Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball

The Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team represents Iowa State University (ISU) and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.^[1]

History

Early Years (1908-1980)

Johnny Orr era (1980-94)

Johnny Orr came to Iowa State from the University of Michigan in 1980. Iowa State's Athletics Director had called Orr to inquire about Michigan assistant Bill Frieder. When Orr learned of the salary Iowa State would offer Frieder, he negotiated the Iowa State head coaching job for himself. Orr is credited with building "Hilton Magic" and laying the foundation for Iowa State's success in men's basketball. A number of Cyclone greats played for Orr, such as Jeff Grayer, Barry Stevens, walk-on Jeff Hornacek, Lafester Rhodes, Justus Thigpen, Victor Alexander, Fred Hoiberg, Julius Michalik, and Loren Meyer, many of whom would go on to success in the NBA.

Orr's first team (1980–81), led by junior forward Robert Estes (14.9 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game) produced a lackluster 9-18 record. Freshman forward Ron Harris, whom Orr considered his first prominent Cyclone recruit, contributed per-game averages of 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds.

Led by sophomore Ron Harris and freshman recruit Barry Stevens of Flint, Michigan, Orr's 1981-82 team finished the season with a 10-17 overall record and a 5-9 record in Big Eight play. Harris gave the Cyclones 13.3 points per game, while Stevens contributed 13.0 points per game. Senior Robert Estes added 10.3 points per game.

The Cyclones improved to a 13-15 overall record in the 1982-83 season, but again finished 5-9 in conference play. Many of the Cyclone faithful regard sophomore Barry Stevens' buzzer-beating shot against the 10th-ranked Missouri Tigers during the 1982-83 season as the foundational example of "Hilton Magic".^[2] Stevens tallied per-game averages of 16.8 points and 5.2 rebounds for the season. Ron Harris contributed 14.3 points per game.

Orr's 1983-84 team recorded the first winning season of his tenure at Iowa State — and the first winning season for Cyclone basketball since Lynn Nance's 1977-78 team finished 14-13 — with a 16-13 overall mark and a 6-8 record in conference play. The Cyclones played in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), losing to Marquette in the first round. Junior forward Barry Stevens averaged 22.2 points per game on the season. Seniors Terrence Allen and Ron Harris each averaged 11.0 points per game.

Led by senior Barry Stevens and freshman forward Jeff Grayer, natives of Flint, Michigan known at Iowa State as "The Flintstones," the 1984-85 Cyclones finished tied for third in conference play (7-7) and 21-13 overall. Iowa State advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Orr and for just the second time in the history of the program. The Cyclones, the No. 13 seed in the Midwest Region, lost to No. 4 seed Ohio State by a score of 75-64. ISU managed to upset the 10th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks twice during the regular season. Barry Stevens averaged 21.7 points per game. Jeff Hornacek recorded 12.5 points per game, and freshman Jeff Grayer averaged 12.2 points and 6.5 rebounds on the season.

Despite the departure of two-time first-team All-Big Eight forward Stevens, the 1985-86 campaign saw Grayer and senior guard Jeff Hornacek lead the Cyclones to their most successful season yet under Johnny Orr. Iowa State finished with a 22-11 overall mark and a 9-5 record and second-place finish in conference play. The Cyclones advanced to the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years for the first time in school history. With wins over No. 10 seed Miami University (OH) and NO. 2 seed Michigan, the No. 7 seed Cyclones reached the "Sweet Sixteen" before falling to the No. 6 seed North Carolina State Wolfpack, 70-66. First-team All-Big Eight Jeff Grayer led the Cyclones with per-game averages of 20.7 points and 6.3 rebounds. Senior and first-team All-Big Eight Jeff Hornacek averaged 13.7 points per game. The Cyclones upset the 5th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners and 4th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks during the regular season.

The 1986-87 Cyclones finished with a 13-15 overall record and a 5-9 record in Big Eight play, missing postseason tournament competition for the first time in four seasons. Junior Jeff Grayer averaged ~22 points and ~7 rebounds per game, while senior Tom Schafer averaged ~18 points and ~6 rebounds. Despite their struggles, the 1986-87 Cyclones managed wins over two ranked teams (15th-ranked Kansas and 12th-ranked Oklahoma).

