All Systems Go This Time As Iowa State Heads Into March Madness With Its Hard-nosed Defensive Team – News18

Iowa State will make the quick journey to Nebraska for the primary and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament in loads higher state of mind than the Cyclones staff that traveled to North Carolina a 12 months in the past.

This staff blew out Houston within the Big 12 Tournament championship recreation over the weekend and earned a No. 2 NCAA seed, matching the best in program historical past. On Monday the Cyclones landed No. 4 within the AP Top 25, their finest late-season rating ever.

All techniques are go, not like final 12 months once they went in as a No. 6 seed and off losses in 9 of their earlier 13 video games. They did not make a discipline aim the primary 10 minutes in opposition to Pittsburgh, shot 23% for the sport and misplaced 59-41.

“It was definitely a learning lesson for us,” stated Tre King, considered one of three returning starters from that staff.

Don’t anticipate the 2024 Cyclones (27-7) to put an egg once more once they play fifteenth-seeded Summit League champion South Dakota State (22-12) in an East Region opener Thursday evening in Omaha.

“Our guys know what’s at stake,” third-12 months coach T.J. Otzelberger stated. “They know when you get to this time of the year and you’re fortunate enough to be playing meaningful basketball, how lucky we all are, and we’re going to make the most of the opportunity.”

It’s what the Cyclones have been doing all season. They’ve gained two of three in opposition to Big 12 bully Houston and misplaced again-to-again video games simply as soon as after being picked seventh within the 14-staff league within the preseason coaches’ ballot.

They developed right into a classic Otzelberger squad, constructed on a workmanlike offense and a smothering protection that, in accordance with KenPom, is the nation’s most effective.

Four gamers common between 10.5 and 13.8 factors, and eight totally different gamers have led the staff in scoring. The Cyclones are center-of-the-pack within the Big 12 in scoring in addition to general and three-level discipline aim capturing proportion; they’re close to the underside in free-throw capturing and rebounding.

Tamin Lipsey and UNLV switch Keshon Gilbert lead a protection that forces 17.5 turnovers per recreation, averages 10.4 steals and is permitting opponents to shoot simply 40%. ISU’s defensive common of 61.3 factors per recreation is fourth within the nation.

The emphasis on protection offsets the offensive shortcomings. Some 27% of the Cyclones’ factors are generated off turnovers.

In what shapes as much as be a large-open match, Baylor coach Scott Drew stated, Iowa State “easily could win a national championship” if solely due to its elite protection. Drew’s Bears dedicated 13 turnovers and shot 39% in a 76-62 Big 12 semifinal loss to the Cyclones.

Otzelberger can’t assist however like the way in which his staff is taking part in popping out of final weekend.

“You look at our team this year and the way we’ve been playing lately, it’s been a group that’s been very balanced across the board,” he stated. “A strength of our team is that a lot of guys can step up on a given night, and our guys take tremendous pride in making the right play.”

The matchup in opposition to South Dakota State wouldn’t be Otzelberger’s first selection. He coached the Jackrabbits from 2016-19, going 70-33 with two NCAA appearances. Many of the help employees members he employed are nonetheless there.

The SDSU campus is a couple of 4-hour drive from Omaha, and Jackrabbits followers prefer to comply with their staff. Same goes for Iowa State followers, who took over the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City final weekend. Omaha is 2 1/2 hours from Ames.

“It’s exciting, just knowing how close it is to Ames and knowing how our fans travel,” King stated. “We know it’s going to be a fun environment and fun game. We’re chomping at the bit to get ready and get going.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)