Well anybody who caught another one of Iowa's semi-embarassing showings on national television yesterday definitely saw a work in progress. We haven't won a game at the fearsome Breslin Center since 1993, and almost all of the losses since then have been lopsided blowouts. Even our great 2005-06 team that finished second in the conference and won the Big Ten tournament got a 40 point beatdown here. So I guess give the guys credit for only losing 66-52 and showing some heart, but trust me, it could have been a lot worse. No motion on offense, no energy by anyone but Cyrus Tate in the 1st half, no field goals until about 11 minutes had passed in the 1st half(!), no outside shooting, no consistent free throw shooting by anyone but, you guessed it, Cyrus, and just too many mistakes by a young team that is the epitome of "up and down." The field goal drought to start the game was one of the most painful yet hilarious things I have ever watched as a Hawkeye fan; I honestly didn't think we'd get past 5 points, especially when it culminated in a 20-1 MSU lead. I guess it set the tone for the half when Freeman got fouled on a three pointer and only made one free throw. We got back in it and shockingly went on a nice little run there, not seeming flustered like Hawkeye teams in the past have been, spurred on by Gorney's long shot and Kelly's baseline drive for a layup, as Cyrus Tate started doing the big man's work once again in providing his usual cleanup of the boards and slippery finishes down low. We also started getting him the ball again and he definitely responded with production, getting us back in the game. MSU kind of stomped on our faces at the end of the 1st though, scoring two pretty buckets to end the half as if to say "you really thought you had a chance?" 31-18 at the half, tough to overcome on the road but not nearly as bad as it could have been as MSU went on a little drought of their own. Throughout the second half MSU maintained a steady lead over us and the outcome was never really in doubt, but our guys hung in there and kept fighting, making sure we weren't embarassed or blown out. Our guys just don't seem to grasp the offense, as they just stand around and wait for something to happen, but the heart they showed in not bowing down easy is something the guys probably wouldn't have done in the Alford era, at least in my opinion. Cyrus was amazing again, finishing with 26 points and 9 boards, along with a very nice 6-7 performance from the free throw line, showing how hard he worked to improve that area of his game. He had the most intensity and energy from the start, and played his role to perfection. Kelly also provided some nice scoring, while Gorney made a few shots but seemed to regress as far as his effort on the boards and his energy. Freeman definitely wasn't much of a leader today, as he played a quiet role, but I bet he'll come out hot the next game. That's the type of player he is. Justin Johnson continues his disappearing act...maybe I'm not so sad to see him go after this season. Peterson played pretty well and showed a little playmaking spark, but he is going to have to cut down those turnovers for next year. I think he will. No one else really did anything significant. Another tough loss for the boys, but not really unexpected. They didn't get blown out by 20, 30, or 40, simply 14, one of the lowest deficits we have had in the Breslin Center ever. I guess that is a step forward, but just between you and me, this is not a very good MSU team either. I still like what Lickliter's doing and yearn for the days when the players will grasp his offense and take it to the top of the Big Ten.