Iowa State Given No. 6 Seed in 2023 NCAA Tournament
The 2023 NCAA Tournament selection committee has selected the Iowa State Cyclones as the No. 6 seed in the Midwest Regional.
Iowa State will take on either Mississippi State or Pittsburgh (play-in game) on Friday in Greensboro, North Carolina. If they win that game, they will play either Xavier or Kennesaw State. Being in the Midwest Regional means Iowa State will play in Kansas City if they make the Sweet 16.
It wasn’t quite as long of a stay in the Big 12 Tournament as the Cyclones were hoping for. They were ousted by the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks in a 71-58 decision in the semifinals. That’s after the Cyclones defeated Baylor for the second straight game to become one of the last four remaining in Kansas City.
Iowa State finished what turned out to be a very wild end of the regular season with a 19-13 record, including a 9-9 mark in Big 12 play.
It was, indeed, crazy down the stretch because, in a stunning move, head coach T.J. Otzelberger dismissed guard Caleb Grill. Prior to that, Grill participated in 25 games this season, starting 22 of those. He averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest, so his loss is impactful.
“So, Caleb and I have known each other I think for probably somewhere around six years,” Otzelberger started, when asked by a group of reporters. “We’ve had a relationship. And you develop a bond. You care for somebody. You want them to be successful. I’ve had a belief in him for a long time, enough of a belief in him to want him here with us at Iowa State. And you want them to be successful. You want him to be successful. I’d say even as things move forward, I’m a fan of Caleb Grill and I want Caleb Grill to do well, and I’ll continue to have his back moving forward, however he wants to do that.”
The Cyclones regained some of their footing, however, with those consecutive victories over Baylor. They were able to do so largely because of the play of guards Jaren Holmes and Gabe Kalscheur, who are both averaging right around 13 points per game.
Iowa State is making its 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance throughout the program’s history, and it’s advanced to one Final Four. It is 21-21 all-time in the Big Dance.
