We need a slow, poor ball handling, no D, spot up shooter!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BuzzSucksSucks]

Watchin' Scotty grow: From an ISU Cyclones website a week or so ago--

Iowa State guard Scott Christopherson has been deadly with the ball in his hands this season, shooting 63.6 percent from 3-point range.  

But his best work may be done without the basketball.

Even though Christopherson has been instant offense off the bench, he's been ISU's lockdown defender through the first three games.

"He has a desire to want to be our go-to defender, much like Rahshon Clark was a few years ago and Sean Haluska was last year," coach Greg McDermott said. "Scott wants that role and he is on his way to getting it."

He played like a go-to defender when guarding Drake's Josh Young on Tuesday, and he hopes to play like one against Mississippi Valley State today at 1 p.m.

Christopherson was a key reason why Young, who averaged 21.0 points against ISU the last two seasons, was held to 11 in the Cyclones' 90-70 win.

"It was a good confidence builder for Scott from a defensive standpoint," McDermott said. "I thought he really did some good things."

Christopherson credits his defensive success to the work he put in last season while redshirting. McDermott said Christopherson, who transferred from Marquette, has improved his defensive balance and anticipation skills.

Christopherson believes he has expanded his game in ways he may not have been able to if didn't sit out.

"Looking back on it, it was a good thing," Christopherson said.

http://gocyclones.com/news.php?ID=2160

[Lennys Tap]

Hayward and others have said ISU is a lower level Big 12 team.  That's one person.  He basically believes SC couldn't play at MU, was not a good recruit because someone he despises recruited him and he's basically a mid major recruit that could only play at a bigger school that was at the bottom of a conference (i.e. ISU, NW, etc).  

I agree, he doesn't have the quickness of our guards, but let's slow down here for a second folks.  There are other skills on the basketball court.  Travis Diener was not overly quick and certainly Steve Novak wasn't. But they did other things well.  Sometimes it's about simply getting open, playing smart basketball, moving without the ball, using your screens and if you can bury that shot, that's huge.  

There is a great emphasis on having tremendous athletes, that makes sense.  However, I also like having tremendous basketball players on a roster also, there is a difference.  DJ was a great athlete, not a great basketball player.  Steve Novak was a great basketball player, not a great athlete. 

Steve Novak was not a great basketball player, he was a GREAT shooter. DJ was a better basketball player than Novak in every aspect other than shooting and being tall.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Steve Novak was not a great basketball player, he was a GREAT shooter. DJ was a better basketball player than Novak in every aspect other than shooting and being tall.

Disagree.  Steve understood basketball and was a great shooter, he just wasn't blessed with the athletic abilities as some.  We'll just have to agree to disagree on that one, especially with some of DJ's decision making during crucial times during the game (i.e. going for blocks against G'Town, etc)....not smart basketball.

[4everwarriors]

And that, in part, is why one is kickin' it in L.A. and the other is just probably waking up now in Turkey.

[boyonthedock]

3's open up driving lanes. and vice versa. ben gordon's absence from the bulls is why d rose is driving less. being good at one helps the others out by spreading the floor for driving or opening up the perimeter to prevent driving. being good at something helps all other aspects of the game.

[77ncaachamps]

And that, in part, is why one is kickin' it in L.A. and the other is just probably waking up now in Turkey.

Don't forget that the shooter is 6'10" and the athletic freak is 5'11."

The NBA will always welcome tall shooters.

Novak's lack of athleticism was hidden with Wade's ballhawking and Diener's sturdy defense along with RJax's clogging and Merritt's occasional shotblocking. But it was eventually exposed in the KU game.

But man...I remember Kansas players driving by him with ease...and one particular picture burned in my mind from that fateful Final Four game was Novak trying to guard Langford (?) and just getting burnt, disgracefully falling one leg upon the other to the floor.

[4everwarriors]

Shamefully, our head coach, who had an entire week to prepare, couldn't devise an effective game plan. Yet even the most novice basketball fan, knew Kansas wanted to get out and run on each possession.

[MR.HAYWARD]

every basketball coach in america regardless of level has studied Roy Williams secondary break.  Yet we were not prepared for it,  other coaches dont mock our former coach as "tommy NAismith" for nothing!!

[lab_warrior]

I think comparing SC with Diener and Novak is laughable.  He wishes he could have (and most likely has) 1/10th the talent those two had.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Watchin' Scotty grow: From an ISU Cyclones website a week or so ago--

Iowa State guard Scott Christopherson has been deadly with the ball in his hands this season, shooting 63.6

But his best work may be done without the basketball.

Even though Christopherson has been instant offense off the bench, he's been ISU's lockdown defender through the first three games.

"He has a desire to want to be our go-to defender, much like Rahshon Clark was a few years ago and Sean Haluska was last year," coach Greg McDermott said. "Scott wants that role and he is on his way to getting it."

He played like a go-to defender when guarding Drake's Josh Young on Tuesday, and he hopes to play like one against Mississippi Valley State today at 1 p.m.

Christopherson was a key reason why Young, who averaged 21.0 points against ISU the last two seasons, was held to 11 in the Cyclones' 90-70 win.

"It was a good confidence builder for Scott from a defensive standpoint," McDermott said. "I thought he really did some good things."

Christopherson credits his defensive success to the work he put in last season while redshirting. McDermott said Christopherson, who transferred from Marquette, has improved his defensive balance and anticipation skills.

You mean this defensive assessment didn't come from ISU fans on a message board?

[ChicosBailBonds]

I think comparing SC with Diener and Novak is laughable.  He wishes he could have (and most likely has) 1/10th the talent those two had.

You obviously didn't understand the comparison....it wasn't about talent, it was about being a great athlete vs a great basketball player.  SC will never be TD or SN in terms of talent, will never happen nor did anyone say that.  The point was that there is a place for players at the major DI level that are very good basketball players even if they don't possess the best hops, quickness, height, etc.  There is something to be said about a kid that actually understands how the game is played.

[ChicosBailBonds]

every basketball coach in america regardless of level has studied Roy Williams secondary break.  Yet we were not prepared for it,  other coaches dont mock our former coach as "tommy NAismith" for nothing!!

Buzz should have no problem going to the Final Four then, if someone as inept as tommy NAismith [sic] can do it.