Has an ISU season ever been such a roller coaster ride?

It seems like everything that could have gone wrong in a promising 2009-10 campaign did. Turmoil has surrounded the team for the past month, but there was basketball played this year.

The team went 15-17 overall, 4-12 in the competitive Big 12. In what became typical Cyclone fashion, games at Hilton Coliseum stayed close for 30 minutes, but the team won only one game against a top 25 team all season. Close, but yet so far.

Coach Greg McDermott is now gone, but faced scrutiny for the struggles all season.

Injuries knocked out Jamie Vanderbeken and Charles Boozer. L.A. Pomlee and Lucca Staiger left the team. Star players Craig Brackins and Marquis Gilstrap wrapped up their careers. Justin Hamilton, Dominique Buckley and Chris Colvin are transferring away, as of last Wednesday. Staffers Daniyal Robinson, Erik Crawford, Ron Smith and Jeff Rutter are all gone.

Harrison Barnes, the top recruit in the country was sitting in the backyard, and couldn’t be brought to play at Hilton.

The brand new Sukup Facility is now home to an entirely different team and staff than the one that broke ground on it. The Mayor has returned home, and everyone is trying to look toward the future.

New coach Fred Hoiberg, his slapped-together staff and the remaining players can only hope next season is a little more stable. The ups and downs on this roller coaster has sent them spinning.