Big 12 Basketball: Each team’s worst performance of the last decade
By Joey Loose
Iowa State
November 13, 2017 (Milwaukee 74, at Iowa State 56) (GS: 6)
Sometimes buried in a Kansas-owned Big 12, the Cyclones were humming along nicely under Fred Hoiberg before he left for the Chicago Bulls, though Steve Prohm has done an alright job as successor. The team made six straight NCAA Tournaments before falling short last season, though they haven’t really notched many impressive wins once they’ve gotten there. On the other hand, they have had a few unimpressive losses.
Look no further than Hoiberg’s last game in 2015, an opening round loss to 14-seed UAB in a close 60-59 game. You may be wondering why a 14 over 3 upset doesn’t fly as Iowa State’s worst performance, but believe me that there was much worse. Consider their 2011 loss at Missouri, an 87-54 destruction against an eventual 11-seed in the NCAA Tournament. There are more we can look at, like involving blowout losses to Kansas, but then there’s the game from last season that takes the cake.
Against Milwaukee, Iowa State was a complete mess, committing 18 turnovers, getting out-hustled, and falling out of a game they should have easily won. Milwaukee did shoot 48% but this is not the team that should beat a Big 12 squad by 18 points. Consider that in their next game four days later, Milwaukee lost at home by double digits to non-D1 Concordia-St. Paul. Iowa State was only down 7 at the half before falling out of the game, but at this point in the season, they clearly “had a lot to work on.”
Steve Prohm could turn this thing around, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s on the hot seat as this season develops, especially in the deep Big 12. He needs to produce results and avoid nasty losses to Horizon League teams at home. We’ll have to see if they can avoid a similar downfall this year.