The state of Iowa remains a graveyard for No. 1 ranked teams
Oklahoma’s newly minted No. 1 ranking won’t last longer than a week.
On the same day as the Sooners ascended to the top of the polls for the first time in 26 years, they also fell on the road at 19th-ranked Iowa State.
With the score tied and the Hilton Coliseum crowd standing, Iowa State point guard Monte Morris drove around a high ball screen and buried a go-ahead mid-range jumper with 24 seconds left. Buddy Hield and Isaiah Cousins both missed shots on Oklahoma’s ensuing possession and the Cyclones sank five free throws in the final 10 seconds, enabling them to escape with a 82-77 victory.
Iowa State’s victory bolsters the state of Iowa’s reputation as a graveyard for No. 1 teams this season. In addition to the Cyclones’ big win on Monday night, Northern Iowa toppled North Carolina in November and Iowa clobbered Michigan State to open Big Ten play.
It’s tempting to warn future No. 1 teams to avoid the Hawkeye State at all costs, but the truth is no highly ranked team is safe anywhere this season.
Five top-ranked teams have already lost this season, a far cry from last year when Kentucky was No. 1 from nearly start to finish. Thirteen AP Top 25 teams lost last week, and top 10 Duke, Michigan State and Miami all lost twice apiece.
What that reflects is that this is a wide-open season that should give way to a wild, unpredictable March. A freshman class that is weaker than usual and did not cluster at the same schools has created remarkable parity in college basketball, leaving the margin between the top teams and the second and third tier much smaller than most years.
Oklahoma (15-2, 4-2) has been as good as anyone so far this season, but the Sooners needed a brilliant performance from both Hield and Cousins just to stay competitive at Iowa State.
Cousins shook off a recent shooting slump to hit four threes and score 26 points. Hield erupted for 27 points including a barrage of late threes. Nonetheless, despite its 17-for-32 3-point shooting as a team, Oklahoma struggled to keep pace with Iowa State because it could not generate much offense around the rim.
Defending the dribble has been a season-long issue for an Iowa State team with no depth and only one true rim protector, but the Cylcones (14-4, 3-3) did a much better job Monday night. Jameel McKay blocked four shots, Matt Thomas made Hield work for every basket and Morris and Georges Niang thoroughly outplayed counterparts Jordan Woodard and Ryan Spangler.
Niang, Morris and Abdel Nader combined for 62 points. That was enough to make up for a bench that failed to score a single point.
Can Iowa State finish near the top of the Big 12 with just a seven-man rotation? Will the Cyclones build on their defensive performance on Monday night? Those are questions for another day.
They earned the chance to revel in the same experience Northern Iowa and Iowa already had earlier in this topsy-turvy season: The joy of sending a No. 1 team home with a loss.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
