Hlas: No. 1 Longhorns just a bit out of ISU’s reach

AMES - Texas is No. 1 and Iowa State isn't in men's basketball, which is nothing we didn't know Wednesday morning and nothing we couldn't see Wednesday night.

The Cyclones have pieces to add if they are to join the Big 12's upper echelon under Greg McDermott. For a night, however, they hung with a team as good as any in the nation and made it feel like old times in Hilton Coliseum when a marquee name was the guest.

Much of the contest was wildly entertaining and marvelously competitive. The Cyclones led 44-42 at halftime. Then class told and Texas won, 90-83.

This Longhorns team that has beaten Top 25 residents Pittsburgh, North Carolina and Michigan State by double-digits had its second-closest game in 16 outings, all wins.

“They made North Carolina look like they weren't North Carolina,” McDermott said. “They made Michigan State look like they weren't Michigan State.”

Iowa State looked better than Iowa State of late. For all but the first five minutes of the second half. That was enough.

Texas came out of halftime in swarming burnt orange waves, slapping a 10-0 run on Iowa State that established control of the game.

“Other than that,”McDermott said, “we outplayed them.”

But there was no claim of moral victory in his words. He isn't chasing any wins other than the ones that count in his fourth season here.

Iowa State would have needed a nearly flawless effort to give the Longhorns their first ‘L,' but the Cyclones were far from flawless thanks mainly to the opposition. The old-time Hilton sound and fury were on the court and seemingly in every voice of the 12,066 fans.

I don't know if Texas is really the No. 1 team in the land, even with its dossier of triumphs. But it sure has Final Four stamped all over it.

The Longhorns are so quick, so opportunistic, so confident, so aggressive, so smart, so deep. So good.

If you're Iowa State - or anyone else in the Big 12 - how discouraging it must be to see a freshman Texas guard getting better in large increments all the time. Avery Bradley took a half-season to get acclimated to college ball. He's officially legitimate. Bradley has 53 points in his last two games, 24 of them here.

Bradley never flinched, canning 10 of 14 field goal tries and scoring 24 points. He had six assists and three steals.

“I'm telling you,” McDermott said, “there's not a better guard in the league than that kid.”

Iowa State star forward Craig Brackins was but a face in a very talented crowd.

Brackins had 18 points, scratching for everything he got. Meanwhile, Texas' Damion James had 23 points and 14 boards. Sometimes, the two had a good duel within a good duel, but James had more help.

“They're a really good basketball team,” Longhorns Coach Rick Barnes said about the Cyclones, and he knows something about really good basketball teams. “We thought it would be a one-, two-possession game coming in.”

OK, Iowa State isn't as good as Texas. We knew that. What we don't know is if the Cyclones are better than enough of the Big 12 to go to the NCAA tourney for the first time under McDermott.

“This team has ability,” McDermott said. “You saw tonight that if we play with intensity and stay together, we've got a chance to do some special things.”

The Cyclones genuinely competed against a special team that has done some special things. Unless they were simply rising to the occasion, it should bode well for the next two months.