Nov 5, 2026 · 1h 2m
Iowa State treats Memphis loss as warning, not verdict
What Went Wrong Against Memphis and Southern Miss Preview | Let Him Cook
The opener exposed offensive, defensive, and roster-building problems that Iowa State must address before its schedule reveals whether Memphis was an outlier or an early signal.
- 1Iowa State’s stagnant offense, poor shooting, and shaky ball handling magnified uncertainty around roles and rotation decisions.
- 2The hosts argue that overhelping and undisciplined trapping weakened the defense more than a lack of physical conditioning or talent.
- 3Memphis’s difficult schedule could clarify whether Iowa State suffered a bad night or encountered a genuinely strong opponent.
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The hosts turn the Memphis loss into a broader argument that late transfers and eligibility uncertainty make early-season judgments unusually unstable.
The brief
Dylan Coon and Nigel Dyson dissect Iowa State’s season-opening loss to Memphis, finding stagnant offense, poor shooting, uncertain roles, and a neutral-site setting that complicated the early read.
The central basketball argument is sharper: Iowa State overhelped defensively, recovered poorly, and trapped too often, while shaky ball handling kept talented players from controlling possessions.
Memphis forward Luke Alamadé becomes a case study in roster building, as the hosts weigh overlooked mid-major talent against the transfer portal’s preference for established power-conference reserves.
The discussion widens to late transfers, eligibility rules, and chemistry, arguing that college basketball’s roster instability can distort both team identity and judgments about coaching.
Southern Miss offers a chance to clean up execution and test the rotation, with Prather’s scoring, Trey Singleton’s tools, and reserve minutes among the decisions to watch.
The final assessment resists a season-long verdict: Iowa State played poorly, but Memphis’s upcoming schedule may determine whether the loss eventually looks more understandable.
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