Cyclones to open Big 12 play

AMES - It was all kind of a wake up call that snowballed from the beginning. Facing a team that applies heavy pressure, combined with a slow start offensively, it was a disastrous recipe for Iowa State that got players' and coaches' attention pretty quickly.

South Carolina hopped all over the Cyclones on Saturday in Brooklyn, N.Y., for a 64-60 win, forcing them to play catch up all night. ISU Coach Fred Hoiberg cited the slow start and the lack of the right mentality to respond to the pressure.

'Coming out of the gate we just didn't handle it well,” Hoiberg said. 'It's 15-4 really right at the first media timeout. We get a technical in there and frustrations led to some of that.”

'We can't think we're just going to walk into places and roll over teams,” junior Georges Niang said. 'Our preparation's going to have to be better outside of practice whether that's getting guys in or going over plays and getting in a rhythm.”

The chance to put that loss out of mind comes quickly for the Cyclones, as they play host to Oklahoma State on Tuesday. It will mark the start of Big 12 play for Iowa State, with the Cowboys already beating Kansas State in league action.

Through the nonconference schedule, the Big 12 owned the nations best non-league record (104-22), and has the No. 1 conference RPI with seven teams in the top 46.

'It's a monster and you've got to be prepared every time you take the floor,” Hoiberg said. 'You're going to see a lot of close games. A lot of games are going to come down to who executes the best in the last two minutes. Hopefully we'll do a good job of that.”

In it's matchup with the Cowboys, the Cyclones will have to contend with the 1-2 punch of senior Le'Bryan Nash and junior Phil Forte. Both are tied for top scorer in the Big 12 averaging 17.3 points per game, making the highest scoring duo in the conference.

'Phil Forte's really expanded his game,” Niang said. 'He's not only shooting the ball well, but he's getting to the basket and Le'Bryan Nash has always been a horse against us. We're going to have our hands full.”

While there were evident struggles against the Gamecocks, ISU big man Jameel McKay started to emerge as a force down low. He finished tied for a team-high 15 points, adding six rebounds and two blocks in 28 minutes.

McKay's ability to run the floor in transition can provide more opportunities for Iowa State to score quickly at the rim, and in the grind of Big 12 play, his defensive presence certainly isn't ignored. Playing as many minutes as he did Saturday surprised McKay, but it was something he welcomed in his third game of eligibility.

'Once I got in there during crunch time I was just excited to contribute,” McKay said.

'Obviously his length, not only getting blocked shots but also affecting shots at the rim is very important when you can have that anchor at the back of your defense,” Hoiberg said.

Tipoff between Iowa State and Oklahoma State is slated for Tuesday at 8 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2.

Deonte Burton arrives in Ames

After pledging his commitment to Fred Hoiberg and the Cyclones a few weeks ago, Marquette transfer Deonte Burton arrived on campus and began practicing with the Cyclones. Burton is enrolled for spring semester courses at Iowa State, and will pay his own way for a semester before becoming eligible after fall semester.

'The product on the court and where it was located,” Burton said about what drew him to Ames. 'It wasn't too far away from home, but it was far enough from home where I could leave the troubles of home.”

Iowa State recruited Burton initially before he stayed in his hometown of Milwaukee to attend Marquette. After the death of his mother, Burton decided to move a bit farther from home and liked the fit in Ames.

Jameel McKay was teammates with Burton for the Golden Eagles in the first semester last season, and knew the fit in Ames was one that would be beneficial for him.

'As soon as I found out he was transferring, I just spoke to him about the transition I had and I know he wanted to go somewhere with a family environment,” McKay said.