No. 3 Iowa State vs. Morgan State Primer

Who: No. 3 Iowa State (9-1, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Morgan State (6-8, 0-0 MEAC)

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

When: Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024 – 12 p.m. CT

Watch/Listen: ESPN+ / Cyclone Radio Network

Tipping Off: No. 3 Iowa State is set to wrap up non-conference play this Sunday against Morgan State. The Bears will be the final game of an 11-game non-conference slate, which will then turn to a 20-game Big 12 schedule on Dec. 30 when ISU heads to Colorado.

The Cyclones had just one outing last week, a 32-point win over Omaha on Sunday. After a sluggish start against the Mavericks, Iowa State pulled away late in the first half, as it went on to extend its home winning streak to 24 games – the fifth-longest streak in the country.

Winners of three of its last five, Morgan State will come to Hilton Coliseum looking for its first road win of the season. The Bears are one of the most opportunistic offenses in the country, ranking in the top ten nationally in both fastbreak points per game (18.8) and field goal percentage (50.8). MSU leads the MEAC in points per game (82.6).

Storylines:

Keshon Gilbert has been ISU's MVP so far, leading the team in minutes, points 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 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.
Saint Mary's transfer Joshua Jefferson has been a key, versatile player this season. Jefferson leads the team in rebounding and has earned a pair of Big 12 Newcomer of the Week awards.
Sophomore wing Milan Momcilovic averages just about 12 points per game and shoots the 3-ball at the highest clip on the team at whopping 47 percent.
A transfer from Charlotte, big man Dishon Jackson has been a force in the paint. He leads the team in blocks and is one of five to average double-figure scoring.
A Swiss army knife off the bench, Nate Heise has really come into his own. His defensive ability to lock opposing players down has been on display as of late.

From the Notes:

As a head coach, Otz is 178-99 overall and has led the Cyclones to a 79-36 record over the last four years.
- ISU is 51-8 in games at Hilton Coliseum under Otzelberger.
Under Otz, ISU is 46-9 in non-conference games. The 46 wins are tied for the eighth-most in the nation and the .836 winning percentage is the sixth-best.
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.
The Cyclones have been ranked in the AP Top 10 for 14-straight weeks, the only school in the nation to be ranked for double-digit consecutive weeks.
Coach Otzelberger currently holds the Iowa State career winning percentage record, having won .687 of his games.
The Cyclones are ranked No. 5 in the NET. Iowa State slots in at No. 5 in the KenPom rankings and is No. 6 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

Switching Sides:

This will be the second all-time meeting between Iowa State and Morgan State. The two previously met in 1985 - a home contest which ISU won by 47 points.
- ISU is 17-0 all-time against teams in the MEAC.
The Bears were picked to finish fourth out of eight in the MEAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
Three Bears were named to Preseason All-MEAC teams. Seniors Wynston Tabbs and Will Thomas earned first team honors, while Kameron Hobbs was tabbed as a third-teamer.
Morgan State returned nine players from last year's team which finished 11-20 and added eight players - one freshman and seven first-year transfers.
Morgan State Head Coach Kevin Broadus is in his sixth year at the helm of the Bear program.
- Broadus is 74-83 with MSU and is 111-108 overall in his eight-year head coaching career which began at Binghamton (2007-09).
Morgan State is ranked No. 354 in the NET. The Bears are No. 347 in KenPom and No. 343 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

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Players Mentioned

Keshon Gilbert

Nate Heise

Dishon Jackson

Joshua Jefferson

Curtis Jones

Tamin Lipsey

Milan Momcilovic

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics