Iowa State vs. South Dakota State: NCAA Tournament Preview and Prediction
Here is everything you need to know about Iowa State and South Dakota State in our Cyclones vs. Jackrabbits NCAA Men’s Tournament first-round preview.
No. 2 Iowa State (27-7) vs. No. 15 South Dakota State (22-12)
Time, TV: 7:35 p.m., Thursday, truTV
Location: CHI Health Center, Omaha, NE
All-time series (Iowa State 5-2): Iowa State has lost its last two meetings to SDSU, the last coming on Dec. 2, 2020, 71-68.
Winner: Advances to the second round on Saturday against the winner of the first-round game between No. 7 Washington State and No. 10 Drake.
Projected starting lineups
Iowa State: G Tamin Lipsey, G Keshon Gilbert, F Tre King, F Robert Jones, F Milan Momcilovic.
South Dakota State: F William Kyle III, F Luke Appel, G Zeke Mayo, G Charlie Easley, G Matt Mims.
Players to watch
Iowa State
G Keshon Gilbert
When Gilbert transferred to Iowa State from UNLV, the Cyclones were getting a player that averaged more than 11 points per game last season. On paper, he looked like a great complement to holdover guard Tamin Lipsey. But after his performance in the Big 12 Tournament, Gilbert is a player the Cyclones can hitch their Final Four hopes to. He was the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, highlighted by a 16-point, six-rebound performance against Houston in the championship game.
South Dakota State
G Zeke Mayo
Mayo is going to be a problem for the Cyclones. He’s coming off another season in which he averaged more than 18 points per game and improved his 3-point shooting by a few percentage points. He also averaged nearly six rebounds and four assists per game, so he follows his shot and he knows how to get the ball to his teammates. He’s been an All-Summit League First Team performer for the last two years and he’s not lacking for confidence on offense.
Key storylines
Iowa State
Three years into T.J. Otzelberger’s tenure at Iowa State he’s built his kind of program in Ames. It’s built on some of the best halfcourt man-to-man defense in college basketball, a staple of all three of his seasons. The Cyclones ended the regular season as the No. 1 defense in college basketball. But this year the offense has emerged as more productive. Tamin Lipsey’s game has improved dramatically as a sophomore. Freshman Milan Momcilovic is emerging as a consistent 3-point threat at the perfect time. The tandem of Robert Jones and Tre King inside handles the rebounding and interior offense. Curtis Jones gives the Cyclones a nice boost off the bench. The Cyclones have never had this kind of momentum going into the NCAA Tournament under Otzelberger.
South Dakota State
This is an odd collision for both teams. Otzelberger was South Dakota State’s head coach from 2016-19 and he led the Jackrabbits to two NCAA Tournament berths. He’ll face his replacement, Eric Henderson, who is in his fifth year at the helm of the program. He took them to the NCAA Tournament two years ago, where they lost to Providence in the first round. The Jackrabbits are built around Mayo, William Kyle III (13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds), Charlie Easley (12.0 points, 5.5 rebounds) and Luke Appel (11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds). The Jackrabbits won the Summit League Tournament title and are riding an eight-game winning streak entering the ISU game.
Prediction
Iowa State 77, South Dakota State 67. Expect some oddness given the circumstances, but one that wears off Iowa State’s defense should win the day and allow them to advance. Because SDSU has such a good offense, expect the Jackrabbits to keep it close for at least a half.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
