Iowa State at DePaul Primer

Who: Iowa State (5-2, 0-0 Big 12) at DePaul (1-5, 0-0 BIG EAST)

Where: Wintrust Arena (10,000) – Chicago, Ill.

When: Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 – 7:30 p.m. CT on FS1

Tipping Off: After returning from the ESPN Events Invitational, Iowa State will head to the Windy City for a matchup with DePaul as part of the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle this Friday. The Cyclones are 3-0 in the challenge, having beat No. 16 Seton Hall (2019), Creighton (2021) and St. John's (2022) since its inception in 2019.

Iowa State is the only Big 12 team that has not lost in the challenge, missing one game in 2020 (scheduled against DePaul) because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Big East holds the all-time advantage in the challenge, toting a 21-15 record across four years.

Storylines:

Iowa State claimed fourth place in a field of eight at the ESPN Events Invitational this last week, playing against its first Power 5 opponents and ranked team of the season in Florida.
After about as flawless of a start to a season as one could ask for, Iowa State dropped two contests as part of the Thanksgiving MTE.
- The Cyclones saw their PPG average drop from 91.3 in its first four games to 66.3 in the ESPN Events Invitational.
Tamin Lipsey has made a sophomore leap for ISU, as the kid from Ames is averaging a team-high 15.1 points per game.
- Lipsey also averages a team-high 5.7 assists per contest.
- Lipsey set a new personal best on Thanksgiving against VCU, scoring 22 points. He then set a personal best for rebounds against Texas A&M with 14.
  - He is one of just two players to record 14+ rebounds against a top-25 opponent in the last 25 years (Rajon Rondo vs. Iowa in 2005).
- He was named to the All-Tournament team in Kissimmee for averaging 16.7 points per contest as well as 8.7 boards.
Iowa State freshman Milan Momcilovic has had a hot start to his collegiate career, scoring double figures in six of seven games.
- Momcilovic averages 14.1 points per game and has a team-high 19 3-pointers.
- He recorded 21 points against Virginia Tech – a career-high – and became the third Cyclone to score at least 20 in a game this season.
- Currently, Momcilovic is tied for first among all true freshmen in college basketball in 3-pointers made.
UNLV transfer Keshon Gilbert averages 13.9 points per contest, leading the team in both free throws made (34) and attempted (45).
- Gilbert is second on the team in both assists (22) and steals (13).
- Gilbert earned his first career double-double against VCU on Thanksgiving, dropping 22 points and pulling in 10 boards.
Robert Jones has started the last four games after being thrust into the starting lineup after center Hason Ward went down with an injury.
- Jones leads the team in field goal percentage, as the big man is shooting 75% from the floor.
- Jones leads the team in blocks (8) as well as offensive rebounds (17).
As a head coach, Otz is 145-92 overall and has led the Cyclones to a 46-29 record over the last three seasons.

From the Notes:

Iowa State is 29-7 in non-conference contests under Otzelberger.
The Cyclones and Blue Demons will meet for just the second time on Friday for the first time since 1967.
- DePaul won the only previous matchup, held on Dec. 20 of 1967, 67-63, also in Chicago.
Iowa State scored over 85 points in the first four games of the season. It's the first time the Cyclones did so in four-straight games since February 2016 and the first time doing so in the first four games of the year since 1987-88.
Iowa State had double digit steals in each of the first four games this season. It's the first time since the 2016-17 season the Cyclones have done so in four-straight games.
Otzelberger is 3-1 in conference challenge games as ISU head coach.
- In his first season, Iowa State defeated both Creighton and Missouri as part of Big East/SEC challenges.
- Last year, Otz led ISU to a win over St. John's before falling at Missouri with both games again being part of Big East/SEC challenges.
  - Iowa State is 5-3 between Big East/SEC challenge games over the last five seasons.

Switching Sides:

DePaul was selected to finish last in the Big East, being voted 11/11 in the preseason coaches' poll.
- The Blue Demons hold the longest power-conference streak for not appearing in the NCAA Tournament having made their last appearance 20 years ago.
The Blue Demons have just one win in six games, knocking off South Dakota by 12 points at home.
- DePaul has fallen to IUPFW, Long Beach State, South Carolina, San Francisco and Northern Illinois.
- Friday's game will be their fifth home game of the season.
DePaul has been missing Oregon transfer Jalen Terry early this season, as he's missed the first six games with an ankle injury.
- Mac Etienne also missed a few contests with illness but made his season debut last time out.
Four Blue Demons average double figure scoring as the team is led by Chico Carter Jr. who plays a team-high 35.2 minutes and chips in 13.3 points per game.
- DePaul's roster features five returners, two freshmen and six first-year transfers.
- Five of the players on DePaul's roster transferred in from Power conference programs.
DePaul coach Tony Stubblefield is in his third season in Chicago and his fourth total as a D1 head coach after spending time as New Mexico State's coach in 2004-05.
- Stubblefield is 26-44 during his time with the Blue Demons and is 28-56 all-time as a head coach.

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Players Mentioned

Keshon Gilbert

Robert Jones

Tamin Lipsey

Milan Momcilovic

Hason Ward

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics