Iowa State basketball coach Fred Hoiberg hopes senior forward Jamie Vanderbeken will be able to return to the lineup for tomorrow night’s game at fifth ranked Texas. Vanderbeken has missed the past two games with a sprained ankle.
Hoiberg says Vanderbeken got better right away, and then hit a plateau and has still not been able to complete a full practice and will remain a game time decision.
The Cyclones are 1-11 in the Big-12 and have lost nine straight games. Hoiberg says the team really wants to end the streak and they continue to work on their weaknesses in practice. Hoiberg says the Cyclones need to stop digging themselves an early hole.
He says the big thing that has cost them games is the slow start they get off to, and says the Missouri game is a good example, as they got down 12 points early. Hoiberg says if they play a full 40 minutes they are going to win a game.
The Longhorns are coming off a loss at Nebraska and coach Rick Barnes says he could see it coming. Barnes says he can count on one hand the number of bad practices they have, but he says they haven’t had a game where they have played well throughout.
Barnes wants to see his team bounce back with an inspired effort, as he says they have to continue worrying about improving what they are doing and not the opponent.