No. 10 Iowa State at Kansas State Primer

Who: No. 10 Iowa State (22-8, 12-7 Big 12) at Kansas State (15-15, 9-10 Big 12)

Where: Bramlage Coliseum (11,654) – Manhattan, Kan.

When: Saturday, March 8, 2025 – 12:30 p.m. CT

Watch: CBS // Andrew Catalon (PxP), Steve Lappas (Analyst)

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

Tipping Off: No. 10 Iowa State concludes the regular season Saturday at Kansas State. This marks the third-straight season the Cyclones have finished the regular season in Manhattan. This will be the 242nd meeting between the Cyclones and Wildcats, the second-most in Iowa State history.

Iowa State heads into the regular season finale coming off a home loss to No. 23 BYU on Senior Night in double overtime. Iowa State overcame a 21-point second-half deficit and forced a season-high 29 turnovers, but it wasn't enough to topple the Cougars, as they fell 88-85.

Kansas State pulled back to .500 last time out, dispatching Cincinnati on the road in the return of senior big man Coleman Hawkins. The Wildcats, now riding a two-game winning streak, will look to improve to 10-10 in the Big 12 and 11-5 in the confines of Bramlage Coliseum.

Storylines:

Iowa State's "sixth starter," Curtis Jones, became an actual starter for seven games but has gone back to the bench with the return of Milan Momcilovic. Jones has earned a Big 12 Player of the Week award, was named to the Jerry West Award Top 10 List and was named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 Watch List along with teammate Keshon Gilbert.
Speaking of Gilbert, he has been the team's "engine" has taken a leap in his second season as a Cyclone, leading the team in minutes and assists. He has been named the Big 12 Player of the Week twice this season, was named to the Bob Cousy Award Top 10 and was named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 Watch List with teammate Curtis Jones.
A Preseason All-Big 12 First Team selection, Tamin Lipsey has been the glue of Iowa State's team. A known defensive menace, Lipsey became the school's all-time thief at No. 5 Houston, passing the great Monté Morris for the top spot in school annals.
Saint Mary's transfer Joshua Jefferson has been a revelation for the Cyclones this season. Jefferson leads the team in rebounding, has nine double-doubles and has earned five Big 12 Newcomer of the Week awards.
Sophomore wing Milan Momcilovic averages just over 10 points per game and shoots the 3-ball at the highest clip on the team at 40.6 percent. After missing just about a month of game action due to injury, he returned to the starting lineup on Feb. 8 against TCU.

From the Notes:

As a head coach, Otz is 191-106 overall and has guided the Cyclones to a 92-43 record over the last four years.
- ISU is 60-10 in games at Hilton Coliseum under Otz. His 60 home wins during that time are tied for the sixth-most nationally
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 25 straight weeks, the longest streak in the country.
- Iowa State has also been ranked in the Top 15 for 27-straight weeks. That is the third-longest streak in the country behind Tennessee's 33 and Duke's 30.
The Cyclones are ranked No. 9 in the NET. Iowa State slots in at No. 11 in the KenPom rankings and is No. 7 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

Switching Sides:

Iowa State and K-State are meeting for the 242nd time this weekend in the first of two meetings this season.
- Under Coach Otz, ISU is 5-4 against the Wildcats.
- Kansas State is the second-most played opponent in program history (behind Kansas, who ISU has played 260 times). ISU's 94 wins over K-State are the school's most over any current Big 12 institution.
Kansas State was picked to finish eighth out of 16 in the Big 12 Preseason Poll with Coleman Hawkins earning Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team honors.
- Speaking of Hawkins, the fifth-year senior transfer from Illinois was the Preseason Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Year.
K-State welcomed 10 newcomers to the team this offseason, with seven of them being Division I transfers.
Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang is in his third season at the helm of the Wildcat basketball program. Tang is 60-40 with K-State and is 62-40 in his head coaching career that includes two wins from his time as an interim at Baylor.
- Tang was selected as the 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year after guiding the Wildcats to a 26-win season and their 13th trip to the Elite Eight in his inaugural season.
K-State is ranked No. 75 in the NET. The Wildcats are No. 62 in KenPom and No. 61 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

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Players Mentioned

Keshon Gilbert

Joshua Jefferson

Curtis Jones

Tamin Lipsey

Milan Momcilovic

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics