27-7; 13-5, Second in the Big 12 Conference
Remember back when Iowa State finished with just two wins at the end of the 2020-21 season? Things have improved a fair bit since then.
The Cyclones were quite young at key spots to start this year, but now they’re a proven Top-10 outfit buoyed by the experience of a successful run through the Big 12 gauntlet. They’re among the very best defensive teams in the country, with a high-pressure perimeter attack that puts the clamps on and keeps squeezing out turnovers and missed shots. The Cyclones rank second in America in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency, per Bart Torvik, second in turnover percentage forced, and second in opponent field goals made per game. That’s a defense which has translated against any opponent on the schedule, and regardless of comparative youth.
Everything the Cyclones do is kickstarted by Ames local and all-Big 12 point guard Tamin Lipsey. An explosively quick and disruptive player all over the floor, Lipsey has come unto his own as an offensive weapon in particular in this, his second season. A speedy and shifty dribble-drive scorer, Lipsey is growing into a defense-collapsing force who lures opponents into committing fouls and leaving his buddies unguarded. Though his jumper can come and go and Lipsey would love to make more of his free throws, he has quickly taken command of the Cyclone backcourt. Defensively, Lipsey is an absolute terror. He stayed in the race for the nation’s lead in steals all season long, finishing fourth in all the land with 84 thefts. Head coach TJ Otzelberger loves to put the pressure on opponents, and with a spearhead like Lipsey, the Cyclones are free to play as aggressively as their live-wire coach likes.
As Lipsey has settled into his role, twice-over Otzelberger recruit Keshon Gilbert has emerged as a highly productive co-catalyst. The former UNLV guard has broken out in Ames after following ‘Coach Otz’ from the desert, and ended the regular season as Iowa State’s leading scorer. What’s more, Gilbert’s 130 assists were barely off of Lipsey’s 145, as the teammates each placed among the Big 12’s top ten playmakers. If possible, Gilbert became even more effective scoring off the bounce than Lipsey; and he feasted at the charity stripe. Gilbert took a league-high 175 trips to the foul line, making 126 of those tries to rank third in the Big 12. Like Lipsey, Gilbert is a highly bothersome defender, and at a long and nimble 6’4″, pair nicely with his smaller counterpart. Iowa State also has a tremendous #3 guard in Curtis Jones. A veteran addition from Buffalo who Otzelberger hoped would compliment his youngsters well, Jones has fit nicely as a microwave scorer off the bench and become the Cyclones’ top deep threat. Iowa State shoots a middling 34.8% as a team (in the 130s nationally) and doesn’t rely on the outside shot like many teams do; still, Jones has been invaluable with 59 makes from the land of trey. Over the Cyclones’ final 14 games, Jones has heated up to average 13.8 points per contest, and his reliability in adding to the team’s attack has become a major part of Iowa State’s offense.
Up front, the Cyclones have three highly experienced big men with a varied blend of skills – and a sweet-shooting rookie. Milan Momcilovic came to legendary Hilton Coliseum as the second of two star freshman recruits up front this fall, and has stepped smoothly into a 30+ minute-per-game role. Momcilovic provides a hugely important floor-spacing element to the Cyclone frontcourt. He hit at least a pair of three-point shots in 15 of the team’s 31 regular season games, and Momcilovic hit double figures in scoring 21 times. He struggled a bit over the final month of the season, as rookies occasionally will, and Otzelberger hopes to see a bit more from Momcilovic in the postseason.
The three-headed monster of seniors which Iowa State rotates alongside Momcilovic combine to add about 22 points, 15 boards, and three blocks per game to the cause. Once a big-time scorer at Eastern Kentucky, Tre King stepped forward as a legitimate offensive option in his second year in Ames. The 6’9″ forward isn’t quite the shooter that Momcilovic is, but King will stick a jumper and always hits the offensive glass with abandon. He leads the Cyclones with 27 putback stabs, per Hoop-Math, and King leads the team in total rebounding as well. Top honors on the offensive boards go to Rob Jones, whose 75 reload opportunities ranked sixth in the Big 12. Jones came to Ames to join up because of Otzelberger’s promise that his Cyclone program would become a winner: now the two have led Iowa State to three NCAA Tournament appearances in three years. Hason Ward comes off the bench, and brings the noise by adding the most rim protection of any Cyclone. He missed a few weeks early in the campaign due to a foot injury, but Ward has brought plenty of energy to Iowa State’s rotation during conference play.
Iowa State’s offense has been the element of this team which has had the most doubters this season, and its performance and consistency may determine the Cyclones’ fate. Away from Hilton Magic, some of Iowa State’s numbers in particular take a dive. The team’s effective FG% plummets to 48.4% (224th in the nation), their three-point rate sinks to 30.0% (300th), and the Cyclones have made just 64.7% of their free throws in road and neutral venues: 342nd among 362 Division I teams.
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