The Iowa State Cyclones put up a brutal performance in their NCAA Tournament loss on Friday, and some suggested they had played a role in bringing it upon themselves.
The Cyclones lost 59-41 to 11th-seeded Pitt while putting together an abysmal offensive performance. The Cyclones shot just 23.3% from the field, going 14-of-60 overall and 2-of-21 (9.5%) from three-point range.
The numbers are particularly glaring after the Cyclones asked the NCAA prior to tip-off to check to make sure the rim on their basket was level. The NCAA did so and made a “minor adjustment,” they said in a statement. This caused some consternation, as it meant Pitt apparently got more time to warm up than Iowa State did.
However, the NCAA statement added that the Cyclones were offered additional warm-up time to compensate for the time they lost while the rim was being looked at. The Cyclones apparently declined.
Iowa State started the first half 2-of-19 from the field and initially fell behind 22-2. Some felt the Cyclones were at an unfair disadvantage due to their curtailed warm-up time, as reporters confirmed that Pitt had more time to shoot, but those complaints quickly faded in the second half when Iowa State again started 2-of-19, this time on the basket that had not been adjusted.
Did the lack of warm-up really matter in the end? Probably not. When you shoot under 25 percent over the course of an entire game, that is no longer a valid excuse. It still provides a pretty easy talking point to mock assuming the NCAA’s version of events is accurate, though.
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