NCAA Tournament First Round Primer: Lipscomb

Who: [3] Iowa State (24-9, 13-7 Big 12) vs. [14] Lipscomb (25-9, 14-4 ASUN)

Where: Fiserv Forum (15,402) – Milwaukee, Wis.

When: Friday, March 21, 2025 – 12:30 p.m. CT

Watch: TNT // Kevin Harlan (PxP), Dan Bonner & Stan Van Gundy (Analysts), Lauren Shehadi (Reporter)

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

Tipping Off: No. 15 Iowa State enters the NCAA Tournament for the 24th time in program history, as the Cyclones are set to take on the Lipscomb Bisons for the second time in school history. T.J. Otzelberger is the second coach in program history to take the Cyclones to the NCAA Tournament in four-straight years.

Iowa State enters the first round of the tournament coming off of a Big 12 Championship quarterfinals loss to BYU.

The Lipscomb Bisons enter the matchup having won six straight games, three of which came in the ASUN tournament which they won – defeating North Alabama in the championship.

Storylines:

Iowa State's "sixth starter," Curtis Jones was named an AP Honorable Mention All- American earlier this week. Jones is the 30th All-American in school history and the second for T.J. Otzelberger at Iowa State, as Tamin Lipsey earned the same honor last year.
- Jones and Keshon Gilbert were named to the NABC All-Central District this week. Jones was a first team selection, while Gilbert was named to the second team.
- The Cyclones will be without Gilbert whose persistent injuries have sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
Saint Mary's transfer Joshua Jefferson has been a revelation for the Cyclones this season, as he has tallied 428 points, 243 rebounds, 100 assists, 69 steals and 24 blocks this season. He is the only player in the country with those numbers this season and the sixth since 1996-97 to do so. No player in Big 12 history has ever done it in a season.
The school's all-time leader in steals, Tamin Lipsey is averaging 10.2 points, 4.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game in his career. He is one of 26 players since 1947-48 to average those numbers in a career while playing at least 100 games. He is one of just 11 from a Power 5 Conference to do so. His 235 career steals are the eighth-most in Big 12 history.
Four Cyclones were honored last week by the league's coaches. Jones was named the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year, while also earning a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team. Junior Joshua Jefferson was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team, while also earning a spot on the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. Lipsey was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team, while also being named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. Gilbert rounded out Iowa State's selections by being named to the All-Big 12 Third Team.

From the Notes:

As a head coach, Otz is 193-107 overall and has guided the Cyclones to a 94-44 record over the last four years.
- Otzelberger's 94 wins through his first four seasons are the most in program 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.
- In four years, Otzelberger has four NCAA Tournament wins – tied for the most by a coach in program history.
Otz currently holds the school's highest winning percentage by a head coach, as he's won 68.1 percent of his games.
Otzelberger became the school's record holder for most wins over an AP Top 25 team, as ISU has toppled 25 ranked foes under T.J.
- Otz also holds the record for most wins over AP Top 10 teams with 12.
At No. 15 in the AP Top 25, Iowa State has been ranked in the AP Top 15 for 29-straight weeks, the third-longest streak in the nation behind Tennessee's 36 and Duke's 33.
The Cyclones are ranked No. 9 in the NET. Iowa State slots in at No. 10 in the KenPom rankings and is No. 7 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

Switching Sides:

Iowa State and Lipscomb are meeting for the second time ever on Friday.
- The team's lone previous meeting came in 2011 when the Bisons visited Hilton Coliseum on Dec. 21. ISU went on to win, 81-64.
Jacob Ognacevic, the ASUN Player of the Year, is Lipscomb's leading scorer and a Lou Henson Award Finalist.
- Ognacevic and teammate Will Pruitt were unanimous selections to the Preseason All-ASUN Team.
This is just Lipscomb's second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, with the first coming back in 2018 when it was a 15 seed and played North Carolina.
The Bisons have played just two games against Power Four opponents this season, at Kentucky and at Arkansas, losing both by an average of 22.5 points.
Lipscomb head coach Lennie Acuff is in his sixth season at the helm of the Bisons basketball program. Acuff is 110-81 during his time in Nashville.
- Acuff previously coached at the DII level at Alabama Huntsville for 22 years where he was 436-214. Before that, he coached at non-NCAA members Berry and Bellhaven.
- His career record is 643-394.
- Acuff, ASUN Coach of the Year, is coaching in his first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament game
Lipscomb is ranked No. 84 in the NET. The Bisons are No. 83 in KenPom and No. 106 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Keshon Gilbert

Joshua Jefferson

Curtis Jones

Tamin Lipsey

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics