WRNL Staff 2020 - 21 Men’s Basketball Predictions

Yes, you’re reading this correctly: Basketball is finally here! After a disappointing season last year, Coach Prohm and the gang will look to bounce back with a whole host of unfamiliar faces, along with a few fan favorites returning. Can the Cyclones finally “move out” of their “parent’s basement” and “get a job”? It’s a tough economy folks... Anyways, here’s what our staff thinks about this coming season:

Sean Dee

Iowa State’s Non-Conference Record (Currently 7 Games scheduled including SEC): 5-2

Unfortunately, Iowa State’s cupcakes this year will not prepare them for a probable shellacking in Iowa City and a loss later in the year to Mississippi State.

Iowa State’s Conference Record (Full 18 Game Schedule): 7-11

The Cyclones are going to struggle this year, no doubt about it. Here’s what we need to see as a fanbase:

• An offense that plays to its strengths, plays with pace, and capitalizes on the talent around the program. A mark of a good coach is adjusting his style to fit the players around him, or recruiting and retaining talent that fits that system. Last year’s team had... None of that.
• Improved 3 point shooting. Last year’s team shot an abysmal 31% from 3 (273rd) and averaged the fewest amount of points per game since the McDermott era. Prohm’s teams are at their best running the floor and playing with pace and not slogging through grind-it-out possessions with X amount of passes per.
• A team that shows development and excitement as the year goes on. This team absolutely has to show that they can at least hang with some of the Big 12’s best as the season progresses. Coach Prohm will have to manage expectations throughout - Can the Cyclones upset someone this year? Can they win the few games they’re supposed to while showing flashes for next year? Ultimately, if the fanbase and athletic department don’t see that, Prohm may be packing his chapstick and leaving Ames at year’s end.

All Big 12 First Team (Denote Big 12 POY)

Cade Cunningham (POY)

Marcus Garrett

Jared Butler

Oscar Tshiebwe

Greg Brown

3 Random Big 12 Predictions

1. Baylor wins the Big 12
2. The season is paused at some point due to COVID concerns
3. With limited fan attendance, Kansas loses multiple home games

3 Random Iowa State Predictions

1. Xavier Foster comes off the bench at first but plays himself into the starting lineup.
2. Rasir Bolton makes an All Big 12 Team
3. Fans are generally unhappy all year (book it)

Iowa State Floor

Last in the Big 12 with Steve Prohm getting canned midway through the year. Pollard fires off “You Up?” texts to Otz and Fred at 3 in the morning as he sips bourbon and stares blankly at Georges and Monte highlights.

Iowa State Ceiling

Bubble Tournament Team. A lot has to happen for this to be a reality, but if the Clones can pull off an upset or two in conference play, anything is possible.

Summarize Iowa State’s Season with a GIF

Dylan Coon

Iowa State’s Non-Conference Record (Currently 7 Games scheduled including SEC): 4-3

Arkansas-Pine Bluff- W

South Dakota State- L

DePaul- W

@ Iowa - L (Iowa beats us by more points than they have ever)

Jackson State- W

Chicago State- W

@ Mississippi State- L

Iowa State’s Conference Record (Full 18 Game Schedule): 3-15

Kansas State- W

@ West Virgina- L

Baylor- L

@ Texas- L

Texas Tech-L

@ Kansas State- W

@ Kansas- L

Texas- L

@ Texas Tech- L

Oklahoma State- L

West Virginia- L

@ Oklahoma- L

@ TCU- L

Kansas- L

@ Oklahoma State- L

Oklahoma- L

@Baylor- L

TCU- W

All Big 12 First Team (Denote Big 12 POY)

Cade Cunningham

Jared Butler (Big 12 POY)

Marcus Garrett

Oscar Tshiebwe

Mark Vital

3 Random Big 12 Predictions

1. Kansas finishes 3rd in conference play
2. Cade Cunningham is must watch TV
3. Baylor wins the national championship

3 Random Iowa State Predictions

1. Xavier Foster underwhelms
2. Tre Jackson is a sole bright spot
3. We win two games in the Big 12 tournament

Iowa State Floor

Worst team in the big 12. Plain and simple, this team towards the end of the year last year looked very bad, and I don’t think we added enough to overcome bad. We’re an injury away from the worst season in the last 10 years.

Iowa State Ceiling

Uh... 6th in the Big 12 and a stretch of a bubble team? I’m absolutely highballing, and I felt dirty typing it. I just don’t see a feasible way we win more than 6 games in conference play this year.

Summarize Iowa State’s Season with a GIF

Jake Brend

Iowa State’s Non-Conference Record (Currently 7 Games scheduled including SEC): 4-3

Win vs Arkansas Pine-Bluff

Loss vs South Dakota State

Win vs Depaul

Loss @ Iowa

Win vs Jackson State

Win vs Chicago State

Loss @ Mississippi State

Iowa State’s Conference Record (Full 18 Game Schedule): 4-14

Win vs K-State

Loss @ West Virginia

Loss vs Baylor

Loss @ Texas

Loss vs Texas Tech

Loss @ K-State

Loss @ Kansas

Win vs Texas

Loss @ Texas Tech

Loss vs Oklahoma State

Loss vs West Virginia

Loss @ Oklahoma

Loss @ TCU

Loss vs Kansas

Loss @ Oklahoma State

Win vs Oklahoma

Loss @ Baylor

Win vs TCU

All Big 12 First Team (Denote Big 12 POY)

Jared Butler (POY)

Marcus Garrett

Austin Reaves

Cade Cunningham

Oscar Tshibwe

3 Random Big 12 Predictions

1. There’s absolutely a 0% chance that Oklahoma State makes the Big Dance.
2. Baylor wins the conference again.
3. Shaka Smart gets fired this season, finally.

3 Random Iowa State Predictions

1. Xavier Foster leads the team in three-point shooting and blocks.
2. Rasir Bolton has a 40-point game, but also a game with 10 turnovers.
3. Iowa State receives two apology letters.

Iowa State Floor

0-25: I mean it’s Iowa State, anything is possible. Limited fans at Hilton will make it even less of an intimidating atmosphere. The Cyclones lost their best player from a season ago, and return some potential, but as we know that doesn’t always work out. As Michael Jordan once said, “the ceiling is the roof.” As Jake Brend once said, “the floor is the carpet.”

Iowa State Ceiling

10-15: The fact that this is the best I can see Iowa State is really sad. There is some potential on this team, but even if it all pans out, there are a lot of areas that Iowa State will be lacking in regardless. As Michael Jordan once said, “the ceiling is 10 wins.”

Summarize Iowa State’s Season with a GIF

Austin Keeney

Iowa State’s Non-Conference Record: 4-3

Iowa State’s Conference Record (Full 18 Game Schedule): 5-13

All Big 12 First Team (Denote Big 12 POY)

Jared Butler

Marcus Garrett

Cade Cunningham (POY)

Oscar Tshiebwe

Kyler Edwards

3 Random Big 12 Predictions

1. Kansas wins the league outright, not Baylor.
2. Oklahoma State finishes in the bottom half of the league even with Cade Cunningham.
3. Shaka Smart wins just enough games to keep his job for another year.

3 Random Iowa State Predictions

1. The calls to replace Steve Prohm grow increasingly louder after a slow start to the season.
2. One of the newcomers leads the team in scoring.
3. We spend most of the winter speculating on Breece Hall’s jump shot.

Iowa State Floor

The freshman take longer than expected to adjust to the college game. We really struggle to put the ball in the basket, and sit right in the cellar of the Big 12 next to Kansas State.

