Texas Tech is set to host the highest-ranked opponent it has faced this season when it welcomes No. 3 Iowa State to town Saturday.
In preparation for the action, we caught up with Bill Seals of CycloneReport.com to get the latest on the Cyclones and what to expect from the Big 12 leader.
Here is our exchange with Seals...
RRS: Iowa State had a great season last year but has really elevated even higher into that upper echelon this season. What do you think has been the main cause for this?
Seals: I think a number of factors have enabled Iowa State to take the next step and become one of the elite team in the country. First is the experienced backcourt. Keshon Gilbert, Tamin Lipsey and Curtis Jones are all back from last season.
Gilbert has increased his scoring average by two and a half points per game and seems to be taking over the lead guard responsibilities, with Lipsey switching over to the two. Jones should be considered the top sixth man in the country and is actually the team’s leading scorer at 16.6 points per game.
The unselfish Jones has been happy to let sophomore Milan Momcilovic start games and then begin making his impact a few minutes into each game.
The second factor is a more dynamic group of post players TJ Otzelberger added in the transfer portal.
Saint Mary’s transfer Joshua Jefferson is the most skilled big man Otzelberger has had in his four seasons at the helm and has added a new dynamic.
RRS: What is ISU’s bread and butter offensively? We hear a lot about their defensive identity but you’ve gotta have some scoring to back that up. Who leads the charge there?
Seals: The Cyclones try to get the ball into the paint, first and foremost, behind Gilbert and the post players, drawing fouls and getting high percentage looks around the basket. When they’re not doing that, it’s trying to get Jones and Momcilovic good looks from 3-point territory.
The former has improved his 3-point shooting percentage to nearly 39-percent this season, connecting on 38-of-98 attempts. This is also an offense built on sharing the ball.
When ISU is at its best, most buckets are coming off an assist from another player. With a veteran backcourt, they’re one of the best in the country at taking care of the ball, as just 13.6-percent of their possessions end in turnover, good for eighth-best nationally according to KenPom.
Another key on offense is the defense’s ability to force live-ball turnovers and get out in transition.
RRS: Speaking of that defense, how have you seen it evolve as the season has gone along? What makes ISU’s defense so formidable?
Seals: Since Otzelberger arrived in Ames and brought over defensive guru Kyle Green from Northern Iowa, the Cyclones have employed a no-middle defense that’s designed to keep opponents out of the paint.
Opponent’s offensive possessions end in turnovers 22.4-percent of the time, which ranks in the top 20 nationally.
This is once again a top 10 team in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
After not being particularly good during the team’s trip to the Maui Invitational in late November, Iowa State’s defense is just getting better and better as the three new post players have settled in.
RRS: Any injuries to keep in mind?
Seals: This is a pretty healthy group. Lipsey (shoulder) and Jefferson (knee) dealt with surgeries during the offseason and returned late in summer workouts, and there have been no recurrences.
RRS: Keys to the game for ISU and a prediction on how you see the game unfolding?
Seals: Iowa State has lost five straight in Lubbock and hasn’t escaped with a win in nearly eight years, so United Supermarkets Arena has been a very difficult place to play. The defense will need to travel for the Cyclones to come out on top.
They struggled in their first road conference game, needing to rally post Colorado for a win, and will need to get off to a better start and then sustain it.
I think this is a game that comes down to the wire and I think Iowa State finally gets over the hump in Lubbock with a one-point win.
