Tag: Cyclones

Saints send WR coach Kodi Burns to Xavier Hutchinson’s Iowa State pro day

The Saints sent WR coach Kodi Burns to Xavier Hutchinson’s Iowa State pro day. There’s a clear role for the Cyclones record-holder, who has drawn comparisons to Jarvis Landry:

New Orleans Saints wide receivers coach Kodi Burns was spotted at Iowa State’s pro day on Tuesday, per Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline. Most of the attention was directed towards Cyclones pass rusher Will McDonald IV, but the Saints were looking out for wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson. He’s leaving Iowa State with the school record for career receptions (254), ranking third in all-time receiving yardage behind Allen Lazard (3,360) and former Saints undrafted free agent Todd Blythe (3,096).

It’s easy to see what caught their eye; Hutchinson shares a lot of similarities with Jarvis Landry though he’s bigger (6-foot-1 7/8 and 203 pounds, with 31 3/8-inch arms and a 74 7/8-inch wingspan) and faster (having timed the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, with an impressive 10-yard split at 1.58 seconds). But like Landry, Hutchinson does his best work underneath coverage making tough, physical catches with defenders crashing down on him.

Per Pro Football Focus charting, Hutchinson has caught 31 of his 64 contested targets the last three years, which has been a point of emphasis by Saints head coach Dennis Allen in reflecting on what the offense missed last season. Hutchinson has a great catch rate at 70.9% but he doesn’t offer much of a vertical threat, having an average depth of target at just 9.2 yards. He’s converted a first down on 57.1% of his receptions.

For comparison, last year Chris Olave caught 63.2% of his targets at an average depth of 14.9 yards, converting a first down on 66.7% of his looks. Stylistically they’ve seen very different usage for their teams. Now contrast that with Landry’s stats with the Saints last season, who was admittedly slowed by injury: a catch rate of 67.6% and an average depth of target at 9.6 yards, with a first-down conversion rate of 48%. There’s a clear role for Hutchinson in the New Orleans offense.

We’ll see if he’s available on draft day. Right now Hutchinson is projected to be picked in the third or fourth round, where the Saints are scheduled to pick at Nos. 71 and 115, respectively. We’ll keep an eye out for any more contact between Hutchinson and New Orleans in the weeks leading up to the 2023 NFL draft.

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Three Takeaways From Loss To Iowa State

The Texas Longhorns basketball season continued to get worse on Saturday. Three takeaways from their fourth-straight loss.

The Texas Longhorns traveled to Iowa State in hopes of keeping their dream of going dancing in the NCAA Tournament alive. The team led by head coach Shaka Smart walked away with more questions than answers. The team was playing without Jericho Sims inside who will likely miss the rest of the season, dark times in Austin right now.

Injury Bug

The Longhorns are dealing with the injury bug with Jericho Sims out the team had zero inside presence. Michael Jacobson and Soloman Young were able to take advantage in the paint. The duo combined for 38 points on 12-14 shooting. Jacobson came into the game averaging just over six points per game and finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Young averages 9.1 points and finished with 17.

Royce Hamm Jr was inserted into the starting lineup but early foul trouble sent him to the bench early on. He provided just one point and two rebounds in 18 minutes. Febres wasn’t able to go in the game but Kai Jones did return giving just three points off the bench. The Longhorns depth was exposed in this game. Matt Coleman played 20 minutes but was hobbling throughout the game. Courtney Ramey finished with a game-high 21 points to lead Texas.

Shaka Smart’s seat is red hot

The worst part about the game is that Smart’s future with the team is in serious jeopardy. The former VCU coach looked like a great hire before he came to Texas as the replacement for Rick Barnes. He led VCU to a Final Four appearance and with the resources at Texas, it seemed like he could get similar results in Austin.

The Longhorns are projected to miss the tournament for the third time in four seasons. The lone appearance in that stretch was a quick first round exit. In fact with Smart leading the team, Texas hasn’t gotten out of the first round. With this latest loss, Smart’s seat is as hot as liquid hot magma. This season likely ends the Shaka experiment and sends Texas Athletic Director Chris Del Conte back to the drawing board.