Iowa State Ceiling

Beat K-State in the conference opener before the rest of the season is cancelled by COVID. We finish tied for 1st in the conference. On a more serious note, Xavier Foster looks the part, Tre Jackson takes a step up offensively, and Javan Johnson lives up to his billing as a do-it-all style wing. Iowa State scrapes up to 6th or 7th in the conference. With this season not counting towards eligibility, we’re looking for reasons to feel optimistic in 2021.

Summarize Iowa State’s Season with a GIF

David Braga

Iowa State’s Non-Conference Record (Currently 7 Games scheduled including SEC): 7-0 EZ non-conference schedule. 7 wins for sure.

Iowa State’s Conference Record (Full 18 Game Schedule): 18-0

Assuming we get the full season in, of course.

All Big 12 First Team (Denote Big 12 POY)

Rasir Bolton (Big 12 POY)

Jalen Coleman-Lands

Tre Jackson

George Conditt IV

Xavier Foster / Solomon Young

Solomon Young / Xavier Foster 6th-man of the year

3 Random Big 12 Predictions

1. Big 12 gets the highest percentage of teams into the Big Dance.

2. Bob Huggins gets ejected at least once.

3. Exactly one game will go to 4 or more overtimes.

3 Random Iowa State Predictions

1. At least one buzzer-beater from beyond half court.

2. Steve Prohm keeps his jacket on longer than 1:00 in at least half the games this season

3. Jalen Coleman-Lands will lead the team in 3-pointers.

Iowa State Floor

National Champion runner-up

Iowa State Ceiling

National Champs, duh

Summarize Iowa State’s Season with a GIF

Cyclone Larry

Iowa State’s Non-Conference Record (Currently 7 Games scheduled including SEC): 6-1

Iowa State’s Conference Record (Full 18 Game Schedule): 8-10

All Big 12 First Team (Denote Big 12 POY)

Marcus Garrett* (POY)

Ochai Agbajji

Jared Butler*

MaCio Teague*

Xavier Foster

3 Random Big 12 Predictions

1. Kansas wins regular season because life is not fair.
2. Cade Cunningham does not finish season.
3. Bob Huggins daddies Baylor twice.

3 Random Iowa State Predictions

1. Shock the world and finish 5th in the regular season before losing to Kansas in the Big 12 tourney on a questionable call followed by a buzzer beater.
2. Tre Jackson breaks out and averages 15.4 points.
3. We beat Iowa but lose to Mississippi State.

Iowa State Floor

0-25, 11th in Big 12

Iowa State Ceiling

25-0, 1st in Big 12

Summarize Iowa State’s Season with a GIF

Matthias Schwartzkopf

Iowa State’s Non-Conference Record (Currently 7 Games scheduled including SEC): 7-0

Iowa State’s Conference Record (Full 18 Game Schedule): 18-0

All Big 12 First Team (Denote Big 12 POY)

Rasir Bolton

Tyler Harris

Solomon Young

Tre Jackson

Jalen Coleman-Lands

3 Random Big 12 Predictions

1. Scott Drew tries to battle covid with timeouts
2. Kansas falls flat, blames covid
3. Baylor finishes second

3 Random Iowa State Predictions

1. We run away with the title
2. Solomon young breaks a backboard
3. Tyler Harris leads the team in assists

Iowa State Floor

No floor when you are undefeated

Iowa State Ceiling

Natty baby

Summarize Iowa State’s Season with a GIF

Cyote Williams

Iowa State’s Non-Conference Record (Currently 7 Games scheduled including SEC): 5-2

Iowa State’s Conference Record (Full 18 Game Schedule): 5-13

All Big 12 First Team (Denote Big 12 POY)

Jared Butler

Marcus Garrett

Cade Cunningham

Oscar Tshiebwe

Xavier Foster (POY)

3 Random Big 12 Predictions

1. Every program except for ISU has 3 or more Covid cases by the end of the season.
2. Baylor puts a tent over their team huddles during timeouts.
3. Texas wins the Big 12 regular season title but loses in the first round of the tournament.

