2011-12 Iowa State Cyclones Season Predictions

How will the Iowa St. Cyclones fare this season? What will their overall and Big 12 records be? Will they make a postseason tournament?

We'll answer all those questions, plus guess which teams they'll upset and which will upset them after The Jump.

2011-12 Iowa State Projected Record:

Joe Loyd:  17-13
Matt Patton: 19-11
Evan Pfaff: I'll split the difference, 18-12

Upset Watch

Surprise 2011-12 game Iowa State will win: 

JL: Not sure how big of a surprise since they beat them at home last year but I have them beating Missouri in Ames again. I also think they'll beat Iowa for the 3rd straight year.

MP: I'll go on the record saying they could beat Texas at home. It's relatively early in the season, Texas isn't exactly full of experience either, and I expect big games from the transfers in front of big home crowds.

EP: I don't think the team will gel until the end of the season, so I'll go ahead and say they'll win their home finale against Baylor. Baylor is a good team, but by the last Saturday of the regular season their seeding should be wrapped up and maybe look past ISU to the Big 12 tournament.

Surprise 2011-12 game the Cyclones lose: 

JL: If I had to pick a surprise game for them to drop it would be against Oklahoma State at home since it follows up their game on the road at Kansas.

MP: I could easily see this team suffering from a mini-implosion against Oklahoma or Texas Tech at home February 18th or 22nd. Those should be relative gimmes for a team trying to make the postseason (at least the NIT), but inexperience and consistency don't go together.

EP: Disagreeing with Joe's upset win projection, the Clones have beaten their in-state rival Iowa Hawkeyes two straight years and Iowa is in a downward spiral, but you can throw all that out the window and let emotion and passion take over in this game. With a new team, most of who haven't played in this rivalry game yet, the intensity may be lost on the Clones and Iowa's seniors could take the game.

2011-12 Iowa state Projected Big 12 Record:

JL: 8-10
MP: 10-8
EP: Both of those are pretty aggressive leaps from last year. I'll say 7-11.

2011-12 Projected Big 12 Standing:

JL: What would 8-10 put them at -  I'll say 7^th
MP: Tied for 5^th
EP: I think 8^th in conference.

2011-12 Iowa state Postseason Projections:

JL: NIT
MP: NIT
EP: NIT