SB Nation - Charles Boozer

Another Look At Iowa State's Rebound Rate Improvement

Mark Kieffer — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:32:02 -0000

A few days ago, I posted an analysis of individual stats. You can read the whole post here. Well, I realized today that I had the rebound rate formula. I wanted to repost the improvements from last year to this year thus far, with the correct calculation. On Tuesday, I will post team and all of the individual stats for November, along with my player of the month for November.

The table below is looking at the improvements from returning players year over year for Rebound Rate:

	2009-2010	2008-2009	Change
Brackins	14%	17%	-3%
Vanderbeken	13%	12%	+1%
Hamilton	12%	12%	--
Boozer	8%	11%	-3%
Buckley	5%	7%	-2%
Garrett	5%	6%	-1%
Staiger	4%	5%	-1%

Fundamentally, I think being within 3-4% of the previous season is just variance. Nothing to be too worried about yet.

Now that I'm squared away with this, expect to see correct amounts from here on out. I just wanted to get this fix out there before going forward with more stats later this week.

'09-'10 Cyclones Basketball Analysis #2: Background And Individual Improvements Thus Far

Mark Kieffer — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:37:19 -0000

In Part One of the series for this year, I talked about statistics being looked at on the team-level. That helps explain what the team as a whole is doing, but it doesn't address some of the individual players.

What I'm going to jump into on the next page are some stats for individual players I like to use, look at our individual stats for this year, and also look at the changes in these from the previous year for our returning players:

For individuals, I like to look at True Shooting % (TS%), Rebound Rate, and Points Per Weighted Shot (PPWS). There are other useful ones when evalauting positional players like Assist Ratio (for point guards), and these will be looked at from time to time as well. But for evaluating across the team, I'm just looking at how efficient the scoring is, and how efficient are rebounding is.

TS%: Shooting percentage that implicitly accounts for 3 point shots, but explicitly accounts for free throws

Rebound Rate: The percentage of missed shots rebounded by an individual while he was on the floor. In my opinion, you have to look at these amounts for each individual on the team. When there's a missed shot, only 1 guy can get the rebound. The key in my opinion is to look at the distribution across the team, before jumping to conclusions on an individual

PPWS: Created a few years ago by the Big Ten Wonk. It aims to measure how efficient a scorer is. A score of below 1.0 is considered an average scorer, while results in the 1.2 range and up mean you're having a great year.

Let's take a look at each of our players on the roster and their stats through the first five games of the year:

	G	Min/G	TS%	Rebound Rate	PPWS
Craig Brackins	5	29	58%	7%	1.16
Lucca Staiger	5	24.4	73%	3%	1.46
Marquis Gilstrap	5	24.2	58%	10%	1.16
Diante Garrett	5	23.2	57%	2%	1.17
Scott Christopherson	5	21.6	76%	3%	1.53
LaRon Dendy	1	15	64%	13%	1.28
Justin Hamilton	5	14.8	88%	7%	1.75
Chris Colvin	5	14.6	36%	3%	0.73
Jamie Vanderbeken	5	14.2	78%	7%	1.57
Charles Boozer	5	13.6	54%	5%	1.08
Dominique Buckley	5	8.2	50%	3%	1.00
L.A. Pomlee	5	5.6	47%	8%	0.95
Alex Dorr	5	3.6	61%	5%	1.21

If someone is playing a limited number of games (Dendy), you have to take the stats with a grain of salt. Same goes for players aren't logging significant time (Buckley, Pomlee, and Dorr).

Here are my takeaways from the above chart:

Hamilton, Christopherson, and Lucca are knocking down open shots. They have extremley high PPWS, and TS%. From watching these guys play, they aren't the first option in the offense. But what they have been able to do well is make open shots. When they are shooting the ball, most of the time it has been the right decision in the offense.
Brackins and Gilstrap are similar players. They have the same TS% and PPWS, while Gilstrap is the better rebounder thus far. Dendy
You see that Colvin has been struggling the most offensivley, and I think that is a fair assesment of his production thus far.
We've been a much better rebounding team, and you see a wide distribution of rebounds grabbed. The guards have lower amounts than the forwards, but across players of similar positions, no one is really dogging it too much compared to the other.
It will be interesting to see how these numbers change as we play more games. 5 games is a small sample size, and this team hasn't been challenged too much yet.

Now that we've seen how we're doing this year, let's look at areas our returning players may have improved or regressed:

TS%

	2009-2010	2008-2009	Change
Brackins	58%	53%	+5%
Staiger	73%	55%	+18%
Garrett	58%	48%	+10%
Hamilton	88%	59%	+29%
Vanderbeken	78%	62%	+16%
Boozer	54%	53%	+1%
Buckley	50%	40%	+10%

Everybody's shooting better this year thus far. Who doesn't like that?

PPWS

	2009-2010	2008-2009	Change
Brackins	1.16	1.06	+0.10
Staiger	1.46	1.11	+0.35
Garrett	1.17	0.96	+0.21
Hamilton	1.75	1.17	+0.58
Vanderbeken	1.57	1.24	+0.33
Boozer	1.08	1.07	+0.01
Buckley	1.00	0.80	+0.20

Everybody is making better decisions on when to shoot it. The notable improvement I think is DG. He went from being below the mendoza line, to having a nice year thus far. He's shooting it way less, but he's forcing it less, making him much more efficient with the ball. Also what's interesting is that Vanderbeken was our most efficient shooter last year. People seem to forget that he was our best 3 point shooter last year, but he can really make a team pay for leaving him open.

Rebound Rate:

	2009-2010	2008-2009	Change
Brackins	7%	8%	-1%
Staiger	3%	3%
Garrett	2%	3%	-1%
Hamilton	7%	6%	+1%
Vanderbeken	7%	6%	+1%
Boozer	5%	6%	-1%
Buckley	3%	4%	-1%

Overall, the numbers are flat. Those movements are likely variance, as the changes are not significant.

Well, that concludes the analysis of the first five games of the season. I'll definitley be pulling these stats back out throughout the year. I will likely add a few more in as they are relevent to what I am talking about. Often times it helps to compare individuals outside of their own teams, and I will do some evaluating of notable players using these types of stats as well.

Thoughts After Black Hills State

Mark Kieffer — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:24:10 -0000

The Cyclones won 96-47, but the final score of these exhibitions really don't matter all that much, as it doesn't count against your record. To me what matters is how our guys look. You won't always know how good they will be, but you can certainly tell if they might struggle; if they're struggling against a NAIA team, who's to think you won't struggle against D1, and better yet Big 12 talent?

Quick example: Clinton Mann last year. People thought he'd step in, get in the rotation, and help the front lines with defense and rebounding. It was in our exhibition last year against Nebraska-Omaha, that I saw Mann getting boxed out by guys smaller than him. Nothing against the guy. From all accounts he's a bright guy, and he's going to get a great education at Davidson; it was just pretty clear that he had a ways to go developmentally.

You see, if you go on the message boards, you will find that a lot of guys hype up players. They're excited about the program, or are friends with some of the players, and the hype seeds are planted. The casual fans assume the guys posting have some special insight, take it to another level, and the hype machine builds. I've been there and gotten burned by it, which is why I like to go to the exhibitions: I'll see almost everybody play in a game situation, and I can make my own inferences about the players in the program.

On the next page, I'll go through how I thought each of the players did:

The Starting Five:

Here's the rundown how each of the guys that started did:

G: Diante Garrett - He played his typical game. There were some bad passes at times, but it's more due to sloppy play and trying to gel together more than anything else. His most memorable play is when he was on a fast break, he tried to dunk it and missed. McDermott had a chat with him after that. He knocked down some shots too, which was nice to see.