3 Random Iowa State Predictions

1. Tyrese hates Sacramento so much he returns for another season.
2. Tre Jackson has a breakout season.
3. Xavier Foster averages a double double.

Iowa State Floor

We lose every single game because there is nothing sacred in this world.

Iowa State Ceiling

The Cyclones go on a miracle Big 12 tournament run followed by a miracle NCAA tournament run and make it to the Sweet 16.

Summarize Iowa State’s Season with a GIF

Aiden Wyatt

Iowa State’s Non-Conference Record (Currently 7 Games scheduled including SEC):

7-0. Average margin of victory: 69.

Iowa State’s Conference Record (Full 18 Game Schedule): 18-0. Average margin of victory: 420.

All Big 12 First Team (Denote Big 12 POY):

PG: Xavier Foster

SG: Xavier Foster

SF: Xavier Foster

PF: Xavier Foster

C: Xavier Foster (POY, DPOY, FOY, Heisman Winner, NFL MVP, MLB Triple Crown, European Golden Shoe, TIME'S Person of The Year)

3 Random Big 12 Predictions

1. Bob Huggins eats a salad.
2. Bill Self picks his nose again.
3. Mac McClung does a Space Jam dunk.

3 Random Iowa State Predictions

1. Xavier Foster leads the nation in points.
2. Xavier Foster leads the nation in blocks.
3. Xavier Foster leads the nation in dunking on their ass.

Iowa State Floor

We only beat Iowa by 68.

Iowa State Ceiling

Win the 2021 Natty, then claim the 2020 ‘Chip.

Summarize Iowa State’s Season with a GIF

Levi Stevenson

Iowa State’s Non-Conference Record (Currently 7 Games scheduled including SEC): 5-2

Arkansas-Pine Bluff- W

South Dakota State- W

DePaul- W

@ Iowa - L

Jackson State- W

Chicago State- W

@ Mississippi State- L

Iowa State’s Conference Record (Full 18 Game Schedule): 4-14

Kansas State - W

@ West Virgina - L

Baylor - L

@ Texas - L

Texas Tech - L

@ Kansas State - W

@ Kansas - L

Texas - L

@ Texas Tech - L

Oklahoma State - W

West Virginia - L

@ Oklahoma - L

@ TCU - L

Kansas - L

@ Oklahoma State - L

Oklahoma - L

@Baylor - L

TCU- W

All Big 12 First Team (Denote Big 12 POY)

Cade Cunningham (Big 12 POY)

Jared Butler

Marcus Garrett

Oscar Tshibwe

Kyler Edwards

3 Random Big 12 Predictions

1. At least two coaches lose their job this season.
2. Cade Cunningham isn’t enough to get Oklahoma State into the top half of the conference.
3. Baylor locks up the conference with multiple games left in the season.

3 Random Iowa State Predictions

1. Javan Johnson emerges as the clear-cut best player on the team.
2. Jaden Walker starts the season on the bench, but finishes the season as the obvious future at the point guard spot.
3. Iowa State Twitter is going to be one of two things: painfully indifferent or damn near unbearable.

Iowa State Floor

To be frank, Iowa State being the worst team in the conference is not out of the question at all. There’s very little P6 experience on this roster, and continuity and chemistry will likely be a huge issue. Three point shooting will likely be a little better than last season, but not anywhere near enough to really allow the Cyclones to compete with the top half of the league.

Iowa State Ceiling

Steve Prohm seems to have directly addressed last season’s complete lack of three point shooting via the transfer market, and those additions are paying off. Xavier Foster thrives as a pick-and-pop forward, and suddenly Iowa State, while probably still struggling on defense is able to win some shootouts, giving fans hope for the future. They’re a bubble team by the end of the year, but the lack of any marquee wins in non-con and a lackluster conference record keeps them on the outside looking in.

Summarize Iowa State’s Season with a GIF