Search
ISU opens season with bevy of games
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2009-11-12
So much for easing into the season.
The Iowa State men’s basketball team opens its 2009-10 campaign with three games in five nights, starting with today’s 7 p.m. contest against Idaho State. And while it’s not the way coach Greg McDermott wants to start the season, there isn’t anything he can do about it.
“It’s really a result of the Duke game,” McDermott said.
The nationally televised contest against Duke on Jan. 6 in Chicago was added after the rest of ISU’s schedule was already set. To fit the Blue Devils into the schedule, the Cyclones had to rearrange several games, including a nonconference contest with Chicago State.
The Chicago State game was initially scheduled for December. The only spot both teams could move the game to was Sunday, which means the Cyclones have a game two days after the season opener against the Bengals and two days before a trip to Drake on Tuesday.
“The ideal way to play that game on Friday is to have a few days to look at film before you went on the road for the first time Tuesday,” McDermott said. “But it is what it is.”
Forward Craig Brackins thinks the new schedule will allow ISU to learn more about itself than it would if the original schedule was kept in place.
“It’s going to show how bad we want it,” Brackins said.
McDermott said the Cyclones’ depth — anywhere from nine to 11 players are expected to see significant minutes Friday — will make it easier to play so many games in such a short amount of time.
“We shouldn’t have to tax guys to the limit where they are playing 35, 37 minutes a game, which they’ve had to do in the past,” McDermott said. “We should be able to keep guys a little fresher and have their stints on the court be a little bit shorter.”
The team depth will also allow ISU to play a more up-tempo game and play more pressure defense. The new style worked in the exhibition season, as the Cyclones won their two games by a combined margin of 103 points.
“It’s just a whole different team because of the depth,” guard Lucca Staiger said. “We have so many more players who can play a lot of minutes and will play a lot of minutes. It will make things a whole lot easier.”
Vanderbeken may see limited action
McDermott said forward Jamie Vanderbeken could see a few minutes on Friday even though he is not 100 percent, yet. Vanderbeken suffered a stress fracture this summer.
“It’s going to be another month before he gets anywhere near where he needs to be,” McDermott said.
No decision on redshirts yet
McDermott has not decided who will redshirt this season, but said he is leaning toward redshirting guards Antwon Oliver and Bubu Palo. Forward Alex Dorr could also be redshirted.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929 or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2009-11-12
Iowa State opens the men's basketball season with three games in five nights. Tonight the Cyclones play Idaho State at 7 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum.
Tribune file photo by Nirmalendu Majumdar
Tribune file photo by Nirmalendu Majumdar
So much for easing into the season.
The Iowa State men’s basketball team opens its 2009-10 campaign with three games in five nights, starting with today’s 7 p.m. contest against Idaho State. And while it’s not the way coach Greg McDermott wants to start the season, there isn’t anything he can do about it.
“It’s really a result of the Duke game,” McDermott said.
The nationally televised contest against Duke on Jan. 6 in Chicago was added after the rest of ISU’s schedule was already set. To fit the Blue Devils into the schedule, the Cyclones had to rearrange several games, including a nonconference contest with Chicago State.
The Chicago State game was initially scheduled for December. The only spot both teams could move the game to was Sunday, which means the Cyclones have a game two days after the season opener against the Bengals and two days before a trip to Drake on Tuesday.
“The ideal way to play that game on Friday is to have a few days to look at film before you went on the road for the first time Tuesday,” McDermott said. “But it is what it is.”
Forward Craig Brackins thinks the new schedule will allow ISU to learn more about itself than it would if the original schedule was kept in place.
“It’s going to show how bad we want it,” Brackins said.
McDermott said the Cyclones’ depth — anywhere from nine to 11 players are expected to see significant minutes Friday — will make it easier to play so many games in such a short amount of time.
“We shouldn’t have to tax guys to the limit where they are playing 35, 37 minutes a game, which they’ve had to do in the past,” McDermott said. “We should be able to keep guys a little fresher and have their stints on the court be a little bit shorter.”
The team depth will also allow ISU to play a more up-tempo game and play more pressure defense. The new style worked in the exhibition season, as the Cyclones won their two games by a combined margin of 103 points.
“It’s just a whole different team because of the depth,” guard Lucca Staiger said. “We have so many more players who can play a lot of minutes and will play a lot of minutes. It will make things a whole lot easier.”
Vanderbeken may see limited action
McDermott said forward Jamie Vanderbeken could see a few minutes on Friday even though he is not 100 percent, yet. Vanderbeken suffered a stress fracture this summer.
“It’s going to be another month before he gets anywhere near where he needs to be,” McDermott said.
No decision on redshirts yet
McDermott has not decided who will redshirt this season, but said he is leaning toward redshirting guards Antwon Oliver and Bubu Palo. Forward Alex Dorr could also be redshirted.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929 or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
| Comments |
|
We welcome comments on all sides of all issues. We want our comment forums to be a respectful, comfortable place for people of all opinions to discuss topics of interest. Toward that end, we will not approve comments that contain profanity, obscenity, libel, name-calling, or personal attack. We reserve the right to disapprove any comment for any reason.
|