ROUNDUP: CU Says CYA to Pac-12, Big Rob Energy Seeks Big Gain in Efficiency and more
It's been an unusally newsy week in the Big 12 as Colorado votes to rejoin the league and Iowa State men's hoops counts the days down to Aug. 4-10 Bahamas trip
AMES — Late July’s usually a slow time in terms of news that impacts or pertains to Iowa State athletics.
Football media day’s just around the corner (Aug. 4), as is a working vacation for the men’s basketball team in the Bahamas (Aug. 4-10). But in the ongoing age of conference realignment, the typical ebb and flow of news, like the weather, is anything but predictable.
There are just fewer reporters employed to help chronicle that rapid rate and mercurial nature of change.
To wit, the recent formation of the soon-to-be (unofficially named) Big 13, which will almost certainly become the (unofficially named) Big 14 or Big 16 before Colorado rejoins the offically named and branded Big 12 in 2024-25.
Rumors swirled that the Buffaloes would make that move a few days ago. Thursday, the Colorado Board of Regents voted unanimously to make it so. So while Big 12 juggernauts Texas and Oklahoma are on the way out after one last go in the league, Coach Prime (NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders) is soon to be on his way in.
BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF (don’t call it Central Florida unless you want to rile up the school’s fans) already joined the Big 12 to make it the (unoffically named) Big 14 for one season as of now — and all of this would be bananas if it didn’t mean one thing: The Big 12 (however many teams are actually in the league) is as stable as possible in this new age of college sports chaos.
It’s the leader in the clubhouse in terms of remaining remotely in the ballpark (two cliches in one sentence!) with the Big Ten and the SEC as the Pac-12 reels and the ACC remains in the wilderness (for now, at least).
Like I said, it’s bananas, but just like that ubiquitous fruit, it’s money that matters — and the Pac-12’s lack of a new media rights deal mostly explains why Colorado chose to rejoin the league it once helped found in 1996.
Iowa State, of course, helped found the Big 12 at the same time and the Cyclones’ relationship with the Buffaloes goes way, way back to the old Big 7. My, how times — and number of teams and dollar signs — have changed.
"Iowa State is thrilled to welcome the University of Colorado back into the Big 12 Conference,” the Cyclones’ longtime Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard said in a staement. “The Cyclones and Buffaloes enjoyed a spirited rivalry for more than 60 years in the Big 7, Big 8 and early years of the Big 12, so we are excited to resume competing with them next year. This great news for the Big 12 Conference would not have been possible without Commissioner (Brett) Yormark’s vision as well as the hard work by former Commissioner Bowlsby in bringing BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston on board as members in 2023-24. The Big 12 brand has never been stronger, and I believe great days are ahead for our conference.”
Change, once again, is the only constant. Stability is temporary, but enjoy it when it’s in place. It’s an ongoing buckle-up situation where big money talks, or big schools walk.
“When it comes to conference realignment, it’s going to be fluid and continue to be fluid,” ISU head men’s basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger said.
It’s kind of like March Madness, but can strike anytime and somehow is less predictable. So buckle up, indeed.
We’re talking about practice. Free throws in practice in particular.
I was impressed by recent comments from Iowa State big man Robert Jones (a.k.a “Big Rob Energy”). He’s been an impactful contributor for the Cyclones, never backing down in the lane, and becoming a top leader for the team. But he’s an abysmal free throw shooter.
Photo by LUKE LU @KL6PHOTO/Iowa State Athletics Communications
“Cyclone fans know,” Jones said recently when detailing how he’s going about changing that.
The 6-10, 250-pound senior said he aims to make 150 free throws every single day. Not take, but make. He added that in a recent free-throw shooting segment, he drained 50 of 58 attempts (or 86 percent). That’s stunning, frankly. Jones shot just 40.3 percent from the line last season and a shockingly-low 29.7 percent in the previous season. Still, he knows improving his percentage under the bright lights in games will be a “believe it when you see it” proposition.
“You got the backdrop,” Jones said. “You’ve got the suspension hoops (at practice) versus the hoop coming off the ground (in games). Not to mention how all of a sudden if you add fans to that, and how the backdrop changes from just a still backdrop to everything — everybody’s moving behind the hoop. So it’s just remembering what you’re focusing on when you’re shooting. That’s a big key.”
Big Rob has had a big impact on winning at Iowa State despite his free throw shooting travails. Expect that to continue — and for that percentage from the line to at least improve. He loves his coaches and teammates. He loves Iowa State. Enough said.
“It’s kind of like having that family feel and that Cyclone Nation power type of thing,” Jones said.
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This Cyclone alum welcomes back CU and wishes OU and Texas the same success in the SEC as Mizzou has enjoyed there, and as Nebraska has enjoyed in the Big Ten (Plus Four, soon to be Six).
Hi, Pat. First off, thanks so much for your support. Second, haha, I'd imagine plenty of ISU alums/fans share your sentiments — and for good reason(s). I really think OU is going to struggle in the SEC. Texas, bcause of money, will fare better but its history of underperforming will likely add several new chapters. Thanks again!