Iowa State Basketball

WRNL Predicts the 2014-15 Season

Get out your hammers, chisels and stone tablets — it's time to make some educated guesses.

By austinnarber Oct 28, 2014, 8:33am CDT

"FIFTH? IN THE BIG 12?" Dustin thought to himself.

If there's one thing the Iowa State fan base has earned over the last two months, it's the right to get excited about something special — something more than a bowled-in south end zone, or the rebirth of a functioning offense under Mark Mangino, or how good Allen Lazard is going to be over the next three years.

Cyclone Nation deserves basketball season. And it's so close, we should all be able to taste it by now.

It tastes like assists, three-pointers, rebounds, transfers and unfinished business.

It tastes like jump hooks and Hilton Magic.

It tastes like spreading the floor and Fred Hoiberg's spoon after eating a Clone Co–

So anyway, basketball is nearly upon us, and that means it's time for your small but mighty staff of hoops savants here at WRNL to predict how the 2014-15 season will pan out. Below, we offer up some win-loss predictions, All-Big 12 team predictions, Player of the Year predictions and a whole lot more.

This is, of course, your time to rip all of it to shreds and make some predictions of your own — so fill up that comments section!

1. Iowa State's Non-Conference Record

AustinNarber

11-1. Alabama and Iowa worry me, more so the latter being at Carver. As for Bama, Anthony Grant's teams can control tempo and guard the perimeter well. Could be a tough out on a neutral court (although it is the Sprint Center!). We lose one of those.

NormanUnderwood

11-1. Loss to Iowa or Drake. We always dick the dog for the lesser Iowa schools.

KFitzy87

12-0. No McKay? No problem.

CylentButDeadly

No worse than 11-1. Iowa State is better than every team they'll face in the non-conference and perhaps significantly better, but it's tough to envision a second straight unbeaten start.

The CYdeliner

12-0. I have a hard time predicting two straight undefeated non-con years, but this year's schedule is a bit easier. And we think we have a better team, even without McKay.

2. Iowa State's Conference Record

AustinNarber

13-5. Unblemished at home with some inexplicable road woes, all of them close though (5-6 points). Give me a Texas sweep because I'm tired of losing to fucking Texas just in general.

NormanUnderwood

14-4. Losses at Kansas, Texas, West Virginia and Kansas State. Calling an Oklahoma sweep here.

KFitzy87

14-4. Losses to Kansas in Hilton (yuck), at Texas, at Oklahoma, at Kansas State. Yes, we win at the Phog.

CylentButDeadly

Fred Hoiberg mentioned that the only thing keeping Iowa State from a conference title is the ability to win on the road. ISU's road conference record the last three years: 4-5 in 2011-12, 3-6 in 2012-13 and 3-6 in 2013-14. If this team has a winning road record in league play, a regular season title is in play, but for right now, I'm calling 13-5 with a 4-5 road conference record.

The CYdeliner

15-3. KOOL-AID. Don't think we lose at home this year (ahem, Kansas), but lose three on the road, good enough for at least a share of the conference. We sweep one of the top four other teams. Thinking the losses are Kansas, Texas and Kansas State.

3. Final Big 12 Standings

AustinNarber

1) Kansas 2) Iowa State 3) Oklahoma 4) Kansas State 5) Texas 6) Baylor 7) Oklahoma State 8) West Virginia 9) Texas Tech 10) TCU

NormanUnderwood

1) Iowa State 2) Kansas 3) Texas 4) Kansas State 5) Oklahoma 6) West Virginia 7) Baylor 8) Oklahoma State 9) TCU 10) Texas Tech

KFitzy87

1) Kansas 2) Iowa State 3) Oklahoma 4) Texas 5) Kansas State 6) West Virginia 7) Oklahoma State 8) Baylor 9) TCU 10) Texas Tech

CylentButDeadly

1) Kansas 2) Iowa State 3) Texas 4) Oklahoma 5) Kansas State 6) Baylor 7) Oklahoma State 8) West Virginia 9) TCU 10) Texas Tech

The CYdeliner

1) Iowa State 2) Kansas 3) Texas 4) Kansas State 5) Oklahoma 6) Baylor 7) West Virginia 8) Oklahoma State 9) TCU 10) Texas Tech