Orr's 1987-88 Cyclones rebounded from the losing season of the prior year to finish 20-12 overall and 6-8 in conference play, including wins over #2 Purdue, #7 Iowa, #16 Kansas, and #15 Missouri. Iowa State returned to the NCAA Tournament, losing 90-78 to No. 5 seed Georgia Tech in the first round. The Cyclones were led by senior and three-time first-team All-Big Eight forward Jeff Grayer and senior Lafester Rhodes, who averaged ~25 and ~22 points per game, respectively.

The 1988-89 Cyclones finished the season 17-12 overall and 7-7 in conference play, including a victory over the 3rd-ranked Missouri Tigers in Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones advanced to their fourth NCAA Tournament under Johnny Orr, losing 84-74 to the No. 7 seed UCLA Bruins in the first round. Sophomore Victor Alexander averaged ~20 points and ~9 rebounds per game on the season. Sophomore Mark Baugh averaged 13.3 points per game, while Sam Mack contributed per-game averages of 11.8 points and 8.1 rebounds.

Following the loss of key players to attrition and legal problems in the offseason, the 1989-90 Cyclones finished 10-18 overall and 4-10 in conference play, marking the Cyclones' second-worst season under Orr. Only Johnny Orr's 1980-81 team, his first at ISU, had finished with a worse overall record. Junior Victor Alexander averaged 19.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Senior guard Terry Woods averaged ~16 points per game.

The 1990-91 season saw the Cyclones finish with an overall record of 12-19 and a conference record of 6-8. Despite their poor overall performance, the Cyclones managed wins over two ranked teams (#12 Oklahoma State and #21 Oklahoma). Senior Victor Alexander averaged 23.4 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game, while senior Doug Collins averaged 14.3 points per game.

Iowa State's fortunes improved during the 1991-92 season, with the Cyclones finishing 21-13 overall (5-9 in conference play) and earning the No. 10 seed in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament. The Cyclones defeated No. 7 seed UNC-Charlotte in the opening round before losing 106-98 to the No. 2 seed Kentucky Wildcats in the round of 32. Iowa State recorded wins over #16 Iowa, #21 Oklahoma, #2 Oklahoma State, #3 Kansas, and #13 Missouri during the regular season. Junior Justus Thigpen led the team with 16.3 points per game, while junior Ron Bayless averaged 12.6 points per game. Freshmen Julius Michalik and Fred Hoiberg averaged 13.6 and 12.1 points per game, respectively.

Iowa State finished the 1992-93 season with a 20-11 overall record and a second-place 8-6 record in conference play. The Cyclones advanced to their sixth and final NCAA Tournament under head coach Johnny Orr, losing in the first round to No. 9 seed UCLA, 81-70. Iowa State managed victories over #12 Oklahoma and #7 Kansas during the regular season. Seniors Justus Thigpen and Ron Bayless led the team with 17.6 points and 13.3 points per game, respectively. Sophomore Julius Michalik and Ames native and sophomore Fred Hoiberg contributed 12.0 and 11.6 points per game, respectively.

In the 1993-94 campaign — Orr's final season as Iowa State men's basketball head coach — the Cyclones posted a 14-13 overall mark and a 4-10 record in conference play. ISU was led by a trio of juniors — Loren Meyer, Fred Hoiberg, and Julius Michalik, each of whom averaged over 20 points per game on the season.

Orr retired from coaching in 1994. He remains the winningest coach in Iowa State history (in terms of total wins), with a win-loss record of 218-200 as the head coach of the Cyclones.

Tim Floyd era (1994-98)

Following Johnny Orr's retirement, Iowa State hired Tim Floyd from the University of New Orleans (UNO) to serve as the next men's basketball head coach. Floyd's first ISU team recorded a 23-11 overall mark and a 6-8 mark in conference play, and advanced to the second round of the 1995 NCAA Tournament, losing 73-51 to the No. 2 seed North Carolina Tar Heels. Senior Fred Hoiberg averaged 19.9 points per game. Seniors Loren Meyer and Julius Michalik averaged 15.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and 14.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, respectively.

