PRIMER: No. 4 Iowa State vs. Long Beach State

Who: Iowa State (11-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Long Beach State (3-9, 0-2 Big West)

Where: Hilton Coliseum (14,267) – Ames, Iowa

When: Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 – 5 p.m. CT

Watch: ESPN+ // BJ Schaben (PxP) & Derrin Hansen (Analyst)

Listen: Cyclone Radio Network // John Walters (PxP) & Eric Heft (Analyst)

Tipping Off: After a week off for finals, Iowa State is back in action this Sunday as it hosts Long Beach State for its final contest before the winter break. The Beach will be the third and final first-time opponent for ISU this season, as it previously faced off with and defeated FDU and Stonehill in November.

The Cyclones enter Sunday's contest coming off of a 25-point home victory against Eastern Illinois last Sunday. ISU will look to start 12-0 for the second time in five seasons under Coach Otzelberger. Two of Iowa State's three best starts to a season have now come under Otz.

Long Beach State will aim to earn its second win in a row as it faces its first ranked opponent of the season. LBSU's game against ISU will be one of just two contests to take place outside of the Pacific Time Zone, with the other coming in the finale at Hawai'i.

Game Note: Sunday afternoon's game theme is Holiday Hoops. Fans are encouraged to dress in their favorite winter holiday gear. At halftime of the game will be the first-ever Diaper Dash. Watch as our tiniest fans crawl, scoot, and wobble their way toward Hilton glory in a race for the ages.

Storylines:

At No. 4 in the AP Top 25 Poll, Iowa State has been ranked in the AP Top 25 for 39 straight weeks, the sixth-longest streak in the nation. It is the second-longest streak in the Big 12 behind Houston's 113, which is the longest streak in the country.
- The Cyclones and Cougars are the only two Big 12 schools to have streaks of at least 20 weeks.
The Cyclones had three players named to the Naismith Starting Five Preseason Watch lists. Iowa State was one of nine schools in the country to have at least three players named. Along with three selections on the women's side, ISU was one of just five schools in the country to have at least six combined selections.
- Tamin Lipsey was named to the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Watch List.
  - Lipsey is also on both the Wooden Award and Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch Lists.
- Milan Momcilovic was named to the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Watch List.
  - Momcilovic earned his first Big 12 weekly honor on Dec. 8, as he scored a team-high 20 points in ISU's road win at No. 1 Purdue.
- Joshua Jefferson was named to the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Watch List. Former Cyclone Georges Niang won the award in 2016.
  - Jefferson, like Lipsey, is also on the Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch List.
  - Jefferson was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Dec. 1 for his performance in his home city of Las Vegas, where he averaged 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists across three games.
  - Jefferson became just the third player in the last 30 years to record consecutive 10-plus assist, zero turnover games (Syracuse & Alcorn State).

From the Notes:

As a head coach, Otz is 205-108 overall and has guided the Cyclones to a 106-45 record over the last four years.
- He earned his 100th win at Iowa State against HOF coach Rick Pitino and No. 14 St. John's in the Players Era Championship opener on Nov. 24.
- He then earned his 200th win over his mentor and former head coach Greg McDermott on Nov. 25.
- His 95 wins in his first four years at Iowa State were the most by any coach in program history in their first four years as head coach.
Under Otz, ISU is 59-10 against non-conference opponents. His 59 wins are the tied for the seventh-most in the nation, and the .855 winning percentage is the fourth-best.
With its road win over No. 1 Purdue, Iowa State now has 27 wins over top 25 teams since Otzelberger took over (2021-22). That is tied for the fourth-most in the nation during that stretch.
Otz has led Iowa State to three 20-plus win seasons, joining Orr (5), Hoiberg (4), Floyd (3) and Prohm (3) as only ISU coaches to do so multiple times.
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.
- In four postseason appearances, Otzelberger has five NCAA Tournament wins – the most by any coach in program history.
Otz currently holds the school's highest winning percentage by a head coach.
The Cyclones are ranked No. 5 in the NET. Iowa State slots in at No. 2 in the KenPom rankings and is No. 5 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

Switching Sides:

Long Beach State and Iowa State will be matching up for the first time ever.
- Iowa State is 5-4 all-time against schools from the Big West Conference.
- LBSU is 25-53 all-time against current members of the Big 12.
  - The Beach will now have played every Big 12 school except for UCF.
The Beach returned just one player from its 2024-25 roster as Derrick Michael Xzavierro, the first DI scholarship player from Indonesia, returned.
- LBSU welcomed four freshmen and nine transfers to round out the team.
LBSU was picked to finish eighth out of 11 in the Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll after finishing tenth last season.
Long Beach's Petar Majstorovic, a transfer from Syracuse, is a former teammate of Cyclone Killyan Toure as the two played together on the LDLC ASVEL U21 team in France.
Long Beach State Head Coach Chris Acker is in his second season coaching the Beach and owns a 9-34 record during his time in Long Beach, Calif.
- The 17th coach in LBSU history, Acker spent nine seasons as a Division I assistant coach (San Diego State - 2019-23, Boise State - 2019-20 & Hawai'i - 2015-16) before taking over for The Beach.
- During his time at SDSU, Acker helped lead the Aztecs to four-straight NCAA Tournaments as the team was 30-2 in the COVID-shortened 2019-20. He was on staff for the team's championship run in 2022-23.
LBSU is ranked No. 274 in the NET. The Beach are No. 265 in KenPom and No. 303 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

PRIMER: No. 4 Iowa State vs. Long Beach State

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Joshua Jefferson

Tamin Lipsey

Milan Momcilovic

Killyan Toure

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PRIMER: No. 4 Iowa State vs. Long Beach State

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Killyan Toure

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