G: Lucca Staiger - The word was that over the summer Lucca got stronger and leaner. To be honest, he looked the same to me... Maybe his uniform is just too big? Anyhow, he knocked down some 3s, which is what he needs to do for this team. He still is limited off the dribble, as it's a turnover or near turnover everytime he does so. He was a step or two behind defensivley as well; as the guards could break him down and also dribble by him... LIke I said before, his job is to knock down the jumpers. As long as he can shoot at a good percentage and be a little more consistent than last year, I think people can live with the defensive limitations and lack of ability to create off the dribble.

F: Marquis Gilstrap - You can tell he's a scorer and that he has a ton of confidence. You can see that in the way he carries himself. He shot the ball well, and moved the ball well also. His defensive game is the area that needs the most work, but like Lucca, if he can put the ball in the hoop consistently (which by all accounts he should be able to do), there shouldn't be a problem.

F: Craig Brackins - Not a lot to say. His usual self, and I think he'll have another big year.

C: Justin Hamilton - He's just not all the way there yet. He works hard, has improved a lot, but I feel like he started last year mostly by default. I felt like when he was out of the game, the team did better defensivley and offensivley. He had an up and down scrimmage. He plays hard, tries hard, but he's getting boxed out and pushed around at times against a NAIA post player. Don't get me wrong. This guy is only a Sophomore, having only played basketball for a handful of years. He'll improve a ton this season, and will eventually develop into a player if he works hard. I just am not sure if he's ready to clock serious minutes yet. He may be in for a 10-15 minutes/game type of season, but we will see

The Reserves:

In order of guys that saw the most action.

F: LaRon Dendy - Build similar to Brackins but a little more explosive. For the most part was playing low, but took a couple of outside shots. He also showed the ability to drive off the dribble which was nice. Caught an Alley-Oop as well for a score. He was in with the first unit a lot, replacing Hamilton. The team was able to move up and down the court, and looked more smooth offensivley and defensivley. Maybe it was just luck, but there's something to be said about having athleticism on the court.

G/F: Charles Boozer - Believe it or not, I think he was the 2nd guy off the bench tonight. He didn't shoot the ball well, but he does all of the other types of things. He hustles for rebounds, does a decent job staying with his guy on defense. I like the way he plays; just wish he could shoot a little better so that he could get more playing time. Other than wearing #4 instead of #0, he didn't look much different from last year.

G: Dominique Buckley - He looks a lot more comfortable than he did last year. He was directing guys offensivley and defensivley, and just looked more like a point guard. He had a lot more confidence in determining if he was going to pass or shoot. They say the hardest position to learn in McDermott's system is the point, and Buckley is showing what a year of mostly soaking it up can do for you. Don't forget that this guy was a solid recruit, and he'll do a lot better this year.

G: Scott Christopherson - He played most of the time in Lucca's spot. He's a lot quicker than him. Has a good shot, as I think he was 3 of 4 shooting. He injured himself in the leg or groin, but re-entered the game pretty quickly. I've heard he's a good shooter. He didn't play a ton or stand out too much for me to get a whole read on him. I think he would've played more had he not injured himself. Honestly, I think he's a starter and Lucca is a reserve. I feel like Lucca has the 3 point shot, which is needed, but that's really all he can do. Christopherson is quicker, plays better defense, handles the ball better, and can drive. I think he's the better player at the 2.

G: Chris Colvin - He did better than I had expected. He spent most of the time running the point, when DG was on the court. Has quick hands. He got a steal and went on a nice fastbreak for a layup. I was impressed that he ran the point as much as he did, considering he's a natural scorer and it's a tough position. He's definitley atheltic and confident in his abilities. Looking forward to how he does on Friday, where I can hopefully post more.

F: Alex Dorr - The walk-on from Norwalk played more than I thought he might. You can tell he's a fundamentally sound player, plays good d, and has some energy. Not sure how much he will play when the season starts, but it's games like this where you get to see a little bit from guys you normally wouldn't.

G: Bubu Palo - He got some nice cheers from the crowd when he came in, and when he scored. He might redshirt, he might not. If he doesn't, like Dorr, we may not really see much from him.

Vanderbeken, Pomlee, and Oliver did not play. Vanderbeken and Pomlee were not injured, and I know that Vanderbeken was wearing street clothes for sure. Oliver was out due to illness I believe, so hopefully we can see him play a little on Friday before he likely redshirts.

Final Thoughts:

We're more athletic than last year. Almost every position is upgraded, and some of our second team players aren't too much of a step down from the first team. I saw a lot more guys trying to drive, and crash the offensive boards than we did the previous year - even against Nebraska-Omaha.
If this team is going dancing, they will need to score points. The will have to abandon some defensive skill, but this team has much more offensive upside. I am tired of seeing this team struggle to score 60, and I don't think we will have that problem this year
Don't get too amped up on the results from this game. You have to remember that we played a NAIA team. These types of games can make a lot of players look like all-stars. There's a big dropoff from the 300+ NCAA Division I teams and the NAIA teams. We still have some challenging games, we played sloppy at times, and we're still a borderline tourney team. Don't adjust your expectations based on these results. If we play well against a team like Cal, then we can talk.

I'll be at the exhibition on Friday as well, and post my thoughts similar to above for this also. It was fun to be in Hilton again, and looking forward to the upcoming season!

Iowa State Men's Basketball: The Pre-Scrimmage Preview!

Mark Kieffer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:51:00 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Coach McDermott is smiling now, because he finally has a good team. I hope we're all still smiling at the end of the year!

Browse more photos »

Warning: this is a long post. It includes almost all of my thoughts about the Men's Basketball team as we head into the scrimmage on Monday. I tried to break it up into sections so you can read what you're interested in. With the football dominating the end of the week and the weekend, I figured I would post the entire thing instead of doing it in pieces.

So here we go:

Everyone Else’s Expectations Of The Team and the Big 12:

This is what the "experts" and coaches think: Anywhere from 8th to 10th in the conference, and possibly getting an NIT bid. I don’t see it as a slap in the face, as ISU has not been relevant in basketball for several years now, and most are just going on recent history.

The Big 12 is looking much tougher than it did last year. The Preseason Coaches’ Poll was released. Three Big 12 teams made the Top 25 (KU #1, Texas #3, and Oklahoma #16), while four got votes (Oklahoma State #31, Missouri #32, Kansas State #39, Texas A&M #47). If one were to rank all of the teams, I would expect to see ISU in the 70-80 range, as no one outside of ISU is saying we’re an NCAA team.

But at the same time, we are going to be better as well. Last year we finished 9th in the conference. With the additions we have this year, staying the same, or moving up only one spot relative to the rest of the conference is going to be disappointing.

My Expectations, And More After The Jump!

My Expectations:

I expect this team to finish in the top half of the Big 12 and go to the NCAA tournament.

This is Greg McDermott’s time to show what he’s got coaching-wise. If Paul Rhoads can get a 2-10 football team into bowl contention in his first year, there’s absolutely no reason that Greg McDermott can’t put a NCAA team on the floor in year four of his tenure. I know they are different sports, but generally it takes longer to build a football program than a basketball program. Also, seeing a program fans had low expectations for do really well thus far, is only going to turn up the pressure on those same fans when they’re looking at the basketball team. I am the exact same way.

I don’t want to hear about all of his bad luck. That was then, this is now. The facts are that he’s got an All-American Forward in Brackins who passed up the NBA to come back. He’s got another Forward who has the potential to be an NBA player as well in Gilstrap. His point guard is one of the best in the conference in Assist/Turnover Ratio. He’s got a shooting guard who is going to be a professional player in Europe when it’s all said and done.