Another Poor Shooting Performance

Texas shot under 30 percent once again from the field and just 25 percent from three. At the same time they allowed Iowa State to shoot 57.1/40 in those same areas. A big reason for a 29-point loss to the Cyclones. Texas could defend and couldn’t shoot either. When those two things occur, it doesn’t matter who you play, you aren’t winning.

Texas now will host the TCU Horned Frogs up next. At this point it is increasingly difficult to watch this team to play basketball. As the seasons comes to an end in a few weeks, the Shaka Smart watch becomes the focus moving forward.

The question is just who will take over?

How to watch, listen, and stream Texas Basketball vs. Iowa State

Coming off a loss to Baylor, Texas looks to rebound on the road against Iowa State. Here is how you can watch, listen, and stream the game.

Coming off a Big Monday loss to Baylor, Texas looks to rebound on the road against Iowa State. The only issue for the Longhorns is that they will be without three key players when they travel to Ames. Jericho Sims, Kai Jones, and Jase Febres are all out for the game, suffering from injuries.

The injury bug has also hit the Cyclones, as star player Tyrese Haliburton is done for the season with a broken wrist. Projected a lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft, he will be a huge miss for Iowa State, a team that already struggles.

Both under .500 in conference play, neither team is likely to make the NCAA Tournament at the end of the season. At best, this game will help decide seeding in the upcoming Big 12 tournament in Kansas City.

Here is how you can watch, listen, and stream Texas basketball square off against Iowa State:

Game information:

Date: 2/15/2020

Time: 1:00 p.m. CST

Location: Hilton Coliseum Ames, Iowa

Watch: ESPN2

Listen: TexasSports.com/audio —Austin 104.9FM, 99.3FM, 98.5FM, 1260AM; Dallas 1080AM; El Paso 600AM; Houston 790AM; San Antonio 1200AM — Spanish: Austin 105.3FM; Dallas 990AM, 99.9FM

Stream: Watch ESPN App

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Three reasons why Oklahoma beat Iowa State 90-61

Oklahoma (16-8, 6-5) scored 50 points in the second half to pull away from Iowa State (10-14, 3-8)…

Oklahoma (16-8, 6-5) scored 50 points in the second half to pull away from Iowa State (10-14, 3-8), who trailed the Sooners by just one, to beat the Cyclones 90-61.

DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE

The Sooners came out of the break with a vengeance, shutting down the Cyclones offense and going on a 6-0 run before Iowa State took a timeout to stop the bleeding. Oklahoma forced 15 turnovers and snagged eight steals to help seal an easy win.

SPARK PLUG

Over the past few games, there has been a guy or two that has stepped up and made plays offensively to get the Sooners going. Tonight, that man was alondes Williams. All of his 14 points came in the second half, including an emphatic dunk that got a mostly empty Lloyd Noble Center to their feet.

His play over the past month has shown how deadly he can be, come tournament time.

team basketball

Oklahoma passed the ball well in the blowout over Iowa State, racking up 17 team assists. moving the ball is easy to do when the Sooners have three guys averaging double-digits, but Oklahoma made it look like a walk in the park against the Cyclones. All five starters finished the night in double-digits with Kristian Doolittle leading the way with 20 points.

The Sooners’ next matchup comes on Saturday as they head to Phog Allen Fieldhouse to take on No. 3 Kansas at 11a.m. CT on ESPN.

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Three takeaways from Oklahoma’s 90-61 win over Iowa State

Oklahoma (16-8, 6-5) put together their first consecutive wins since beating Kansas State and Texas to open Big 12 play…

Oklahoma (16-8, 6-5) put together their first consecutive wins since beating Kansas State and Texas to open Big 12 play, beating Iowa State (10-14, 3-8) 90-61.

The Cyclones hung with the Sooners for a full half before Oklahoma stepped on the gas to open the final 20 minutes, opening up a 29 point lead in the final period of play.