Following the graduation of four starters from the 1994-95 Cyclones, Tim Floyd replenished his roster with several junior college and Division I transfers. Four of the 1995-96 team's starters had not been part of the ISU roster during the prior season, with sophomore point guard Jacy Holloway being the lone exception. Dedric Willoughby transferred to Iowa State from UNO, and Kenny Pratt, Shawn Bankhead, and Kelvin Cato each transferred from junior colleges to play for the Cyclones. The 1995-96 Cyclones finished with a 24-9 overall record, a second-place 9-5 conference record, and the final Big Eight tournament championship — the first conference tournament championship in Cyclone basketball history — with a 56-55 victory over Roy Williams' Kansas Jayhawks. Iowa State earned the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament, the then-highest seed achieved in ISU men's basketball history. The Cyclones defeated No. 12 seed California 74-64 in the first round of the tournament; Rick Majerus' No. 4 seed Utah Utes defeated ISU 73-67 in the second round. Dedric Willoughby averaged 20.5 points per game on the season. Kenny Pratt averaged 15.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while Kelvin Cato contributed per-game averages of 9.6 points and 7.7 rebounds.

The 1996-97 Cyclones returned all five starters from the previous season's Big Eight tournament championship and NCAA Tournament team. Iowa State finished with a 22-9 overall record and a 10-6 conference mark in the inaugural season of the Big 12 Conference. The Cyclones would advance to the third NCAA Tournament "Sweet Sixteen" in Iowa State men's basketball history with victories over Illinois State and Cincinnati, before falling in a 74-73 overtime loss to the UCLA Bruins. Senior Dedric Willoughby averaged 18.9 points per game for the season, and seniors Kenny Pratt and Kelvin Cato averaged 14.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and 11.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, respectively.

Tim Floyd's 1997-98 Cyclones finished the season with a 12-18 overall record and a 5-11 conference record. Freshman forward Marcus Fizer averaged 14.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, and Klay Edwards contributed per-game averages of 9.3 points and 7.7 rebounds. Following the season, Tim Floyd left Iowa State to replace Phil Jackson as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls.

Larry Eustachy era (1998-2003)

Iowa State hired Larry Eustachy from Utah State to fill the head coaching position vacated by Tim Floyd. In his first season, Eustachy led the Cyclones to 15-15 overall record and a 6-10 record in Big 12 play. Sophomore Marcus Fizer averaged 18 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Michael Nurse and Martin Rancik both averaged 10.3 points per game.

Following his first season, Eustachy gained the services of two guards, Jamaal Tinsley and Kantrail Horton, via transfer. The 1999-2000 Cyclones returned Marcus Fizer, Martin Rancik, Michael Nurse, and Stevie Johnson from the previous season's team. Iowa State finished the season 32-5 overall, setting a school record for wins in a season. The Cyclones finished 14-2 in conference play to earn the outright Big 12 Conference regular season championship — the sixth regular season conference title in the program's history, and the first since 1945. The Cyclones then defeated Oklahoma 70-58 in the Big 12 basketball tournament finals to win the Big 12 conference tournament championship, the second conference tournament title in ISU men's basketball history. The No. 2 seed Cyclones advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2000 NCAA Tournament after wins over No. 15 seed Central Connecticut State, No. 7 seed Auburn, and No. 6 seed UCLA by 10, 19, and 24 points, respectively, but ultimately fell to the Michigan State Spartans, the eventual NCAA Champion, in the regional finals by a score of 75-64 (the differential representing the Spartans' narrowest margin of victory during the tournament). It was the Cyclones' deepest NCAA Tournament run in the modern era. The Big 12 Champion Cyclones were led in scoring by All-American forward and eventual fourth pick of the 2000 NBA Draft Marcus Fizer, who averaged 22.8 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game. Michael Nurse and first team All-Big 12 guard Jamaal Tinsley contributed 12.5 points and 11 points per game, respectively.

Despite the departure of Marcus Fizer to the NBA, Eustachy's 2000-01 Cyclones, led by returning senior and eventual All-American guard Jamaal Tinsley and senior Kantrail Horton, managed a 25-6 overall record and a 13-3 record in conference play, earning a second consecutive Big 12 regular season championship. Iowa State earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but the Cyclones' season ended with a stunning 58-57 defeat at the hands of No. 15 seed Hampton. Iowa State became just the fourth No. 2 seed to lose to a No. 15 seed since the expansion of the tournament field to 64 teams in 1985. Jamaal Tinsley led the team in scoring with 14.3 points per game. Martin Rancik and freshman Jake Sullivan added 13.2 points per game and 11.4 points per game, respectively.