I honestly could see all of Garrett, Staiger, Gilstrap, Brackins, and Dendy playing professional ball at some level in the future. If you can’t take this team to the NCAA tournament, then you probably aren’t going to do it in the near future. 2010 is a rebuilding year, as the prospect of landing Harrison Barnes is pretty low. I have never heard of a D1 coach that has gone o-fer in NCAA bids after 4 years, and ended up doing a good job at that school.

If this were year 2 or 3, then I’d be fine with an NIT bid. It’s been too long in my opinion since we’ve made the dance, however. As Jamie Pollard said when he fired Wayne Morgan, "the basketball program should be the marquee of the athletic department".

I know I sound harsh at times, but it isn’t me setting the standard; I’m just trying to hold my expectations to the standard the athletic department has. If the AD says that basketball should be our strongest program, then damn-it, make it happen!

I’d love to see McDermott get the job done. He seems like a smart guy, he wants what’s best for his players, cares a lot about Iowa State, and is trying to do things the right way. I like all of that, but you have to win games also. If they fail to do so, many fans will have a tough time supporting the team financially. If he does get us to the tournament, and we have a great year, then my confidence in him will be restored greatly, knowing full well that it may be another year or two before we’re back in the mix again.

Projected Starters:

Below are the guys that I think would start, based on what I know and have heard. Obviously this can change, and we will have a better idea after the two scrimmages. Usually during the first scrimmage, everybody plays, as the rotation is scripted. It gives the coaches another look at different player groupings. I will be at that and watching all of the guys on the floor closely. Often times the second scrimmage is played more like a game situation. The rotation gets deeper as the game goes on because you’re typically scrimmaging a team you’re going to blow out. Based on these, my thoughts on the roster may change, and I'll do another update prior to the first game that counts.

G: Diante Garrett – Hasn’t realized his full potential, but has made some strides and looks like he’s ready to make another breakthrough. He takes care of the ball well, and him starting really isn’t in doubt.
G: Lucca Staiger – I worry about Lucca’s knee. Realize that he played about 50 organized basketball games this past summer and fall. If he’s healthy, I think he will do a better job at shooting and moving when he doesn’t have the ball. If he struggles, I’d look for both Scott Christopherson and Chris Colvin to cut into some playing time.
F: Marquis Gilstrap – Pretty obvious. He’s a JUCO stud that can score from anywhere on the floor, and can hopefully help with rebounding as well.
F: Craig Brackins – Obvious as well. Looking forward to see how he plays with all of the attention he will now garner, along with having a better supporting cast around him
F: LaRon Dendy or Justin Hamilton - Whomever starts depends on the matchup I would think. Dendy is built similar to Brackins, but may be a little more athletic. He can block shots, and move up and down the court. If we’re trying to run and get points, I think we go with Dendy. With Hamilton, he’s the only true Center that ISU has, and would be someone you put out there if you’re going at a slower tempo. He works hard, but I don't know if he's there yet. I feel like he got a lot of PT, mostly because of how thin we were in the frontcourt last year. With basketball, I always prefer the more athletic guy, especially if you don’t have to rely on him as a top scorer. Most teams do not have a true center anyways, and that’s OK.

I think a lot of people previewing this Iowa State team, think a lineup has to have 2 guards, 2 forwards, and 1 center. In reality, it’s way more flexible as you play to your strengths in college basketball. You can have lineups of 3 guards, 2 forwards; 2 guards, 3 forwards; 1 guard, 3 forwards, 1 center; etc. Heck, Oklahoma State basically played 5 guards at times last year, and they did pretty well!

The Reserves:

G: Scott Christopherson – could see him as our first scorer off the bench. If the team needs a spark, he’s the guy to go to here. After redshirting for a year, he should have a good handle on the system and know what to do.

F: Jamie Vanderbeken – He’s injured at the moment, so he’ll be slow starting. He’ll go in for any of Gilstrap, Brackins, Dendy/Hamilton. He’s a legit 3 point shooter, and I think he would do better playing more from the outside offensively. Defensively, he’s shown he can rebound and block shots I’d expect it all to depend on matchups and game situation, but he’ll get some PT when healthy.

G: Chris Colvin – I would think we’d see more of him at the 2 to start the year. From all accounts McDermott’s system is the hardest to learn for a point guard. Colvin is a scorer, and could probably benefit more with moving without the ball.

G: Dominique Buckley – I would expect him to relieve Garrett when needed to start the season. I look at him more as a point guard, and with a year under his belt, I’d expect to see him more comfortable out there.

G/F: Charles Boozer – He plays hard. How much he gets to play depends on how much he’s improved offensively. He is definitely a hustle guy, and a jack of all trades guy. He’s the guy you out there when the team needs a lift, intensity-wise. His style of play is contagious, even if he himself is somewhat limited. Last year, I thought he played well down the stretch, and for some reason McDermott scratched him, which I thought was a horrible call. If he can shoot better, I can’t see how he wouldn’t play more, even if this team is deeper.

F: L.A. Pomlee – Coming off a redshirt, he has a lot of upside. But with the team focused on winning now, I don’t see how he’ll get a lot of clock outside of garbage time.

F: Alex Dorr – He’s gotta be the 13th guy off the bench right now. I don’t know a lot about him, but he’s a walk-on. I think he’ll probably do a good job helping the team in practice, but I’m guessing we’ll see him as much as Clinton Mann and/or Cam Lee last year.

G: Antwon Oliver – He’s 2 inches taller than DG, but 15 lbs lighter. That screams redshirt to me. Needs to put on some size, if he’s going to play in the Big 12.

G: Bubu Palo – Like Alex Dorr, another walkon, and ditto the similar comments about practice. If the coaches think he could develop into a player down the road, or if they like the way he prepares the team during practice, you may see a redshirt on him. Otherwise, I wouldn’t think there is a need to use it.

Noteable Non-Conference Opponents:

The non-conference is improved over what I thought was almost a joke last year. Below is a listing of the teams we’re facing in the non-conference that you may be wondering about, or should keep a watch out for:

@ Drake: Only because we’ve lost 3 straight. The Missouri Valley coaches, have put them at 8th in the conference, so I’m hoping we finally beat this team!

Notre Dame: We will either play Notre Dame or Northwestern in Chicago over Thanksgiving weekend. I have a feeling we will play Notre Dame as they should be the better team. They are lead by Two-time All-American and Preseason Big East POY in Luke Harangody. They’re projected by the coaches to finish 8th in the Big East. In a lot of ways they are similar to ISU, in that they have some talented players but feel like they’re being underrated a little.

UNI: They got some votes in the Preseason Top 25, and are expected to win the Valley this year. They will likely be improved from last year and are a likely NCAA team, yet again.

@ California: Cal is currently ranked #10 in the Preseason Top 25 and the favorite to win the Pac 10. It’s going to be a tough, tough game.

Iowa: Shouldn’t be too concerned here. They are expected to finish last in the Big 10, and it’s being played at our place.

Houston: Expected to compete for the C-USA title and could find themselves in the NCAA tournament as well.

Duke: Enough said

North Dakota State: An NCAA team last year, but lost some guys and isn’t expected to be as good.

Overall, I don’t think it’s too tough of a schedule, as I wouldn’t expect more than 2-3 losses, but I like that we’re playing some tougher teams like Cal and Duke, as it should prepare the team for the tough conference schedule. If we could beat one of those two teams, it would do wonders for our RPI if we indeed did become a bubble team.

Other Basketball News:

Brackins is on the preseason Naismith Watch List.
It sounds like Coach McDermott has been happy with the way his team has been practicing, as he tweeted a couple of days ago.
The team has new uniforms. I think these have changed every year the past few years.
Be on the lookout for my writeup on the scrimmage on November 3rd. If any news about the team breaks, I’ll post it in the meantime.

I’m really excited to see what this team does, and can’t wait to set foot in Hilton for the first scrimmage of the year, which is on Monday, November 2nd at 7pm against Black Hills State!

