AMES − Iowa State men’s basketballimproved to 12-1 overall and 2-0 in Big 12 Conference play with a wire-to-wire 74-55 victory over No. 21 Baylor on Saturday afternoon.
As impressive as the victory of CyclonesAccording to Milan Momcilovic, it’s “the status quo”.
“Obviously we played very well on the defensive end, but we can still clean up some things on the offensive end as well,” Momcilovic said. “But it was like a deal there.”
Keshon Gilbert had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Momcilovic scored 15 points and shot 4 of 7 from deep. Curtis Jones added 14 points and four steals in the winning effort.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s victory:
More: Iowa State basketball: Cyclones enjoy wire-to-wire win over Baylor
Iowa State’s defense and rebounding efforts were key
According to KenPom’s offensive efficiency ratings, Baylor entered Saturday’s game ranked 9th in the nation on offense.
However, the Bears never found traction against the Cyclones. They fell behind in the opening minutes and Iowa State suffocated for the entire 40 minutes of the game.
Baylor shot just 19 of 64 (29.7%) overall and was held to 7 of 29 (24.1%) from long range.
It was the lowest shooting percentage by an Iowa State opponent this season and the first time it limited an opponent to shooting below 30 percent since beating Houston in the title game in last year’s Big 12 tournament, 69-41.
Iowa State played hard-nosed defense all afternoon, even though Baylor only turned the ball over eight times. Those eight turnovers turned into eight Cyclone points.
“They do a great job of wearing you out, making everything difficult,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “They have great size, great length, they have a good shot. They do a good job of scouting. … When you miss a few, it’s not like you’re going to get a ton of great looks against Iowa State, so you have to do them when you get the chance.”
The Bears were also one of the better offensive rebounding teams in Saturday’s contest, averaging 14.7 offensive rebounds per game.
Iowa State cruised past Baylor, 42-35. The Bears had 13 offensive rebounds, but despite second and third chance opportunities, the Cyclones limited the damage and gave up only 10 second chance points.
“I felt like (Norchad) Omier and (Josh) Ojianwuna had seven offensive rebounds in the first 12 or 13 minutes, they were all over the glass from the start,” the Cyclones coach said, TJ Otzelberger. “Part of the way we try to do things is consistency over 40 minutes.
“We challenged our guys at halftime in that area… Every year they’re great, so you have to be at your best and be focused at all times to try to keep a team like that off the glass .and it felt like we did it in the second half.
The Cyclones were also good offensively
On the other side of the court, it was a solid shooting day for the Cyclones and they looked in sync from the start. This contrasts with their previous outing against Colorado, where they experienced some inconsistency.
Iowa State shot 24 of 49 overall (49.0%) and 10 of 21 (47.6%) from deep.
Momcilovic started the match with a quick three and seemed to immediately find his shot from long range. He shot just 5 of 17 (29.4%) over the last four games, but was assertive, aggressive and broke out of his rut. He shot 4 of 7 in Saturday’s victory.
“We want Milano to be so aggressive, like we want him to chase,” Otzelberger said. “On the move, always on the hunt, because no matter when it happens, we have immense confidence in his ability to knock him down.”
Another balanced scoring performance and a strong inside-outside attack kept the Bears from trailing, especially with the Cyclones’ defensive efforts.
Iowa State showed excellent ball movement and contributed to 19 of 24 field goals, following an unusual outing against Colorado where it recorded just nine assists and nine turnovers.
“We have so many weapons, so many people who can score the ball,” Gilbert said. “The simple fact that everyone is touching each other makes everyone feel good.”
Is this the year for Iowa State to make a deep run?
There’s still plenty of basketball left, but could this be the year Iowa State goes further than any Cyclone team before it?
The 1999-2000 team finished with a program record of 32-5 and reached the Elite Eight, two marks that have not been matched since.
Iowa State was credited with a Final Four appearance in 1944, but that was when the NCAA tournament only had eight teams and the NIT had more prestige at that time. The Cyclones have never gotten this far since the tournament expanded to 32 teams in 1975. The tournament was expanded to the modern 64-team format in 1985.
But could this be the year the Cyclones reach the Final Four?
Aspirations and expectations are high. Ranked third in the nation, with another marquee win and all-around performance on Saturday, the Cyclones certainly look like a true national title contender.
After Saturday’s win, Iowa State is ranked No. 6 in offense and No. 8 in defense, according to KenPom. Seven of the last nine national championship winning teams have been ranked in the top 11 in both categories by KenPom.
While it’s a fun topic for fans and media to discuss, the Cyclones are focused on the daily routine and growth mindset.
“More than anything, we’re not as results-oriented even though we understand that on game day the job is to get the win, to find a way to win by any means possible,” Otzelberger said. “We want to continue to focus on maintaining our routine, getting the most out of our day, focusing on our daily habits and making sure we stay locked in. That’s how you do everything, that’s is so important in our program.
“…It’s great that we’re able to win the game today, have a lot of respect for their coach and their program, and we’re just going to keep our heads down and continue to work hard and the games will last .take care of itself if we keep our focus where it needs to be.
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article was originally published on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball: 3 takeaways from Cyclones’ win over Baylor
