SportsLine.com Report
March 25, 2000

Regional final: Cyclones swamped by Spartans' run

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- For so long Saturday, it seemed as if Iowa State was in control of its Midwest regional final game with top-seeded Michigan State.

Then they lost it ... and coach Larry Eustachy followed.

Incensed by a non-call on a Marcus Fizer jumper that was followed by Fizer's fifth foul on the rebound, Eustachy lost his cool, went after game officials and was back in the dressing room for the end of Michigan State's 75-64 win.

The loss denied the Cyclones their first trip to the Final Four since 1944 and ended the spectacular run of a team that was picked by some to finish dead last in the Big 12. Instead, the Cyclones won the conference regular-season and tournament title and came into the NCAA tourney as a No. 2 seed.

As the Spartans have been for many teams, they were simply too tough down the stretch, outscoring the Cyclones 20-3 in the final 4:53. The Spartans closed out Syracuse on a 19-3 run in the Sweet 16 Thursday.

"It wasn't anything we did wrong tonight," Eustachy said. "It was what they did. I think they're the best team in the nation. I am sorry for the way it ended and I apologize for that."

Eustachy later retracted his apology, but continued to heap praise on the Spartans for their defense on Fizer, who finished with 15 points.

"They are very athletic, very talented and very big," he said. "It's hard to score when you are being guarded by guys like that."

The teams exchanged leads in the first half with Michigan State holding on for a 34-31 advantage at the intermission, but ISU went out to an eight-point lead when Fizer hit a 9-footer with 11:46 to play. From that point on, MSU outscored them 35-16.

While the Spartans were focusing their efforts on stopping Fizer, Jamaal Tinsley and Michael Nurse made them pay, scoring 18 and 17 points. Morris Peterson led the Spartans with 18 points while Andre Hutson hit for 17.

The game was played not far from Michigan State's East Lansing campus, but Nurse refused to use that as an excuse, noting that ISU was seeded in a subregional played in Minneapolis, not far from Ames.

"You might say it was unfair for these two great teams to meet in the regional final," he said. "But that's just the pick of the draw."

Starting Lineup

• PG Jamaal Tinsley (6-3, 175, Jr.), 10.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 6.6 apg
  The all-conference guard does it all for the Cyclones. He's even a shot-blocking threat. He stepped up his scoring late in the season, hitting double figures in 12 of the last 15 regular-season games to improve his season average to 10.1. He's done an outstanding job running the offense (6.6 assists per game) and playing defense (2.5 steals). He came up big in the opener, scoring 26 points in the win over Central Connecticut State.
• SG Michael Nurse (6-1, 175, Sr.), 12.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.2 apg
  He's the Cyclones' top 3-point shooting threat (42.3 percent) and is second on the team in scoring (12.5). He comes up big in big games, such as the 20-point performance in a key win over Texas. He's averaging 15 points in the first two games of the tournament.
• SG Kantrail Horton (6-1, 225, Jr.), 8.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.6 apg
  He's morphed into more of a defensive player this year and usually is assigned to the opponent's top perimeter player. But he can still shoot it, scoring a quick nine points against CCSU.
• PF Marcus Fizer (6-8, 265, Jr.), 23.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.1 apg
  The undisputed heart of the team, Fizer led Big 12 in scoring (22.8) and averages 7.6 rebounds. He became more effective this season because Eustachy gave him the opportunity to stretch his game out to the perimeter. Averaging 24.5 points in the first two games of the tournament, he's brought his "A game" to The Dance.
• SF Stevie Johnson (6-4, 225, Sr.), 9.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.3 apg
  After a slow start, he's become a nice complement to Fizer inside. He was dominant against Texas Tech in the second-to-last regular-season game, with 19 points and 12 rebounds -- 11 points and 7 rebounds better than his season averages.

Keys to Success

Marcus Fizer must continue to carry the load. Fizer, a second-team SportsLine.com All-American, was the Cyclones' top scorer in 15 consecutive games to end the regular season, pouring in 30 or more points in four of the last five games.

Fizer's offense is part of the story. The other is the Cyclones' defense. They have held opponents to just 41.7-percent shooting, allowing 65 points a game while outscoring foes by an average of 14 points.

The Cyclones need forwards Paul Shirley and Martin Rancik to be healthy. A broken foot bone sidelined Shirley for the final three regular-season games, and he has not been able to contribute in the tourney.

Rancik, who broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot early in the season, made it back late in the season. These two players aren't big scorers, but they provide muscle and add to what little depth the team has.

The Coach

Larry Eustachy (202-105 in a 10-year career), is the national coach of the year in some circles after fashioning a conference champion out of a team picked by some to finish in the Big 12 basement.

At each of his three coaching stops, his teams have improved. He's in his second season at Iowa State, replacing Tim Floyd (now of the Chicago Bulls), after coaching five seasons at Utah State, where he turned a middlin' Big West team into an NCAA Tournament qualifier in 1998.

Three of his Utah State teams won 20 games, including his 25-win squad in '98. Prior to his stint at USU, Eustachy was at Idaho for three years, going 19-11, 18-14 and 24-8.

The Bench

This team is not deep.

The return of forwards Martin Rancik has given Eustachy another puzzle piece for the NCAA Tournament, although Paul Shirley's foot injury shrank that depth, anyway.

Swingman Richard Evans gives the Cyclones a couple of points and a couple of rebounds in six or seven minutes a game.

The five starters, though, have averaged a ridiculous 37 minutes a game.

Offense

The Cyclones use a three-guard system that gets the ball up and down the floor. Fizer does most of his work inside, but he's capable of shooting from 15 to 18 feet. The addition of point guard Jamaal Tinsley has given the Cyclones a nice spark and allowed Michael Nurse to become more of a contributor at his more natural off-guard position.

Defense

Man-to-man is the Cyclones' mantra. Coach Larry Eustachy demands disciplined play, however, reducing over-reaching and silly fouls. It's no coincidence that the Cyclones have made 81 more free throws than their opponents have attempted.

Notice, too, that Marcus Fizer and Michael Nurse have not fouled out this season.