DOO WHAT YOU DOO

Kristian Doolittle had a solid performance, yet again finishing with his second-straight 20+ point performance. The senior finished the night with 20 points, six rebounds, and two assists to follow up his dominant 27-point game against then-ranked No. 13 West Virginia last Saturday. With outstanding back-to-back efforts, Doolittle should be feeling good heading into Phog Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday.

ALONDES WILLIAMS…SHEESH

Put Alondes Williams in the NBA Dunk Contest.

Williams was a sparkplug in the second half, scoring all of his 14 points in the final 20-minutes. Over the past month, Williams has shown that he can be an x-factor as March quickly approaches.

STARTERS HAD AN APPETITE

For the first time all season, all five Oklahoma starters scored in double-digits. Austin Reaves and Jamal Bieniemy both finished with 12-points, Williams with 14-points, Brady Manek had 18-points while Doolittle led the way with 20-points.

The Sooners head up to play Kansas at 11 a.m. on Saturday on ESPN.

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Three keys for Oklahoma basketball against Iowa State

Oklahoma (15-8, 5-5) and Iowa State (10-13, 3-7) square off in a mid-week Big 12 battle for the second and final time of the regular season.

Oklahoma (15-8, 5-5) and Iowa State (10-13, 3-7) square off in a mid-week Big 12 battle for the second and final time of the regular season.

This is a must-win for the Sooners as they have No. 3 Kansas and No. 1 Baylor following the matchup against the Cyclones tonight. For the game to fall in Oklahoma’s favor, here is what needs to happen.

STAY CONSISTENT

The Sooners played their best game of the season last Saturday in their 69-59 win over West Virginia. If Oklahoma wants to have a puncher’s chance against the top-tier teams in the Big 12, they need to dominate against the teams that are bottom dwellers. Building off of Saturday’s performance will be crucial to pulling out a mid-week win.

MANEK BEING A MANIAC

Brady Manek has been on an absolute tear over the past two weeks. When he is not feeling it offensively, he plays dominant defense against some of the best big men in the league. When he is feeling it offensively, Manek continues to be a force on defense, feeding off the energy he creates on the offensive end of the court. Where he goes, the team goes. Having much better body language and energy following the Sooners’ road loss to Kansas State, the team goes where Manek goes.

FIND AUSTIN

Manek has been missing in spurts this season, so has Kristian Doolittle. Even Jamal Bieniemy, De’Vion Harmon, and Alondes Williams have found themselves as the season has progressed. One guy, who has yet to be truly seen in Big 12 play? Austin Reaves. The sharpshooter has been a shell of himself since non-conference play and is nearly unrecognizable since his days at Witchita State. Getting Reaves into the flow of the offense while Doolittle and Manek are on fire could push the Sooners deep into the NCAA Tournament.

Oklahoma and Iowa State are set to tip-off at 8p.m. CT on ESPN2. For more broadcast information, click here.

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When, where, how to watch, how to stream Oklahoma-Iowa State

Oklahoma (15-8, 5-5) has an opportunity to get back over five-hundred in Big 12 play against Iowa State (10-13, 3-7).

Oklahoma (15-8, 5-5) has an opportunity to get back over five-hundred in Big 12 play against Iowa State (10-13, 3-7).

The Sooners, coming off a huge win last Saturday over then-ranked No. 13 West Virginia (18-5, 6-4), giving Oklahoma a boost in this week’s bracketology. Trying to avoid a mid-week slump and a season sweep by the Cyclones, the Sooners take the court looking to continue their momentum.

With back-to-back games against No. 3 Kansas and No. 1 Baylor on the horizon, Oklahoma needs to take advantage of a struggling Iowa State team who just lost their best player to injury.

The Sooners are in primetime once again with a late tip-off, showcasing arguably the best basketball conference in the nation.

WHERE: Norman, Oklahoma (Lloyd Noble Center)

WHEN: 8:00 p.m. CT

HOW TO WATCH: ESPN2

HOW TO LISTEN: Sooner Sports Radio Network—KOKC AM 1520 and KRXO 107.7 FM in OKC, KMOD FM 97.5 and KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa (click here for more options if not in either of those markets)

HOW TO STREAM: WATCH ESPN

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Can Texas Make A Run At The NCAA Tournament?