4. All-Big 12 First Team

AustinNarber

Kenny Chery | G | Baylor

Marcus Foster | G | Kansas State

Perry Ellis | F | Kansas

Georges Niang | F | Iowa State

Le'Bryan Nash | F | Oklahoma State

NormanUnderwood

Marcus Foster | G | Kansas State

Juwan Staten | G | West Virginia

Perry Ellis | F | Kansas

Georges Niang | F | Iowa State

Buddy Hield | F | Oklahoma

KFitzy87

Marcus Foster | G | Kansas State

Juwan Staten | G | West Virginia

Perry Ellis | F | Kansas

Georges Niang | F | Iowa State

Myles Turner | F | Texas

CylentButDeadly

Kenny Chery | G | Baylor

Marcus Foster | G | Kansas State

Juwan Staten | G | West Virginia

Perry Ellis | F | Kansas

Georges Niang | F | Iowa State

Buddy Hield | F | Oklahoma (Yeah, I picked six guys. Deal with it.)

The CYdeliner

Marcus Foster | G | Kansas State

Juwan Staten | G | West Virginia

Perry Ellis | F | Kansas

Georges Niang | F | Iowa State

Buddy Hield | F | Oklahoma

5. Big 12 Player of the Year

AustinNarber

Marcus Foster. By far the best player on a good team (as a freshman) that nearly knocked off Kentucky in the tournament last year. Double-digit scoring in 27 of his 33 games. Shot attempts should increase with Will Spradling gone. Expecting a Trey Burke-like campaign for Foster.

NormanUnderwood

Juwan Staten.

KFitzy87

Perry Ellis.

CylentButDeadly

Georges Niang. Staten will have gaudy stats, but Niang will win because he plays for a title contender.

The CYdeliner

Georges Niang.

6. Big 12 Newcomer of the Year

It's nearly unanimous for Bryce Dejean-Jones, but CylentButDeadly offers the following:

Freshman of the Year will be Kelly Oubre from Kansas, but the newcomer award will be split between Bryce Dejean-Jones from Iowa State and Anthony Hickey from Oklahoma State.

7. Big 12 Coach of the Year

AustinNarber

Fred Hoiberg. I still refuse to accept Rick Barnes won this last year. The second-worst team of Hoiberg's coaching career earned him co-honors with Bill Self in 2011-12. The Mayor wins it outright this year. A long time coming.

NormanUnderwood

Mayor McFuckingDreamy.

KFitzy87

Fred Hoiberg.

CylentButDeadly

Fred Hoiberg.

The CYdeliner

If I don't pick Freddy Dreamicakes here, I might as well quit writing for this site.

8. Three Random Big 12 Predictions

AustinNarber

1) Kenny Chery is absolutely lights-out for a Baylor team that makes the NCAA Tournament as a top-eight seed.

2) West Virginia implodes. Bob Huggins is sent packing.

3) The same seven teams get bids as last season. Texas is the first to lose.

NormanUnderwood

1) Kansas' run is over.

2) The Big 12 sends six teams to the Big Dance (predicted top five, plus either West Virginia or Baylor gets hot in KC).

3) TCU does not finish dead last.

KFitzy87

1) Texas Tech fires Tubby Smith after the end of the season.

2) Kansas comes from behind to win their last game at Oklahoma, barely keeping their streak alive.

3) TCU beats two of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

CylentButDeadly

1) Seven Big 12 teams make the NCAA Tournament (no West Virginia, TCU or Texas Tech).

2) Bob Bowlsby (wisely) opts not to make any trips to Hilton Coliseum.

3) Buddy Hield leads the conference in scoring, Cameron Ridley leads in rebounding, and Monté Morris leads in assists.

The CYdeliner

1) Kansas' streak: FIN.

2) Refs make a call in Iowa State's favor.

3) Big 12 gets two teams in the Final Four.

9. Three Random Iowa State Predictions

AustinNarber

1) We lead the nation in turnover margin and the conference in offensive rebounds.

2) Bryce Dejean-Jones averages more assists+rebounds than points.

3) Fred Hoiberg has shown postseason improvement every year. Onto the Elite Eight.

NormanUnderwood

1) We win the whole fucking thing.

2) Georges Niang gets a triple-double.

3) Monté Morris actually improves his A/TO ratio.

KFitzy87

1) Monté Morris averages seven assists a game.

2) We win back-to-back Big 12 Tournament titles.

3) Bryce Dejean-Jones throws down the best dunk in Hilton Coliseum history.

CylentButDeadly

1) Abdel Nader is the team's second-leading scorer after Georges Niang.

2) Jameel McKay doesn't start a single game but is the best sixth man in the league.

3) Iowa State goes undefeated at home.

The CYdeliner