I watched Long Beach State basketball games (on TV and at the Pyramid) during all of Wayne Morgan’s six years as head coach.

You can engrave all of these predictions:

1. Even though he has a four—year contract, the Wayne Morgan Era at Iowa State will last three years at the absolute most. Cyclone fans will be clambering for his departure during his second year.

2. During the Morgan Era, Iowa State will not beat the Iowa Hawkeyes one time, and will lose to Drake at least once.

3. As ISU head coach, Wayne Morgan will achieve a grand total of zero victories against Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech, and no more than one victory over Missouri.

4. During the Morgan Era, Iowa State will NOT be in the NCAA tournament one time, and probably will not make the NIT tournament, either.

5. Iowa State’s win-loss record in ROAD games will be awful.

6. When the Cyclones get 12 points behind in any road game, you can turn off the TV set. Come-from-behind victories will be almost non-existent during the Morgan Era.

7. During the three years of the Morgan Era, the Cyclones will be out-rebounded very badly. Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Tech will score many baskets on put-backs of offensive rebounds.

8. During all three years of the Morgan Era, opposing coaches like Eddie Sutton, Bob Knight, Steve Alford, Tom Davis and Quin Snyder will always say very complimentary things about Wayne Morgan. The last thing that any of those men would want would be for Coach Morgan to resign or get fired.

9. When Wayne Morgan is under heavy criticism during his third year as head coach, Jim Boeheim and Dick Vitale will say very nice things about Coach Morgan.

10. With ten games left in his last year at Long Beach State, Wayne Morgan announced his resignation effective at the end of the season. That should speak mountains to ISU fans and alumni. He will do the same during his third year as head coach at Iowa State.

Iowa State Athletic Director Bruce Van De Velde really missed the boat badly on this hiring. One presently out—of—work coach who would have been a fantastic selection as Head Coach at Iowa State is Lon Krueger.

When Wayne Morgan eventually resigns or is fired as the Iowa State coach, the Cyclones’ talent level will be at an all-time low. That is what he left at Long Beach State. It will be at least 2008 before the Iowa State men’s basketball program recovers from “the great Bruce Van De Velde blunder.” By 2008, Athletic Director Van De Velde will be gone, too.

Al Schallau

Torrance, CA