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March 24, 2000 By Mark Alesia SportsLine.com Senior Writer |
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Oh, how does it ever survive, this poor, one-man
team? These underdogs, these overmatched kids from the corn, these rejects?
How did they ever earn a 32-4 record, a No. 2 seed and their school's first
trip to the final eight of the NCAA Tournament since 1944?
Iowa State defense stymies UCLA NCAA Tournament schedule and results Audio: Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy earned some respect with win over UCLA Audio: Eustachy talks about playing Michigan State Audio: Iowa State forward Marcus Fizer says Cyclones are not a one-man team Audio: Fizer talks about the matchup with Michigan State Video: NCAA Tournament highlights Complete March Mayhem coverage
It has to be something. Uh, let's see. Somebody mentioned toughness to guard
Michael Nurse.
"How else could a team so little and so unskilled make it to the Elite
Eight?" Nurse said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
The Cyclones will ride the tired but potent respect theme as long as they
can. And they can be certain it will last at least one more game. After
demolishing UCLA 80-56 on Thursday night, Iowa State plays Michigan State on
Saturday for a trip to the Final Four.
"We might be 30-point underdogs in that game," Nurse said.
Just how Iowa State likes it. And likes to talk about it.
After midnight in the east -- but early enough in the west for UCLA fans to
contemplate their demise -- coach Larry Eustachy was asked what had to
happen for his team to defeat the Spartans on Saturday. The recent recipient
of a 10-year, $9-million contract is thinking about larceny, not a nice zone
defense.
"Oh, food poisoning," Eustachy said. "Four cases of the flu."
Listen to this stuff too much and one might overlook the near triple-double
put up by Jamaal Tinsley. The guy had 14 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.
He had one earlier in the season against Missouri. If the Cyclones do
overcome Michigan State's virtual home-court advantage on Saturday, just
send the guy straight to the NBA.
Nurse had 16 points. Forward Stevie Johnson had 16 points and eight rebounds,
numbers almost as good as the ...
All-American.
Oh, yeah, him.
"As I've been saying all year, welcome to what is not the Marcus
Fizer show," Marcus Fizer said. "This team has talent all over the court."
There it is again, that theme.
"We know people aren't picking us for the Final Four," said Fizer, who had
16 points and nine rebounds. "That doesn't bother me as much as it does my
teammates."
This tournament has defied being wrapped in a neat package of predictability
and easy explanations. So naturally, UCLA's 35-point victory over Maryland
in the second round didn't mean squat. The Bruins, winners of eight in a row
and supposedly so full of confidence, did nothing to help keep people awake
as Thursday turned into Friday.
"They came in wanting to beat UCLA, and we didn't answer," Bruins center
Jerome Moiso said.
Nobody from the Bruins said anything that might incite Iowa State, because
if they did, everyone would have heard about it.
"We start to gain respect after the game's over," Nurse said.
At 2:30 a.m. Friday, the party was still going on at Iowa State's team
hotel. At the entrance there was a sign congratulating the team.
"Shock the world!" someone scribbled.
All of the rooms overlook a central area where the team's fans congregated.
Players, boosters, cheerleaders and fans watched the scene from balconies
outside their rooms.
When Fizer appeared, people chanted, "One more year!"
The Cyclones were 15-15 a year ago. They were unranked this season until
late January. This year, the Cyclones had to battle their way there with
three victories. But Michigan State had its scare Thursday night against
Syracuse. The Spartans, who trailed by 14 in the second half, are unlikely
to conduct themselves in a manner other than ravenous for a second
consecutive Final Four appearance.
The virtual home-court advantage will be there, too. All of this makes it a
familiar situation for Iowa State.
For Thursday night's game, the Cyclones used a hockey locker room at the
Palace of Auburn Hills. The carpet had a drawing of a hockey rink. It was
for the International Hockey League's Detroit Vipers.
"Champions reside here," a sign said.
Yeah, in Detroit, it's the Red Wings.
But that sort of fits the second-fiddle theme. In 1944, only eight teams
made the tournament, but it was still the final eight, and Iowa State was
there. The Cyclones won one game for their only Final Four appearance.
Michigan State stands in the way of No. 2.
"People will kind of overlook us," Johnson said. "It really doesn't matter.
Just continue overlooking us, and maybe we can surprise some more people."
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Iowa State's Marcus Fizer (5) celebrates late in the Cyclones' 80-56 win over UCLA.(AP)