Iowa State released a statement this morning announcing the decision to halt the pregame tradition of players dipping their shoes in molasses. According to the statement, it's believed the tradition may be the cause of the poor defensive and rebounding efforts that have haunted the Cyclones for most of the season.
Here's an excerpt from ISU's statement:
"The honored ‘dipping of the shoes in molasses' pregame tradition the men's basketball program established during the Fred Hoiberg era and continued under the Steve Prohm era shall no longer be held prior to games. After recent consideration and analyzation of the results of the Cyclones on the court, we've determined that Iowa State players cannot slide on defense or jump to get rebounds when their shoes are stuck to the ground due to the pregame molasses dipping.