Iowa State vs. Pitt Gameday Primer

Who: No. 6 Seed Iowa State (19-13, 9-9 Big 12) vs. No. 11 Seed Pitt (23-11, 14-6 ACC)

Where: Greensboro Coliseum (20,000) – Greensboro, N.C.

When: Friday, March 17, 2023 – 2:10 p.m. (CT) - truTV

The Lead: Iowa State is set to make its 22nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament on Friday, when the No. 6 seed Cyclones face No. 11 seed Pittsburgh. The Cyclones have never faced the Panthers in the postseason.

Storylines:

Four Cyclones were honored by the Big 12 coaches last week. Gabe Kalscheur earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors and was also named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. Jaren Holmes was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, while also earning a spot on the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. Osun Osunniyi also earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors. Tamin Lipsey picked up a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
Tamin Lipsey is averaging 7.4 points, 4.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 2.53 turnovers per game. He is one of three players in the country averaging those numbers this season and just the 15th in the last 10 years to do so.
The Cyclones lead the country in wins over Associated Press Top 25 and AP Top 10 teams this season. ISU has nine AP Top 25 victories and six AP Top 10 victories.
Gabe Kalscheur has played 57 games in his career against ranked opponents, the most by any player in the country. He holds a 26-31 record in those games, the third-most wins in the nation.
Iowa State held all but one (Texas Tech-Overtime) Big 12 opponent below its season scoring average. That total includes holding No. 8 Kansas to 53 points, the lowest conference total under Bill Self. The Cyclones are holding their opponents to a league-best 62.8 points per game this season.

From the Notes: Over the last two seasons, Iowa State is 24-4 against non-conference opponents. The 24 victories is tied for the fifth-most victories in the country and the .857 winning percentage is tied for the sixth-best in the nation.

Switching Sides:

• Pitt (23-11, 14-6 ACC) posted a hard-fought 60-59 win over Mississippi State Tuesday night in a First Four matchup to advance to the NCAA Tournament Greensboro Regional.

• The Panthers are making their 27th NCAA Tournament appearance and their first under head coach Jeff Capel. Pitt is 25-27 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, including a 4-4 mark when placed in the Midwest Region. Capel-led teams are 5-3 in NCAA Tournament action.

• Pitt is 104-112 all-time against teams currently in the Big 12, including a 1-3 mark in NCAA Tournament action.

• Pitt has six wins over teams (Virginia, Miami, at Northwestern, at NC State, Mississippi State, FDU) 2023 NCAA Tournament teams.

• Jamarius Burton became Pitt's second First Team All-ACC selection after averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in conference play. He is one of four players in the NCAA averaging 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, while shooting 49 percent or better from the field for the season.

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Players Mentioned

Jaren Holmes

Robert Jones

Gabe Kalscheur

Tre King

Tamin Lipsey

Osun Osunniyi

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