What are your thoughts and expecatations as we tip off the 2009-2010 season?

KNOW THY ENEMY: Iowa State Cyclones

BracketCat — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:00:25 -0000

I'm starting to see pumpkins everywhere, and you know what pumpkins always remind me of? Basketballs.

That's right, hoops season is just around the corner. Practice begins Oct. 16 in most places, which means it's time to start previewing the Big 12. Now, I haven't packed it in on the football season yet, by any means. But let's be honest: We all knew coming into 2009-2010 that football was just gonna be the appetizer. We're going to have a nationally ranked squad this year, and it's getting close enough to tipoff that I think the time has come to begin getting officially psyched up.

But to keep this on a semi-football-related plane, at least for the duration of the season, I will endeavor to keep these loosely linked to our football opponent of the week past. Which means it's time to venture up to Ames and see what Farmageddon on the hardwood might look like this year...

Normally these will publish at noon on Mondays, but as usual, the first one always is the most time-consuming because all the formatting has to be done from scratch. Anyhow, click the jump for the most comprehensive preview of the Cyclone hoopsters you'll find this side of Clone Chronicles.

The Coach

Greg McDermott
Fourth Season

44-51 (14-34) at Iowa State
265-178 (85-89) overall

McDermott's Cyclone teams consistently have ranked in the upper half of the Big 12 in scoring defense and in three-point shooting in his three seasons in Ames. In just three seasons, McDermott has coached four players who have earned all-conference recognition, including Craig Brackins, who was the first Cyclone since 2001 to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors, in 2009.

The Departures

Starters

Bryan Petersen (30.1 minutes per game, 6.6 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game)

Reserves

Wes Eikmeier (11.3 minutes per game, 0.8 point per game, 2.9 rebounds per game)
Sean Haluska (15.7 minutes per game, 1.0 point per game, 2.5 rebounds per game)
Cameron Lee (3.2 minutes per game, 0.7 point per game, 0.4 rebound per game)
Clinton Mann (2.4 minutes per game, 0.4 point per game, 0.7 rebound per game)
Alex Thompson (14.1 minutes per game, 2.6 points per game, 2.4 rebounds per game)

The Veterans

		#1 Dominique Buckley Sophomore Guard 6-2 \| 205 Detroit, Mich. Buckley played in 25 games as a reserve point guard, averaging 1.3 points and 0.8 assists. He logged a career-high 19 minutes vs. Texas A&M, and tallied five points vs. SIU-Edwardsville and Colorado. Buckley also handed out three assists vs. Iowa, Jacksonville State and SIU-Edwardsville.

		#4 Charles Boozer Junior Guard 6-3 \| 195 Raleigh, N.C. Boozer competed in 23 games, giving Iowa State a lift from the bench. He averaged 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds; shot 37.2 percent from the field, 29.6 percent from 3-point range and 75 percent from the free-throw line; tallied a career-high 11 points vs. Missouri; and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds while logging a career-high 19 minutes vs. Kansas State. (And no, your eyes do not deceive you. Charles is Carlos Boozer's younger brother.)

		#5 Lucca Staiger Junior Guard 6-5 \| 225 Blaustein, Germany Big 12 Rookie of the Week (12/15/08 and 01/12/09) Staiger started 27 games last season, averaging 8.2 points and 2.2 rebounds. He was Iowa State's top long-range shooter, making a team-high 74 treys in 192 attempts. His 74 3-pointers rank seventh on ISU's single-season 3-pointers made list. Staiger averaged 2.3 3-pointers made per game to rank sixth in the Big 12 and seventh on ISU's single-season list. He made a 3-pointer in 26 of 32 games and had 14 games with three or more treys. Staiger had a streak of 16 consecutive games with a 3-pointer, tying for the third-longest stretch in school history. He scored 14 points behind a 4-of-8 effort from downtown vs. Oregon State and poured in a career-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting from 3-point range vs. Drake. His eight treys in that game tie for second on ISU's single-game record chart. Staiger tied a Big 12 mark by making seven treys in the first half vs. Drake, tallied 15 points in his Big 12 debut at Texas, drilled six 3-pointers en route to 18 points vs. Nebraska, posted 14 points behind a 4-of-10 effort from long range at Oklahoma State, and was 5-of-9 from downtown and scored 17 points at Nebraska. His 74 treys already rank 18th in school history.

		#10 Diante Garrett Junior Guard 6-4 \| 185 Milwaukee, Wis. World Vision Classic All-Tournament (2008) NSCA All-American (2008) Garrett was one of the Big 12's top playmakers, ranking third in the league and 36th nationally in assists. He totaled 161 assists to rank 14th on Iowa State's single-season assist chart. One of two players to start all 32 games, Garrett was second on the team in scoring and averaged 3.3 rebounds. He led the team in steals with 30, shot 70.7 percent from the free-throw line, ranked 10th in the Big 12 in assist/turnover ratio, handed out five or more assists in 17 of 32 games, led or tied ISU in assists in 22 of 32 games, recorded two double-doubles and four double-digit assist games, and posted a career-high 26 points at Hawai'i, going 10-for-10 from the free-throw line and marking the 16th time in school history where a Cyclone was perfect from the charity stripe with at least 10 attempts. Garrett dished out a career-high 11 assists vs. Loyola Marymount and Missouri, posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists against Oklahoma, notched 17 points vs. Texas Tech and made a career-high three treys vs. UW-Milwaukee, en route to 17 points. He currently ranks 18th on ISU's career assist chart.

		#21 Craig Brackins Junior Forward 6-10 \| 230 Palmdale, Calif. First Team All-Big 12 (2009) First Team USBWA All-District VI (2009) First Team NABC All-District 8 (2009) Basketball Times First Team All-Midlands (2009) AP Honorable Mention All-American (2009) Collegehoopsnet.com HM All-American (2009) Kansas City Star All-Big 12 Improved (2009) Big 12 Player of the Week (2009 - three times) MVP of World Vision Classic (2008) Brackins recorded one of the greatest seasons in Iowa State history, earning first-team all-Big 12 and first-team all-District honors from the NABC, USBWA and Basketball Times. He was named honorable mention All-American by the AP, was the first Cyclone to earn first-team all-Big 12 honors since Curtis Stinson in 2006 and was named Big 12 Player of the Week three times. Brackins averaged 20.2 points, ranking second in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally, and 9.5 rebounds to rank third in the Big 12 and 26th nationally. Along with Blake Griffin and Luke Harangody, he was one of three players in the country to rank in the top 30 nationally in both scoring and rebounding. In Big 12 games, Brackins averaged a double-double, scoring 20 or more points in 11 of 16 conference games. He scored a league-high 348 points in Big 12 games, the 10th-best single-season scoring total in league history; posted 19 20-point games and three 30-point outings; tallied 12 20-point/10-rebound games; led ISU in scoring in 21 of the last 23 games and paced the Cyclones in rebounding in the final 18 games; tallied 15 double-doubles to rank fourth in the Big 12; and ended the season ranking in ISU's single season top 11 in four categories: field goals, points, rebounds and double-doubles. Brackins is only the third player in school history to record 600 points and 300 rebounds in a season. His 645 points as a sophomore ranks second on ISU's class list behind Jeff Grayer, who tallied 684 points in his sophomore campaign. He became the 27th member of the 1,000-point club and just the fifth Cyclone in school history to record 1,000 points in their first two seasons. Brackins scored 18 or more points in a half eight times and tallied a double-double by halftime three times. He scored a career-high 42 points vs. Kansas, making 11 of 19 shots from the floor, 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and 17 of 21 from the charity stripe. The 42 points tie for the sixth-best effort by a Big 12 player in league history and are the fourth-best scoring effort in ISU history. His 17 free throws made tie for third best in ISU history. Brackins registered 38 points, including 23 in the second half, on 15-of-23 shooting from the floor at Houston. His 15 field goals made are tied for third-best all-time by a Big 12 player. He scored 32 points in an overtime victory at Northern Iowa and grabbed a career-high 17 boards vs. Jacksonville State.

		#23 Jamie Vanderbeken Senior Forward 6-11 \| 245 Belleville, Ontario Kansas City Star's Big 12 All-Newcomer Team (2009) Iowa State's top reserve in the post, averaging 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 31 games, Vanderbeken led ISU in 3-point percentage, making 35 of 86 shots from beyond the arc. He averaged 6.3 points in Big 12 play, was second on the team in blocks with 21, made 23 of his 35 treys in the last 14 games, had four games with three or more treys, tallied a double-double in his debut with 14 points and 10 boards vs. UC Davis, was 5 of 7 from the field and scored 12 points vs. Oklahoma, tallied 14 points at Kansas State, posted career highs in points and 3-pointers at Kansas, and was 4 of 5 from 3-point range en route to 12 points vs. Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship.

		#41 Justin Hamilton Sophomore Center 6-11 \| 255 Alpine, Utah Hamilton had a solid freshman campaign, averaging 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds. He started 18 games, played in 32 contests and led the Cyclones in field-goal percentage, hitting 57 of 100 shots from the floor. His 57-percent clip from the floor ranks 15th on Iowa State's single-season record chart and second on ISU's freshman list. Hamilton tallied 17 blocks last season. In his first career start, he scored eight points and grabbed a career-high 12 boards in a win at Houston. Hamilton posted a career-high 16 points vs. SIU-Edwardsville and scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field at Missouri. He recorded eight points and 10 rebounds at Texas, and posted a career-high three blocks vs. Colorado.

The Redshirts

#11 Scott Christopherson
Sophomore Guard
6-3 | 205
LaCrosse, Wis.

Christopherson sat out the 2008-09 season as a redshirt after transferring from Marquette, where he appeared in 18 games as a freshman, all as a reserve. He missed the first five games of the regular season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, but netted a career-high six points on 2-of-3 shooting from the floor vs. Savannah State.

Christopherson averaged 1.3 points and 0.7 rebounds per game at Marquette, and shot 42.1 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range.

#34 L.A. Pomlee
Freshman Forward
6-8 | 235
Davenport, Iowa

Pomlee sat out the 2008-2009 season as a redshirt. He was ranked as the 38th-best power forward in the class of 2008 by Scout.com, was a first-team Class 4A all-state selection by both the Iowa Newspaper Association and The Des Moines Register as a senior, and also was a Quad City Times all-Metro pick.

Pomlee averaged 15.4 points and led the Mississippi Athletic Conference in both rebounding and field-goal percentage as a senior. His Central team went undefeated in the conference and 23-3 overall, and advanced to the state championship game, falling to Iowa City High 64-54 in the Class 4A state title game, in which he scored 14 points and grabbed 12 boards.

Pomlee missed his entire junior season after developing a blood clot in his leg, but was a third-team all-state selection in his sophomore campaign after averaging 14.2 points and 10.1 rebounds. He chose Iowa State over West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The Newcomers

		#2 Chris Colvin Freshman Guard 6-2 \| 195 Chicago, Ill. One of the best guards in the Class of 2009, Colvin was ranked as the 99th-best player in the nation and the 15th-best point guard nationally in the Rivals.com rankings. Scout.com ranked him as the 10th-best point guard in 2009 and he was ranked at No. 77 in the ESPNU final ratings. Colvin was named second-team Class 4A all-state a senior by the AP, and averaged 12.3 ppg and 6.2 assists on one of the best and most balanced prep teams in the nation. His Whitney Young team defeated Waukegan 69-66 in the state championship game to finish the season at 26-9 and win the 2009 Illinois Class 4A state title. He had seven points and a team-high six assists in the state championship game, and scored 14, 20, 12 and 17 points in the four previous postseason tournament games. Colvin averaged 14.1 ppg as a junior, earning all-state honors, and started three years at Whitney Young. He was named as one of the best players at the 2008 Reebok All-American Camp and chose Iowa State over Baylor, Florida State, Illinois, Kentucky, Marquette, Providence, USC and Washington State.

		#3 Marquis Gilstrap Senior Forward 6-6 \| 210 Covington, Ga. Gilstrap emerged as one of the best junior college players in the nation in his one season at Gulf Coast, averaging 22.6 points and 10.1 rebounds for one of the biggest surprise teams in junior college. He earned honorable mention All- America honors by the NJCAA, was rated as the 26th-best player in the class of 2009 by ESPN.com, and ranked 10th nationally in scoring and 20th in the nation in rebounding in the final NJCAA statistical rankings. Gilstrap shot 48.3 percent from the field, 40.9 percent from 3-point range and 74.8 percent from the free-throw line at Gulf Coast, was named Panhandle Conference Player of the Year and first-team team all-Panhandle Conference, and was a first-team All-FCCAA honoree. He led his team to a 24-9 overall record and a spot in the state final, where GCCC lost to No. 1-ranked Chipola JC 68-65 to miss out at a chance for the national tournament. Gilstrap also scored 27 points to help his squad defeat No. 3 Miami Dade in the first round of the state playoffs, and averaged 24.6 points and 10.3 rebounds to earn FCCAA All-Tournament team honors. He had seven 30+ scoring games and participated in the 2009 NJCAA All-Star Basketball Classic.

		#12 Alex Dorr Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 Norwalk, Iowa Dorr joins the Cyclones as a recruited walk-on. He averaged 20.2 points and 9.3 rebounds while earning Class 3A first-team all-state honors from both the Iowa Newspaper Association and The Des Moines Register as a senior. Dorr led Norwalk to its first-ever state championship game in 2009. The team finished the season with a 24-3 record. He scored 23 points and grabbed nine boards vs. Dubuque Wahlert in the first round of the state tournament, and averaged 18.9 points and 11.2 rebounds as a junior, earning second-team all-state honors.

		#15 Antwon Oliver Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 175 Racine, Wis. Oliver earned honorable mention all-state and third-team all-area honors as a senior, and developed into one of the best players in Wisconsin in his last year, leading his Horlick team to the Division 1 state championship game. He was ranked as the 13th-best player in the state of Wisconsin and averaged 16.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and hit 45 treys as a senior. Horlick went 24-2 and lost in the state final to Madison Memorial, 56-41. Oliver led his team with 13 points in the state championship game and was invited to play in the 2009 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Boy's All-Star game. He averaged 12.5 points as a junior and 5.1 points as a sophomore.

		#22 LaRon Dendy Junior Forward 6-9 \| 225 Greenville, S.C. Dendy played two years at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, and was rated as the 57th-best player in the preseason 2008-09 Juco Junction rankings. He averaged 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds as a freshman, earning honorable mention All-Region XI honors, but suffered a stress fracture in his sophomore season and saw limited action, averaging 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds and shooting 63.3 percent from the field in nine games. Ranked as one of the top post players in the Class of 2007, Dendy was rated as the 63rd-best player in the nation and the 17th-best power forward in the Rivals.com Class of 2007, and was the seventh-best player in the Southeast Region in 2007. He originally committed to Clemson, but opted to go to junior college.

		#25 Bubu Palo Freshman Guard 6-1 \| 175 Ames, Iowa Palo is a recruited walk-on. He was the starting point guard on Ames' 2009 Class 4A state championship team, which finished the season with a perfect 26-0 mark. Palo started his last two seasons at point guard, averaged 9.1 points as a senior to earn second-team All-CIML honors, had a 3.34 assist/turnover ratio and shot 52.0 percent from the field. He scored 11 points in Ames' state championship game win over Linn-Mar and was an honorable mention all-conference pick as a junior.

