Iowa State vs. Washington State: NCAA Tournament Preview and Prediction
Here is everything you need to know about Iowa State and Washington State in our Cyclones vs. Cougars NCAA Men’s Tournament second-round preview.
No. 2 Iowa State (28-7) vs. No. 7 Washington State (25-9)
Time, TV: 5:10 p.m., Saturday, TNT
Location: CHI Health Center, Omaha, NE
All-time series: First meeting.
NCAA Tournament Results: Iowa State: def. South Dakota State, 82-65 (first round); Washington State: def. Drake, 66-61 (first round)
Winner: Advances to the Sweet 16 next Thursday.
Projected starting lineups
Iowa State: G Tamin Lipsey, G Keshon Gilbert, F Tre King, F Robert Jones, F Milan Momcilovic.
Washington State: F Oscar Cluff, F Jaylen Wells, F Isaac Jones, F Andrej Jakimovski, G Myles Rice.
Players to watch
Iowa State
G Tamin Lipsey
The health of Lipsey will be on the minds of all Cyclone fans entering Saturday game. The Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist reaggravated his shoulder sprain from earlier this year, but coach T.J. Otzelberger doesn’t anticipate it keeping him from playing against Washington State. He’s a player the Cyclones can ill-afford to do without, as he averages 12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.7 steals per game.
Washington State
F Isaac Jones
Jones will be a potential matchup problem for the Cyclones as the Cougars listed four forwards in their starting lineup in their first-round win over Drake. Jones was the only forward that had a double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Jones has great numbers for the season, averaging 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in just his second season of college basketball. He has had two double-doubles in his last five games.
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. 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.
Washington State
Amid all the discombobulation with the implosion of the Pac-12, Washington State has risen above it from a basketball standpoint. This is the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008 and their first win since that tournament, which saw the Cougars make a run to the Sweet 16. The Cougars are building on last year’s NIT appearance, which saw them lose in the first round. So credit to their coach, Kyle Smith, for continuing the rebuild in Pullman and earning Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors.
Prediction
Iowa State 68, Washington State 64. Washington State’s lineup will give Iowa State trouble. It’s an interesting configuration with so much length. But the Cyclones play defense at such a high level and that they’ll turn the Cougars over enough to win.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
