In all honesty, I had a ton going on at work this week, and with being in a rush to get out of town, I wasn't able to do research for these upcoming games. Now that I'm out in Colorado, I don't exactly feel like digging deep for a few hours and researching the opponents to be honest.
Anyhow, Iowa State plays N. Arizona. Northern Arizona plays in the Big Sky, but they are a dangerous, dangerous team. They have a guard, Cameron Jones, who is a pro prospect. I know they run a system similar to a Baylor, where there are 4 guards and a post player. 3 of the 4 starting guards plus the post player are back. There are a couple other guys back as well that played off the bench. When a team has 5 returning players, and that team was in the Top 30 in Field Goal percentage, there's plenty to be concerned about. This is a tough, tough, game for the Cyclones to start with. I think the Cyclones either win by 1-3, or they lose by 10.
On Sunday, the Cyclones play Alabama State. To learn more about 'Bama State, I would check out what happens tonight as they play against Creighton. Alabama State is typically a top tier SWAC team, but I'm not sure they have enough horses to win the game. I'm not expecting a Cyclone blowout, but I think they should win this.
I know this is kind of a weak preview, but I wanted to put something out there. I'll be back in town on Monday night, and will do better with previewing Drake and other opponents down the road.
If you're around, I think it would be huge as a fan to support this young team. This is the time of year where they need to develop and build confidence, and fan support helps a ton with that.