No. 3 Iowa State at Texas Tech Primer

Who: No. 3 Iowa State (13-1, 3-0 Big 12) at Texas Tech (11-3, 2-1 Big 12)

Where: United Supermarkets Arena (15,000) – Lubbock, Texas

When: Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025 – 1 p.m. CT

Watch/Listen: ESPN / Cyclone Radio Network

Tipping Off: Owners of the country's second-longest winning streak (10), Iowa State travels to Lubbock for its second conference road game of the season. ISU will look to begin Big 12 play 4-0 for the third time since 2014, having last done so in 2023.

The Cyclones handled Utah last time out, running past the Utes and earning a 23-point victory. Texas Tech marks the beginning of a difficult stretch for the Cyclones, as four of their next six contests are on the road – a stretch that wraps up at the end of the month with a two-game desert trip against the Arizona schools.

Tech has won four of its last five outings, with the lone loss coming at home to UCF in the Big 12 opener. Like ISU, Texas Tech blitzed Utah, defeating the Utes by 20-plus on the road. The Red Raiders are returning home after their trip to the Beehive State which wrapped up with a five-point win at BYU.

Storylines:

Keshon Gilbert has been ISU's engine so far, leading the team in minutes and assists. He has been named the Big 12 Player of the Week twice this season.
Iowa State's "sixth starter," Curtis Jones, has been elite coming off the bench for Iowa State. He leads the team in points, field goals and 3-pointers made.
A Preseason All-Big 12 First Team selection, Tamin Lipsey has been the glue of Iowa State's team. A known defensive menace, Lipsey leads the team in steals and is second on the team in assists.
Saint Mary's transfer Joshua Jefferson has been a key, versatile player this season. Jefferson leads the team in rebounding and has earned three Big 12 Newcomer of the Week awards.
Sophomore wing Milan Momcilovic averages just about 11 points per game and shoots the 3-ball at the highest clip on the team at 44 percent.
A transfer from Charlotte, big man Dishon Jackson has been a force in the paint. He leads the team in blocks and averages 9.6 points with 5.4 rebounds.
A Swiss army knife off the bench, Nate Heise has really come into his own. His defensive ability to lock opposing players down and ability to cut to space has been huge.
Seattle transfer Brandton Chatfield has been a glass-eater off the bench. The senior leads the team in offensive rebounds and constantly earns ISU more possessions.

From the Notes:

As a head coach, Otz is 182-99 overall and has led the Cyclones to an 83-36 record over the last four years.
- ISU is 54-8 in games at Hilton Coliseum under Otzelberger.
Iowa State has won 27-straight home games at Hilton Coliseum, which is the third-longest active home winning streak in the country and the second-longest in school history.
Coach Otzelberger is the only Iowa State men's basketball coach to take multiple teams to the Sweet 16.
- He was the 51st coach in NCAA Division I history to take a team to the Sweet 16 twice in his first three years on the job.
- Otz will attempt to become the first coach in program history to take a team to the NCAA Tournament in his first four years as coach.
Iowa State has been ranked in the AP Top 10 for 17 straight weeks, the longest streak in the country.
Iowa State currently boasts the top-scoring offense in the Big 12, averaging 86.3 points per contest. The Cyclones also boast the fifth-best defense in the league, holding opponents to an average of 64.6 points.
The Cyclones are ranked No. 7 in the NET. Iowa State slots in at No. 4 in the KenPom rankings and is No. 5 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

Switching Sides:

This will be the 46th all-time meeting between Iowa State and Texas Tech.
- The two teams are even at three apiece under Otzelberger.
- Texas Tech is 14-6 at home against ISU.
The Red Raiders were picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 Preseason Poll after finishing tied for third last season – the first under Grant McCasland.
Tech enters the fourth game of its Big 12 schedule leading the conference by shooting 51.2 percent from the field, with a 59.1 effective field goal percentage and at 77.6 percent from the free-throw line.
- The Red Raiders are currently third in the nation in effective field goal percentage, fifth in field goal percentage and 26th overall at the charity stripe.
The Red Raiders have 14 wins over top 5 opponents in program history.
- TTU will aim to beat a top-ten team in ISU for the 11th straight season.
Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland is in his second year at the helm of the Red Raider program.
- McCasland is 34-14 with TTU and is 245-103 overall in his 11-year head coaching career, which began at Midwestern State in 2009.
- After five seasons as an assistant on Scott Drew's Baylor staff, McCasland for the head job at Arkansas State. After one season in Jonesboro, McCasland spent six years at North Texas before TTU.
- Last season, McCasland led Tech to six wins over ranked opponents and is now 6-6 against AP Top 25 teams as Tech's head coach.
Texas Tech is ranked No. 17 in the NET. The Utes are No. 15 in KenPom and No. 17 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

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Players Mentioned

Brandton Chatfield

Keshon Gilbert

Nate Heise

Dishon Jackson

Joshua Jefferson

Curtis Jones

Tamin Lipsey

Milan Momcilovic

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Iowa State University Athletics