Wes Eikmeier Highlights
Video of Cyclone Signee Scott Christopherson
ISU Basketball: Wanted for 2009…Guard Play
When will the Iowa State men make it back to the NCAA tournament? It doesn’t look like it will happen in 2008 and I have my doubts about 2009. The staff needs to upgrade the guard court in a hurry if the Cyclones want to make a run next year.
I feel bad for Greg McDermott, he will go through two Big 12 seasons with completely depleted back courts. It appears things will be better next year. Garrett will have a year under his belt and he has shown real promise. Lucca will finally be free to play, unless the NCAA suits find some other unreasonable excuse for why he can’t. SG Wes Eikmeier and PG Dominique Buckley will be on campus, but how much can they contribute as freshman. Peterson, Haluska and Boozer all return as well.
So things are looking better at guard next year, but it may be 2010 before this team can compete with the big boys. The Baylor game was a good snapshot of how far this team is from being a really good team. The Bears have five guards on their roster that would start for the Cyclones. It doesn’t matter how good your front court is when your guards are getting whipped. Craig Brackins couldn’t miss all night and Iowa State still lost by 7 points.
The Cyclones will need to find someone who can replace Rahshon’s defense next season and they will need to find depth down low with Jiri graduating. PF Clinton Mann may be ready for minutes next year, but Justin Hamilton appears to be a few years away from contributing. Will the Cyclones sign anyone else in 2008?
Here is a projection on next year’s rotation:
PG Garrett / (Peterson/Buckley)
SG Staiger / (Haluska/Eikmeier)
SF W Johnson / Staiger
PF Thompson / (C Johnson/Mann)
C Brackins / Thompson
Iowa State To Retire Barry Stevens’ Jersey At Missouri Game
Courtesy: Cyclone Athletics
AMES, Iowa — Barry Stevens, an Iowa State men’s basketball All-Century Team member and one of the greatest basketball players in ISU history, will be honored at the Jan. 16 Iowa State-Missouri game. “Barry Stevens Day” will feature the unveiling of a banner of his retired jersey No. 35 as well as introductions of his wife (Sarita), sons (Darius and Jarius), sisters (Norma, Barbara, Rhonda and Beverly), brother (Donald) and brother-in-law (Jeff Grayer). Grayer is ISU’s all-time leading scorer, an All-Century team member and former teammate of Stevens at ISU. Stevens died suddenly from a heart attack on Feb. 21, 2007.
Stevens’ jersey will be displayed in the Hilton Coliseum rafters. Stevens will also be featured on the program flipcard and in a video scoreboard tribute during the halftime ceremony.
“I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to play against Barry Stevens,” said Iowa State head coach Greg McDermott. “He is one of the main reasons you see the unbelievable crowd support we have today in Hilton Coliseum. He is one of the best ever to put on a Cyclone uniform and he is certainly worthy of this honor.”
Stevens’ uncanny long-range shooting and outstanding athletic ability was a perfect fit in Coach Johnny Orr’s up-tempo style that helped resurrect the ISU program in the 1980s. The smooth-shooting forward ended his career as ISU’s all-time leading scorer - he now ranks second - with 2,190 points. A two-time first-team all-Big Eight selection (1984, 1985), Stevens averaged 21.7 ppg as a senior to pace ISU to its first NCAA appearance since 1944. He has the school’s second-best single game scoring mark with 47 points.
It is only fitting that Stevens, a native of Flint, Mich., will be honored when the Missouri Tigers come to town. For many people, “Hilton Magic” began 25 years ago on Feb. 8, 1983. On that day, as a sophomore, Stevens led an upstart Cyclone team to a stunning 73-72 overtime upset over the 10th-ranked Tigers. Stevens tallied a then-career-high 40 points and hit the final and deciding shot at the buzzer on his patented jumper at the top of the key.
Stevens joins six other Cyclone greats who have had their jerseys retired: Waldo Wegner (#14), Gary Thompson (#20), Zaid Abdul-Aziz (#35), Jeff Hornacek (#14), Jeff Grayer (#44) and Fred Hoiberg (#32).
Iowa State Cyclones - Oklahoma Sooners Prediction
The Cyclones haven’t played well for all 60 minutes in any game in 2007 and I don’t expect that to change this week. Iowa State was clearly overmatched by Texas last weekend and Oklahoma has more talent than the Longhorns. ISU will need a near perfect performance to stay in this game. I really hope I am wrong, but it could get ugly.
Game Prediction: Oklahoma 63 Iowa State 10
Despite the bleak outlook on the game, I am really looking forward to getting to Ames. Why?Tailgating, great weather, college football and the hope for a huge upset.
The Iowa State football team is struggling, but I have faith things are going to turn around sooner rather than later. Why? Recruiting
The Cyclones will be hosting a gaggle of top rated visitors from the class of 2008 tomorrow. The following is a list of potential visitors for the game.
Verbal Commits
QB Jerome Tiller - Robert E. Lee High School (San Antonio, TX)
TE Carter Bykowski - Eden Prairie High School (Eden Prairie, MN)
DE Jake McDonough - Valley High School (West Des Moines, IA)
DE Tracy Robertson - Lamar High School (Houston, TX)
ATH Dustin Land - Milton High School (Milton, FL)
Prospects
DE Kraig Bates - Centerville High School (Centerville, TX)
DE David Bedford - Independence Community College (Independence, KS)
DE Doran Guillory - Kelly High School (Beaumont, TX)
CB Terran Benton - Summit High School (Mansfield, TX)
LB Ben Durbin - Gilbert High School (Gilbert, IA)
RB Joe Johnson - Valley High School (West Des Moines, IA)
K Grant Mahoney - Linn-Mar High School (Marion, IA)
OT Christian Molina - Countryside High School (Clearwater, FL)
OT Cedric Mack - El Camino Community College (Torrance, CA)
Iowa State football will also be hosting a number of top rated sophomores and juniors from all across the Midlands.
Cyclone basketball is less than a month away. Are you as excited as I am for the season to get here? The Iowa State coaches will be hosting three visitors from Randolph, Wisconsin on Saturday including Kyle Kelm who has an ISU offer.
C/F 6′8 Sophomore Kyle Kelm
G 6′1 Sophomore Zach Reuter
G 6′1 Junior Tyler Tillema
See you all at the game! Go Cyclones!