My thanks to the Iowa State sports information department for the photos and most of the information for the bios.

The Analysis

It's possible that my judgment has been colored by staring at these stats and bios for too long, but at least on paper, the Cyclones appear to have a much improved team. Thanks largely to the return of future NBA player Craig Brackins, Iowa State returns 77.9 percent of its scoring and 72.5 percent of its rebounding from a team that set school marks for 3-pointers made (236) and fewest turnovers (12.1 per game) in a season.

There were few notable departures, as most of the graduated seniors were little-used reserves. The biggest loss is starting wing Bryan Petersen, although there is reason to believe there will be little drop-off at that position. Also gone from last year's team is Sean Haluska, who chipped in quite a few minutes off the bench.

But the Cyclones return their other four starters, and add some significant pieces to challenge them for playing time. In the frontcourt, I expect Diante Garrett to retain his starting spot and continue growing as one of the premier point guards in the league, but Chris Colvin will push him to the max. Colvin is one of the most highly touted recruits Iowa State has signed (other than Brackins, of course) and turned down programs such as Marquette and USC to go to Ames. He could be the latest in a long line of talented Chicago point guards who have made in impact in the Big 12.

All Lucca Staiger did was come in and set a bunch of Iowa State records shooting the three-ball. Pretty impressive, considering he battled a lingering injury for at least part of the season. He will be complemented by Scott Christopherson, a transfer from Marquette who sat out last year per NCAA rules. The guard spots are bolstered by sophomore Dominique Buckley and veteran journeyman Charles Boozer.

Antwon Oliver is a promising prospect fresh out of high school, but will have a tough time finding minutes in such a deep, experienced backfield. Look for him to redshirt, along with preferred walk-ons Bubu Palo and Alex Dorr.

The frontcourt begins and ends with Brackins. One of the best players in the Big 12, he needs no introduction to the rest of the conference, but what he does need is help, especially with Petersen leaving. Well, help is on the way in the form of Marquis Gilstrap, a Top-50 juco player who has just one season to make an impact. At 6-6 and 210, Gilstrap has good size to hold down the 3 spot. Another exciting player for Cyclone fans to watch is juco transfer LaRon Dendy, a former Clemson commit who was in the Rivals Top 75 for 2007.

Justin Hamilton and Jamie Vanderbeken will man the post. Hamilton is considered the returning starter, but Vanderbeken pulled a few starts as well. It's really irrelevant, as both will rotate a lot in the paint in order to spell each other. Vanderbeken has an added dimension in that he is an excellent 3-point shooter, a talent that makes it hard for teams to pack it in against him and Brackins.

A wild-card player is L.A. Pomlee, who redshirted last season. He has a pretty good pedigree, given that he was a Scout Top 50 player and passed up a chance to play for Bob Huggins at West Virginia. Pomlee might make his biggest impact as a 4 whenever the Cyclones go with a small lineup, a formation that usually sees Brackins rotate into the post.

So, what we have here is a team with one of the best players in the conference, four returning starters and several more experienced veterans, and it loses very few impact players, but adds one of the best prep players in the country, as well as two talented juco players and a Big East transfer. That sounds like a recipe for dramatic improvement, which Greg McDermott better deliver, or the pressure might start to turn up on him. It's Year 4, and Iowa State needs to show some serious signs of breaking out of the basement now that the administration has built him a new practice facility.

But this year will be the most stacked the Big 12 ever has been, and the Cyclones still have a major weakness in their frontcourt: Other than Brackins, they don't have any truly athletic posts. When you look at a team like Kansas or Texas, you see multiple big, athletic matchup nightmares. Iowa State doesn't really have more than one or two of those guys. Hamilton and Vanderbeken are traditional centers who aren't nearly as talented as Cole Aldrich. The season could swing on whether Gilstrap can overcome past injuries and step up to be the third scoring threat the Clones need to keep defenses honest and free up Brackins to do some serious damage.

Projected Starting Lineup


Diante Garrett	Lucca Staiger	Marquis Gilstrap	Craig Brackins	Justin Hamilton
1	2	3	4	5

Projected Top Reserves


Chris Colvin	Scott Christopherson	LaRon Dendy	L.A. Pomlee	Jamie Vanderbeken
1	2	3	4	5

The Final Verdict

Although ISU has a pretty good backcourt, I think they're going to resemble the 2008-2009 Wildcats in a lot of ways when they hit the meat of league play. They'll be improved, but with Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri to contend with in the North, breaking into the top half of the conference might be too much to ask. An NIT berth would be a solid season for this squad, although it seems like a lame ending for a great player such as Brackins.

Predicted finish: 9th

Best-case scenario: 7th

Staiger may leave ISU for Germany

JustinKendall — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:27:12 -0000

A week after Craig Brackins announced that he'll return to Iowa State for his junior season comes news that Lucca Staiger is mulling an offer to play pro basketball in Germany.

“I think he’s on the fence right now,” coach Greg McDermott told The Des Moines Register. “I talked to him (Saturday). We’ll talk (today), and we’ll talk on a daily basis until he comes to grips on his decision.”

Staiger, a sophomore shooting guard from Blaustein, Germany, has an offer to play on Germany's junior national and national basketball teams. Last season, Staiger was the Cyclones best outside threat, hitting 74 three-pointers. Staiger started 27 of 32 games and averaged 8.2 points per game.

The potential loss of Staiger would be a big blow to the Cyclones, who would have finally had a returning guard court in the McDermott era.

Staiger isn't the only one considering leaving Iowa State. Guard Charles Boozer is thinking about transferring. Boozer averaged 2.5 points per game. Also, walk-on Cameron Lee is leaving the program to play in a lower-division.

Boozer provided a spark off the bench last year, and Lee played intense defense in spurts. But the loss of Boozer and Lee wouldn't hurt as much as losing Staiger. Boozer apparently saw the writing ont he wall. Minutes would be scarce in a crowded backcourt with Diante Garrett, Domique Buckley, Chris Colvin, Scott Christopherson and Staiger, if he returns.

MBB Recruiting Retrospective: Class of 2007

CrossCyed — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 02:48:34 -0000

Alrighty, time for the second part of my little series looking back at Cyclone basketball recruiting, it's time for the Class of 2007. Obviously, this class includes one surefire stud in Craig Brackins, but it also included some guys we thought we'd be counting on by now, and some that we are leaning on.

G Charles Boozer

Boozer looked like a bit of a reach early on, and while he's not really contributing a whole lot, he's slipped into a bit of a role on the team. His athleticism and strength is something that's none too common on this team. He's also willing to shoot anywhere at any time. His role as a guy that plays sparingly is probably the best fit for him

G Marcus Brister

Brister didn't even make it half a season. Brought in to act as a safety net at point guard, he was gone in a flash, and he wasn't too good when he was here.

F Craig Brackins

Though he wasn't all-world his freshman year, Craig was very serviceable at forward. The 2008-09 season has served as his chance to break out into the national scene, and he's done nothing but impress. He now sits as a lottery pick in numerous mock drafts, and will be under consideration for All-American status. His pro decision could very easily decide both the fate of ISU basketball and his coach in the next couple of years.

G Diante Garrett

Diante was a personal favorite of mine, especially after seeing some video. Most people wanted him to start at point his freshman year, and the role became all his during this season. While Diante is pretty good at distributing the ball, his scoring still lags, which has led to numerous frustrating moments for Cyclone fans. Truth be told, he's a good enough ball handler that if he had been able to shoot at all, he'd have landed someplace better. Regardless, I hold out hope that his development will continue.

