The Iowa State Cyclones have been building up to this moment for more than three years under coach T.J. Otzelberger. It feels like this year could be the year.
The Cyclones are coming off a 29-8 season in which they won the Big 12 Tournament title over Houston, which was the Big 12 regular-season champ. Iowa State also reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years.
Otzelberger kept most of his team together. He lured in a few key transfers. And another top-shelf recruiting class is in Ames.
ISU is considered one of the best teams in the country. Can it live up to that hype in the Big 12 and beyond?
Here’s a preview of the Iowa State Cyclones’ upcoming season.
Odds
BetOnline’s opening odds gave the Cyclones +2200 odds to win the national title. The Big 12 coaches picked Iowa State to finish third in the preseason poll, as the Cyclones received one first-place vote. The Cyclones was ranked No. 5 in the AP preseason Top 25.
Three Players to Watch
G Tamin Lipsey: The Ames, Iowa, native is in the running to become the new “mayor” after two quality seasons with the Cyclones. Last year everything improved, including his 3-point shooting, as he averaged 12.4 points per game.
G Keshon Gilbert: By season’s end Gilbert emerged as the Cyclones’ best all-around player and certainly a dynamic scorer in March. He averaged 13.7 points per game and came up huge in Kansas City during the Big 12 Tournament run.
C Dishon Jackson: He is Iowa State’s key transfer, as the former Charlotte star averaged 11.4 points. He actually committed to ISU during the NCAA Tournament. So how’s that for working on next season while the tournament’s going on? He’ll be the “Big Rob Energy” replacement.
Biggest Strength
Scoring. Unlike other Cyclones teams, this could be the one that becomes the highest-scoring team under Otz’s leadership. Defense is always going to matter. But Iowa State is returning four double-digit scorers and Jackson makes five. That doesn’t include Seattle center Brandon Chatfield (9.5 points), Northern Iowa guard Nate Heise (13.5 points) and Saint Mary’s forward Joshua Jefferson (10.2 points). This team is loaded with offense.
Biggest Weakness
Playing time. With all of these weapons, holdover and new, how are you going to get them all on the floor? Outside of that group, Otz has last year’s prize redshirt, forward J.T. Rock. Plus, here is freshman Nojus Indrusaitis, a Top 100 recruit who, under other circumstances, might play right away. This might seem like a first-world problem, but Otz has a lot of mouths to feed. What if the wrong player gets hungry and causes trouble?
Season Prediction
For a program known for its lock-down defense, the sheer array of offensive weapons gives the Cyclones a real chance to get out of March and into April in the NCAA Tournament. The Cyclones will get out of the Big 12, not unscathed mind you. But a Top 4 finish in the league standings is certainly a strong possibility. Let’s project 23-26 wins before the Cyclones get to Hilton South in Kansas City for the Big 12 Tournament.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
