Cyclones virtual title lock

By Chuck Woodling     Feb 27, 2001

All those news organizations were wrong on election night when they used exit polls, ouija boards and perhaps voodoo to tap Al Gore the presidential winner in Florida.

Those who make predictions before the hay is in the barn are doomed to live with the consequences.

Still, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by anointing Iowa State the Big 12 men’s basketball champion for the second straight year.

We were surprised when the Cyclones won it last year and we’re even more surprised they’ll win it this year despite losing Marcus Fizer, the league’s player of the year.

Yes, I realize the Cyclones have two games remaining, but all they have to do is show up in Hilton Coliseum to vanquish Texas Tech on Wednesday night and Nebraska on Saturday night. Tepid Texas Tech is the only team in the league without at least one road victory, while turnover-prone Nebraska has about as much chance of winning in Ames as Milton Berle does of performing with ‘Nsync.

Iowa State will finish with a 13-3 league record after last year’s 14-2 championship season. Surely, ISU’s Larry Eustachy will once again be named conference coach of the year.

Second place is where we find the horse race.

Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas all have 10-4 league records with two games remaining, and all three should finish 12-4, one game behind the Cyclones. After Monday night’s win over Missouri, Texas needs only a victory at toothless Texas Tech on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma has Colorado and Oklahoma State remaining, both in the Noble Center. The Sooners don’t have J.R. Raymond anymore, but they’ve lost just once at home (to Kansas).

Kansas, as you know, has to go to Kansas State on Wednesday night, and the Jayhawks should win their 18th straight game in Manhattan. Then, on Sunday, KU will entertain Missouri, and KU hasn’t dropped a home finale since 1983.

Parenthetically, it should be noted, however, that the Jayhawks have won their last two home finales by a grand total of two points 67-66 over Oklahoma State in 1999 and 83-82 over Mizzou last year.

Should Iowa State, Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma win out, Iowa State will have the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Conference tournament next week in Kemper Arena and play the noon game on March 9.

The No. 2 seed would go to Kansas based on the head-to-head tiebreaker rule. KU beat both Oklahoma (69-61) and Texas (82-66) during the regular season. The No. 2 seed’s first tourney game will be at 6 p.m. on March 9.

Oklahoma would be the No. 3 seed because the Sooners toppled Texas twice and the Longhorns would be No. 4, earning the last first-round tourney bye.

With five defeats, Oklahoma State isn’t out of the picture, but the Cowboys figure to run into a buzzsaw in Norman after that 72-44 romp over the Sooners earlier this month in Stillwater, Raymond or no Raymond.

Still, the story of the 2000-2001 season has been Iowa State. For the last two years, Kansas has been the preseason choice to win it all, yet the Cyclones have been spoilers both times. This year ISU was predicted to finish fifth.

If there is a lesson to be learned from Iowa State’s repeat, it’s never to underestimate the importance of three-point shooting. I-State’s three-point shooting percentage is .455. Missouri is second in the league at .390.

I’ve learned my lesson. I know Iowa State is losing a ton of seniors, but I’m ready to fill in the top slot on my 2001-2002 preseason ballot right now.

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