G Lucca Staiger

Ah, the legend of Lucca Staiger. Held out of competition as a freshman thanks to a totally bullshit ruling by the NCAA, his sophomore season at ISU was his first on the floor. And while he's shown glimpses of the shooting touch that we've been hearing about since he committed, the rest of his game lags far behind. One hopes that he was truly playing through injury this year, because otherwise, he leaves a lot to be desired as a ballhandler and a defender. He seems to be a good enough shooter, though, that he'll always see minutes.

F Clayton Vette

Vette committed to Indiana State out of high school, but after a coaching change for the Sycamores, he landed at Iowa State....for a while. Rumors of homesickness came to light as he failed to make it to a sophomore campaign. While he might have been the best player in the state as a high school senior, he was less than impressive in his time at Iowa State. Now at Winona State.

This class might be considered a winner thanks solely to Mr. Brackins. A true program changer that never had a strong supporting cast. Garrett is one of the best assist men in the conference, and Staiger is capable of 20 on any night. Of course, the last two haven't shown any true consistency, but when you can get three guys capable of starting in the Big 12 in one class, that's pretty quality.

The overall success of this class may rest on the continued development of Staiger and Garrett, however, as it's tough to see Brackins in a Cyclone uniform next year. Let's hope it happens.

ISU 70, CU 42

Mark Kieffer — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:33:46 -0000

Final - 2.11.2009	1	2	Total
Colorado Buffaloes	9	33	42
Iowa St. Cyclones	37	33	70

Complete Coverage >

That isn't a typo, CU had 9 points at the half. The funny part is that only one of their guys, Thorne, had all 9 of their points at the half!

The story here was the fact we could score. CU had no answer for Brackins as he scored 26 points in 22 minutes. Lucca, Petey, Boozer, and Vanderbeken all had a good day shooting.

As you can see, the difference in the game was in the first half. Did ISU play stellar D? Not exactly, but we played them into their weaknesses. CU did a good job of dribble-penetrating, setting up open jumpers. ISU would collapse and put 2-3 guys on the guy driving, allowing for wide open shots. Fortunately, CU went 4 of 23 in the first half including 0 for 9 from 3. I'd have to think 7 of those 9 were uncontested. When you are able to shoot over 50% in a half, and the other team is shooting 17-18%, you're going to get a big lead.

Not really much to add. It was fun to see the team establish such a big lead that the game is out of reach by the half. Our guys have been playing much harder the past several games and they got a much deserved win. Hopefully they can carry this over into getting a few more wins down the stretch.... We'll see...

[Note by CrossCyed, 02/12/09 12:56 AM CST ] I wish I could have seen this game (curse you Iowa State University and your night classes!). I predicted a few games back that our "best" total game of the year would come against CU in a game I would not be able to attend. Anywho, check out this gloriousness:

Stats by StatSheet.com

Pretty, huh? The game was essentially totally out of reach by just after the first TV timeout in the second half.

In other news, Sean Haluska has 32 fouls on the year, against 19 made field goals.

Also, to heck with freeing Lucca. Free Wes Eikmeier! He logged just 3 minutes tonight in blowout action, and his minutes have steadily decreased.

Stats by StatSheet.com

Who cares if he's having trouble adjusting to the Big 12? His defense may not be the greatest, and his shot may be off as of late, as well as turnover issues, but I want to use my new acronym.....

WELP

The Wes Eikmeier Liberation Project.

via www.journalstar.com, because it's hard to find one of him playing here.

Free these amber waves of hair from the purgatory of the end of the bench. I don't know if Clone Chronicles is the official blog of Wes Eikmeier, but Wes Eikmeier is the official baller of Clone Chronicles.

WELP!

		#1 Dominique Buckley Sophomore Guard 6-2 \| 205 Detroit, Mich. Buckley played in 25 games as a reserve point guard, averaging 1.3 points and 0.8 assists. He logged a career-high 19 minutes vs. Texas A&M, and tallied five points vs. SIU-Edwardsville and Colorado. Buckley also handed out three assists vs. Iowa, Jacksonville State and SIU-Edwardsville.

		#4 Charles Boozer Junior Guard 6-3 \| 195 Raleigh, N.C. Boozer competed in 23 games, giving Iowa State a lift from the bench. He averaged 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds; shot 37.2 percent from the field, 29.6 percent from 3-point range and 75 percent from the free-throw line; tallied a career-high 11 points vs. Missouri; and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds while logging a career-high 19 minutes vs. Kansas State. (And no, your eyes do not deceive you. Charles is Carlos Boozer's younger brother.)

		#5 Lucca Staiger Junior Guard 6-5 \| 225 Blaustein, Germany Big 12 Rookie of the Week (12/15/08 and 01/12/09) Staiger started 27 games last season, averaging 8.2 points and 2.2 rebounds. He was Iowa State's top long-range shooter, making a team-high 74 treys in 192 attempts. His 74 3-pointers rank seventh on ISU's single-season 3-pointers made list. Staiger averaged 2.3 3-pointers made per game to rank sixth in the Big 12 and seventh on ISU's single-season list. He made a 3-pointer in 26 of 32 games and had 14 games with three or more treys. Staiger had a streak of 16 consecutive games with a 3-pointer, tying for the third-longest stretch in school history. He scored 14 points behind a 4-of-8 effort from downtown vs. Oregon State and poured in a career-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting from 3-point range vs. Drake. His eight treys in that game tie for second on ISU's single-game record chart. Staiger tied a Big 12 mark by making seven treys in the first half vs. Drake, tallied 15 points in his Big 12 debut at Texas, drilled six 3-pointers en route to 18 points vs. Nebraska, posted 14 points behind a 4-of-10 effort from long range at Oklahoma State, and was 5-of-9 from downtown and scored 17 points at Nebraska. His 74 treys already rank 18th in school history.

		#10 Diante Garrett Junior Guard 6-4 \| 185 Milwaukee, Wis. World Vision Classic All-Tournament (2008) NSCA All-American (2008) Garrett was one of the Big 12's top playmakers, ranking third in the league and 36th nationally in assists. He totaled 161 assists to rank 14th on Iowa State's single-season assist chart. One of two players to start all 32 games, Garrett was second on the team in scoring and averaged 3.3 rebounds. He led the team in steals with 30, shot 70.7 percent from the free-throw line, ranked 10th in the Big 12 in assist/turnover ratio, handed out five or more assists in 17 of 32 games, led or tied ISU in assists in 22 of 32 games, recorded two double-doubles and four double-digit assist games, and posted a career-high 26 points at Hawai'i, going 10-for-10 from the free-throw line and marking the 16th time in school history where a Cyclone was perfect from the charity stripe with at least 10 attempts. Garrett dished out a career-high 11 assists vs. Loyola Marymount and Missouri, posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists against Oklahoma, notched 17 points vs. Texas Tech and made a career-high three treys vs. UW-Milwaukee, en route to 17 points. He currently ranks 18th on ISU's career assist chart.

