It was no surprise, really, to watch Iowa State struggle shooting the ball in its first-round defeat at the Big 12 Tournament.

The Cyclones entered the game against Texas A&M ranked 11th in the conference in scoring with a 63-point average, and last in field-goal percentage (.394).

They'd have gladly taken those marks, however, in a 60-47 loss to the Aggies, which capped a 14-18 season following an 11th-place finish in the Big 12.

"To win in this game you've got to make shots," Iowa State coach Greg McDermott said after completing his second season with the Cyclones. "We have a small margin for error. When we don't cash in on those opportunities, it makes it difficult for us to win."

Although the Texas A&M defense was good, Iowa State missed several inside opportunities which led to a .274 percentage, the Cyclones' worst mark of the season. The 47 points was also a season-low against a Big 12 team.

Hardly the way this team wanted to go out.

Though offseason losses sting the Cyclones -- foremost in that category is the transfer of Wesley Johnson -- improvement is altogether possible with the addition of guard Lucca Staiger, a 6-foot-5 wing who was declared ineligible this season by the NCAA, which determined the German's participation on a club team in violation of existing rules despite evidence Staiger received no payments.

No matter what punch Staiger provides, the Cyclones must develop more consistency throughout their lineup. Few players sparkled at the same time and Iowa State lacked the firepower needed to compete in the Big 12.

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