After a couple days to reflect:
1. Iowa State could’ve done better.
If you’re going to pay that much for a buyout, don’t you want a guy who’s done more in his best year than take a team who’d finished 80th in KenPom two years prior and guide them to finishing 78th in KenPom? Losing firmly in the first round of the tournament? With one of the country’s best players in Mike Daum?
2. Iowa State could’ve done worse.
Otzelberger knows Iowa State well and has proven he can recruit to Ames, which is a battle in itself. He did a fine job at South Dakota State and his UNLV stint was too short to be able to tell much.
3. Hope it works.
In the end, it’s the same as any hire would’ve been, in that you just don’t know how it’s going to work out. Hopefully, it was the right call. First indication will be what sort of roster he can construct for next year, so good on ISU for moving fast enough to give him time to do that.
