1. Yes, Solomon Young was good.
Great to see that out of the senior big.
2. Yes, Javan Johnson was good.
Exciting night from the transfer from Troy.
3. Yes, South Dakota State is respectable.
They could legitimately win out until March. A 25-2 record entering the dance is the goal for them.
4. But still…oof.
The Big 12’s loaded at the top this year. Wins are going to be hard to find. Iowa State isn’t young. This is not a year to feel ok about rebuilding, or to shrug your shoulders at 4-for-23 nights from deep and think about how all those threes might make for some thrilling upsets over the course of the season. Yes, they might put it together, but it needs to happen fast if the final record isn’t going to be entirely unsightly. It’s a bad situation.
Yet Sunday offers an opportunity at a turnaround. And then comes the one that could make a torturous year enjoyable…
We’ll see.