The 2001-02 Cyclones produced the worst overall men's basketball record since the 1990-91 season, finishing 12-19 overall record and 4-12 in conference play. Tyray Pearson averaged 18.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Jake Sullivan and Shane Power contributed per-game averages of 16 points and 13.6 points, respectively.

The 2002-03 Cyclones finished with a 17-14 overall record and a 5-11 conference record. ISU accepted an invitation to the NIT. The Cyclones defeated Wichita State Shockers in the opening (play-in) round, but fell 54-53 to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first round. Jake Sullivan led the team in scoring with 17 points per game. Jackson Vroman contributed 12.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Junior point guard Tim Barnes averaged 11.3 points per game.

Following the 2002-03 season, pictures surfaced showing Larry Eustachy at a student party in Columbia, Missouri. Eustachy attended the party just hours after his team had lost to the Missouri Tigers. Though Eustachy broke no laws, nor provisions of his contract, the matter played out like a scandal, leading to Eustachy's public admission of alcoholism and Iowa State athletic director Bruce Van De Velde's recommendation that he be fired. Eustachy subsequently resigned on May 5, 2003, receiving a $960,000 settlement from Iowa State.

Morgan & McDermott Era (2003-2010)

Current Staff & Team

The current head coach of Iowa State is Fred Hoiberg. The former coach, Greg McDermott left the position on April 26, 2010 to become the Men's head basketball coach for the Creighton Bluejays. McDermott was hired on March 21, 2006, following the firing of previous head coach Wayne Morgan. Iowa State retained coaches T.J. Otzelberger, who has been promoted to associate head coach, assistant coach Jeff Grayer and Director of Basketball Operation Jeff Rutter. Assistant coach Nick Nurse was not retained from McDermott's staff. Fred Hoiberg was announced as the new Men's basketball coach on April 28, 2010.

Championships

Facilities

Hilton Coliseum

James H. Hilton Coliseum is a 14,356-seat multi-purpose arena in Ames, Iowa. The arena, which is part of the Iowa State Center, opened in 1971. It is home to the Iowa State University Cyclones basketball, wrestling, gymnastics and volleyball teams. The building was specifically built to hold in sound with a solid concrete structure, steel doors, and a crowd that sits just a few feet from the court. During big games, players from opposing teams, as well as Iowa State, have even said that the floor has shaken due to the loudness of the crowd. A record basketball crowd of 15,000 saw the Cyclones post a 97-94 win over Iowa in 1971.

Hilton Magic is the atmosphere created by the fans at Hilton Coliseum during men's and women's basketball games. The first occurrence of Hilton Magic is said to be a last-second shot hit by Barry Stevens (with Johnny Orr head coach) against Missouri in February 1983 according to an article in the Des Moines Register from February, 2006. According to many sources,^[4][5] Hilton Coliseum is considered one of the toughest places to play in the nation.

Sukup Basketball Complex

Opened in September 2009, Iowa State's new basketball practice facility is located on two acres of land (in west Ames, Iowa) that was donated by a local developer, Dickson Jensen. The $8 million, 36,000-square-foot (3,300 m²) facility, includes two separate 10,000-square-foot gymnasiums for both men's and women's basketball programs, as well as separate lounges and locker rooms, a theater room, a medical treatment area, and coaches' offices and conference rooms.^[6]

Hixson-Lied Student Success Center

The 10-million-dollar, Hixson-Lied Student Success Center was designed for improving academic achievement campus-wide, with the second floor devoted specifically to student athletes. The facility was built using private contributions. Since its completion in 2006, Iowa State student athletes have dramatically improved in the classroom and now have a higher average grade point average than the rest of the student body.^[7]

Awards

Cyclone All-Americans

First Team All-Conference selections

Ralph A. Olsen Award This award is named after Ralph A. Olsen, a long-time friend of Iowa State athletics, and is presented to the Cyclones’ most valuable player.

Retired numbers

All-time coaching records ^[8]

Postseason tournament history

Season Records

Record vs. Big 12 opponents

Record versus Iowa schools

Records vs Iowa schools as of the end of December 25, 2011.

References

External links

• Iowa State University Athletics
• Iowa State University
• Iowa State All-Time Results
• Iowa State Exhibition Game Results