What would it take for the Texas Longhorns to make a run at the NCAA Tournament? Is there hope or is this wishful thinking?

It has been yet another disappointing season for the Texas Longhorns basketball team under fifth-year head coach Shake Smart. Smart joined the Longhorns after taking the Virginia-Commonwealth to team to the brink of a National Championship game appearance in the 2010-2011 season. After five-straight NCAA tourney appearances, he left the Rams for Austin.

The first year in Austin saw promise as the Longhorns finished 20-13 and fourth in the Big 12. That team was selected to play in the March Madness tournament but saw a quick exit. In the three plus seasons since, Texas hasn’t finished higher than sixth in the Big 12. During the second year of his Texas tenure the Longhorns failed to win more than four Big 12 games and just 11 overall.

The last two seasons have ended with identical 8-10 conference records, in 2018 they were once again booted from the tournament in the opening round. Last year they were invited to the NIT tournament which they won. Now as Texas sits at 14-7 overall with a Big 12 record of 4-4. Could they possibly make a run to get into the tournament ?

Well odds aren’t in their favor, Texas is tied with Oklahoma, Texas Christian and Texas Tech in the middle of the standings behind Baylor, Kansas and West Virginia. The Longhorns are winless against the top three with an average margin of loss at 20.7 points. Numbers slightly inflated due to the 38-point drubbing at the hands of West Virginia.

The Longhorns are currently 1-1 agains the teams in the middle of the pack as they are yet to play Texas Tech for the first time this year. As they were swept by the Red Raiders in 2018. For Texas the next three games will be a telling sign if they can compete for get an opportunity to reach the NCAA Tournament after missing out last year.

With Kansas, Texas Tech and Baylor on the schedule over their next three games, it doesn’t appear as though the Longhorns can do enough in season to earn a spot. ESPN’s Bracketology doesn’t have the Longhorns in the tourney at this point, it might mean that the Longhorns will have to do the impossible and win the Big 12 Tournament to earn an automatic bid to go dancing in March.

Texas Longhorns Make Late Run, Slam Door On Iowa State

The Texas Longhorns were in for a fight with the Iowa State Cyclones, it was a late run led by Courtney Ramey that proved the difference.

The Texas Longhorns hosted the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday afternoon at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. Early on it was the Longhorns on offense with a quick 7-0 run out of the gate. Jericho Sims threw down a monster dunk and Jase Febres three ball that got Texas rolling.

Halfway through the first half Texas built up their lead to 19-13 before the Cyclones made a run that eventually resulted in a Iowa State lead. The Zion Griffin basket gave them their first lead of the game 26-25 with just 6:51 left in the half. A 9-0 run gave the Cylones a 31-25 lead over a five-minute span that ended with a Donovan Williams three ball on a Matt Coleman III assist. Coleman added another buck to close the gap to 31-30 heading into the break.

In the first minute of the second half saw two quick fouls on Sims that caused him to take a seat on the bench. By the 12:45 mark of the second half the Cyclones were able to balloon their lead to eight at 51-43 after a Tyrese Haliburton basket. Courtney Ramey scored six of the next eight to get Texas back within two points.

Late in the second half with time running out on the Longhorns, Griffin would extend the Cyclones lead to five. With just over two minutes left in the game the Longhorns led by Ramey who drilled a couple of threes to retake the lead for the first time since the first half. A Donovan Williams dunk with four seconds left slammed the door shut on the Cyclones as Texas won 72-68.

 

WATCH: Jericho Sims Throws Down Monster Slam Dunk

UT is in another tight game in the Big 12. Early in the game, Jericho Sims threw down a monster dunk, sparking momentum for the entire half.

Currently down at halftime by one point to Iowa State, the Longhorns are in another tight game in the Big 12. Early in the game, Jericho Sims threw down a monster dunk, sparking momentum for the entire first half.

Setting a screen for Matt Coleman, Sims trailed the play and was wide open in the middle of the lane. Starting his jump from the top of the restricted area, Sims extended his arms as far as he can to throw it down.

You can watch the full play here:

You can catch the second half of the game against Iowa State on Longhorn Network.

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