip. He was a NJCAA First-Team All-American and might play both at the two and at point.

Two more players to keep an eye on are Bubu Palo and Tavon Sledge. Palo played all 32 games last year and proved capable of playing the one position. Sledge would be the person with the most potential. He’s incredibly quick and was ranked as the 3rd best player in New York City immediately after averaging 25.3 points and 5.2 dimes in his senior year.

Frontcourt

Mevlin Ejim and Jordan Railey each ought to see time as returning letterman while Royce White, Anthony Booker, and Percy Gibson will all make an impression as newcomers.

Ejim had a really productive freshman season last season for the Cyclones. The Canadian put up 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds for each game. He was only the 12th freshman in school history to average double figures. Despite his quality production, Hoiberg thinks Ejim will probably be even better this season. Ejim is more of a small forward, but was forced to play to the paint last year due to the Cyclone’s lack of depth.

Royce White was a very highly touted recruit two seasons in the past, but failed to play a game for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and then he sat out last season after transferring to Iowa State. White is powerful and can be an excellent passer. He’ll be beginning at power forward and may be the star of this team.

Percy Gibson was one of the top big guys in Michigan last year, putting up 21.2 points and 12 rebounds every game. Booker was a top-50 player coming out of high school, but only averaged 6.4 points and 4.1 boards when he was a freshman for Southern Illinois.

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2011-12 Iowa State NCAA Basketball Predictions

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