		#21 Craig Brackins Junior Forward 6-10 \| 230 Palmdale, Calif. First Team All-Big 12 (2009) First Team USBWA All-District VI (2009) First Team NABC All-District 8 (2009) Basketball Times First Team All-Midlands (2009) AP Honorable Mention All-American (2009) Collegehoopsnet.com HM All-American (2009) Kansas City Star All-Big 12 Improved (2009) Big 12 Player of the Week (2009 - three times) MVP of World Vision Classic (2008) Brackins recorded one of the greatest seasons in Iowa State history, earning first-team all-Big 12 and first-team all-District honors from the NABC, USBWA and Basketball Times. He was named honorable mention All-American by the AP, was the first Cyclone to earn first-team all-Big 12 honors since Curtis Stinson in 2006 and was named Big 12 Player of the Week three times. Brackins averaged 20.2 points, ranking second in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally, and 9.5 rebounds to rank third in the Big 12 and 26th nationally. Along with Blake Griffin and Luke Harangody, he was one of three players in the country to rank in the top 30 nationally in both scoring and rebounding. In Big 12 games, Brackins averaged a double-double, scoring 20 or more points in 11 of 16 conference games. He scored a league-high 348 points in Big 12 games, the 10th-best single-season scoring total in league history; posted 19 20-point games and three 30-point outings; tallied 12 20-point/10-rebound games; led ISU in scoring in 21 of the last 23 games and paced the Cyclones in rebounding in the final 18 games; tallied 15 double-doubles to rank fourth in the Big 12; and ended the season ranking in ISU's single season top 11 in four categories: field goals, points, rebounds and double-doubles. Brackins is only the third player in school history to record 600 points and 300 rebounds in a season. His 645 points as a sophomore ranks second on ISU's class list behind Jeff Grayer, who tallied 684 points in his sophomore campaign. He became the 27th member of the 1,000-point club and just the fifth Cyclone in school history to record 1,000 points in their first two seasons. Brackins scored 18 or more points in a half eight times and tallied a double-double by halftime three times. He scored a career-high 42 points vs. Kansas, making 11 of 19 shots from the floor, 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and 17 of 21 from the charity stripe. The 42 points tie for the sixth-best effort by a Big 12 player in league history and are the fourth-best scoring effort in ISU history. His 17 free throws made tie for third best in ISU history. Brackins registered 38 points, including 23 in the second half, on 15-of-23 shooting from the floor at Houston. His 15 field goals made are tied for third-best all-time by a Big 12 player. He scored 32 points in an overtime victory at Northern Iowa and grabbed a career-high 17 boards vs. Jacksonville State.

		#23 Jamie Vanderbeken Senior Forward 6-11 \| 245 Belleville, Ontario Kansas City Star's Big 12 All-Newcomer Team (2009) Iowa State's top reserve in the post, averaging 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 31 games, Vanderbeken led ISU in 3-point percentage, making 35 of 86 shots from beyond the arc. He averaged 6.3 points in Big 12 play, was second on the team in blocks with 21, made 23 of his 35 treys in the last 14 games, had four games with three or more treys, tallied a double-double in his debut with 14 points and 10 boards vs. UC Davis, was 5 of 7 from the field and scored 12 points vs. Oklahoma, tallied 14 points at Kansas State, posted career highs in points and 3-pointers at Kansas, and was 4 of 5 from 3-point range en route to 12 points vs. Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship.

		#41 Justin Hamilton Sophomore Center 6-11 \| 255 Alpine, Utah Hamilton had a solid freshman campaign, averaging 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds. He started 18 games, played in 32 contests and led the Cyclones in field-goal percentage, hitting 57 of 100 shots from the floor. His 57-percent clip from the floor ranks 15th on Iowa State's single-season record chart and second on ISU's freshman list. Hamilton tallied 17 blocks last season. In his first career start, he scored eight points and grabbed a career-high 12 boards in a win at Houston. Hamilton posted a career-high 16 points vs. SIU-Edwardsville and scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field at Missouri. He recorded eight points and 10 rebounds at Texas, and posted a career-high three blocks vs. Colorado.

		#2 Chris Colvin Freshman Guard 6-2 \| 195 Chicago, Ill. One of the best guards in the Class of 2009, Colvin was ranked as the 99th-best player in the nation and the 15th-best point guard nationally in the Rivals.com rankings. Scout.com ranked him as the 10th-best point guard in 2009 and he was ranked at No. 77 in the ESPNU final ratings. Colvin was named second-team Class 4A all-state a senior by the AP, and averaged 12.3 ppg and 6.2 assists on one of the best and most balanced prep teams in the nation. His Whitney Young team defeated Waukegan 69-66 in the state championship game to finish the season at 26-9 and win the 2009 Illinois Class 4A state title. He had seven points and a team-high six assists in the state championship game, and scored 14, 20, 12 and 17 points in the four previous postseason tournament games. Colvin averaged 14.1 ppg as a junior, earning all-state honors, and started three years at Whitney Young. He was named as one of the best players at the 2008 Reebok All-American Camp and chose Iowa State over Baylor, Florida State, Illinois, Kentucky, Marquette, Providence, USC and Washington State.

		#3 Marquis Gilstrap Senior Forward 6-6 \| 210 Covington, Ga. Gilstrap emerged as one of the best junior college players in the nation in his one season at Gulf Coast, averaging 22.6 points and 10.1 rebounds for one of the biggest surprise teams in junior college. He earned honorable mention All- America honors by the NJCAA, was rated as the 26th-best player in the class of 2009 by ESPN.com, and ranked 10th nationally in scoring and 20th in the nation in rebounding in the final NJCAA statistical rankings. Gilstrap shot 48.3 percent from the field, 40.9 percent from 3-point range and 74.8 percent from the free-throw line at Gulf Coast, was named Panhandle Conference Player of the Year and first-team team all-Panhandle Conference, and was a first-team All-FCCAA honoree. He led his team to a 24-9 overall record and a spot in the state final, where GCCC lost to No. 1-ranked Chipola JC 68-65 to miss out at a chance for the national tournament. Gilstrap also scored 27 points to help his squad defeat No. 3 Miami Dade in the first round of the state playoffs, and averaged 24.6 points and 10.3 rebounds to earn FCCAA All-Tournament team honors. He had seven 30+ scoring games and participated in the 2009 NJCAA All-Star Basketball Classic.

		#12 Alex Dorr Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 Norwalk, Iowa Dorr joins the Cyclones as a recruited walk-on. He averaged 20.2 points and 9.3 rebounds while earning Class 3A first-team all-state honors from both the Iowa Newspaper Association and The Des Moines Register as a senior. Dorr led Norwalk to its first-ever state championship game in 2009. The team finished the season with a 24-3 record. He scored 23 points and grabbed nine boards vs. Dubuque Wahlert in the first round of the state tournament, and averaged 18.9 points and 11.2 rebounds as a junior, earning second-team all-state honors.

		#15 Antwon Oliver Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 175 Racine, Wis. Oliver earned honorable mention all-state and third-team all-area honors as a senior, and developed into one of the best players in Wisconsin in his last year, leading his Horlick team to the Division 1 state championship game. He was ranked as the 13th-best player in the state of Wisconsin and averaged 16.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and hit 45 treys as a senior. Horlick went 24-2 and lost in the state final to Madison Memorial, 56-41. Oliver led his team with 13 points in the state championship game and was invited to play in the 2009 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Boy's All-Star game. He averaged 12.5 points as a junior and 5.1 points as a sophomore.

		#22 LaRon Dendy Junior Forward 6-9 \| 225 Greenville, S.C. Dendy played two years at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, and was rated as the 57th-best player in the preseason 2008-09 Juco Junction rankings. He averaged 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds as a freshman, earning honorable mention All-Region XI honors, but suffered a stress fracture in his sophomore season and saw limited action, averaging 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds and shooting 63.3 percent from the field in nine games. Ranked as one of the top post players in the Class of 2007, Dendy was rated as the 63rd-best player in the nation and the 17th-best power forward in the Rivals.com Class of 2007, and was the seventh-best player in the Southeast Region in 2007. He originally committed to Clemson, but opted to go to junior college.

		#25 Bubu Palo Freshman Guard 6-1 \| 175 Ames, Iowa Palo is a recruited walk-on. He was the starting point guard on Ames' 2009 Class 4A state championship team, which finished the season with a perfect 26-0 mark. Palo started his last two seasons at point guard, averaged 9.1 points as a senior to earn second-team All-CIML honors, had a 3.34 assist/turnover ratio and shot 52.0 percent from the field. He scored 11 points in Ames' state championship game win over Linn-Mar and was an honorable mention all-conference pick as a junior.