The Iowa State Cyclones, ranked 2nd in the nation, had a chance to separate themselves from everyone else in the Big 12 on Wednesday night when they welcomed the #9 Kansas Jayhawks. After the final whistle sounded in Hilton Coliseum, there was little doubt who the best team in the conference was. The Cyclones did not have their best day but still cruised past Kansas, never looking uncomfortable in a 74-57 win.
Iowa State Looks Just a Tier Above Everyone Else
Iowa State was without starting forward Milan Momcilovic, who has an injury to his non-shooting hand. Without Momcilovic, State are down their top three-point shooter, who averages over 10 points per game. Thus, T. J. Otzelberger’s team scored about ten points under their season average. However, the three-point shooting was not down, as several other players stepped up in Momcilovic’s absence. The team made 8 of their 13 looks (61.5%). Iowa State’s depth is what sets them apart.
Momcilovic was replaced in the starting lineup by Curtis Jones, who recently had a career night against Texas Tech, scoring 26 points. Against Kansas, Jones was straight back to it, tallying 25 points on almost 70% true shooting. Jones made 5-6 triples, including some from way beyond NBA range.
Curtis Jones has Hilton going crazy with the final dagger against the #9 team in the country! pic.twitter.com/f5xc2iM83T
— OutCYde the Lines (@OutCYdetheLines) January 16, 2025
Keshon Gilbert was also huge for the Cyclones. Although it wasn’t his usual night of scoring, with just 7 points, Gilbert was still a huge factor on the night, with 8 assists to only 1 turnover. His ability to make plays for others and contribute to winning even when taking less shots is really a testament to his well-rounded game and his desire to do whatever it takes to win.
Physical Interior Defense Allowed Iowa State to Really Frustrate Kansas
Dishon Jackson was a tone-setter for the team, scoring 17 off the bench. Jackson was a force on the glass, getting 4 offensive rebounds and shooting 11 free throws thanks to diligent work inside. Forward Joshua Jefferson added 12 rebounds to his 10 points. Iowa State won the rebounding battle 43-33 despite Kansas commonly playing with two bigs.
Jayhawks’ main man Hunter Dickinson was mostly silenced on the night primarily by Jackson and Brantdon Chatfield. Their strong interior defense frustrated the big man, who had only 6 points and turned the ball over 4 times. Dickinson rarely touched the ball with ideal positioning and found himself unable to consistently play through physical defense.
Kansas point guard DaJuan Harris also had a down night, finding very few opportunities to get into the lane. He was held to just 8 points. Zeke Mayo bounced back from a subpar game against Cincinnati, pouring in 17, but the Jayhawks were still held to just 57 points, far below their average of over 77 a game.
Iowa State is Making History
At #2 in the country, this is the highest ranked Iowa State team in program history. Although Kansas is considered the kings of the Big 12, the Cyclones have now beaten Kansas three straight times in their home building.
Every time Kansas made a run, Iowa State had an answer. Even when the lead was cut down to 6 with about 4 minutes to play, Tamin Lipsey stepped into a big three-pointer and buried it, re-securing the momentum and allowing the team to hold on for the big victory. Oltzenberger praised his team for their collective effort and strong performance in all areas.
Tamin Lipsey Just Blew The Roof Off This Place.#Cyclones | #C5C | @TaminLipsey pic.twitter.com/so2X1UXkJ3
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) January 16, 2025
The culture at Iowa State has been praised throughout the season, and it continues to show up on the court. The team looks connected in ways that few are, sharing the ball, helping each other on defense, and swarming to loose balls. The standard has been high, but the team shows no sign of letting it slip.
“I ain’t gonna lie, Iowa State isn’t for everybody—if you don’t really love basketball, you ain’t gonna like it. You ain’t gonna fit here, because basketball is all it is.” – Keshon Gilbert pic.twitter.com/643luBPFET
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 14, 2025
It might truly be a season of destiny in Ames. Iowa State has shown time and time again that they can get it done by whatever means necessary, winning close games, blowing out good teams, and defending home court. They look comfortable in both high-scoring and low-scoring games. This is a team that is capable of beating anyone and continues to stack up wins in what fans hope will be their first Big 12 title in over 20 years.
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