MILWAUKEE — Iowa State will be without one of its leading scorers when the third-seeded Cyclones face No. 14 Lipscomb in the first round of the NCAA Tournament South Region on Friday.
Starting guard Keshon Gilbert, who missed four of Iowa State’s final seven games with a groin injury, will not play again no matter how far the Cyclones advance, coach T.J. Otzelberger said Sunday.
“With Keshon, we decided that he needs to focus on his rehab and getting his body back right, so he won’t be available as we move forward,” said Otzelberger, a Milwaukee native who played collegiately at Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Gilbert, a third-team All-Big 12 selection, was second for Iowa State in scoring at 13.4 points per game, and he led the team with 4.1 assists per contest.
Iowa State (24-9) lost to BYU 96-92 in a Big 12 tournament quarterfinal, playing without Gilbert and starting guard Tamin Lipsey. No. 14 seed. Lipsey is expected to play against Lipscomb.
“He’s progressing well and each day he’s getting better, so we fully anticipate he’ll be ready to go for our game on Friday,” Otzelberger said.
The Cyclones average 80.4 points while giving up 68.1 per game.
Curtis Jones, who had 31 points in the loss to BYU, averages 17.1 points per game and Joshua Jefferson adds 13.0 points and a team-high 7.4 boards. Milan Momcilovic, who led nearby Pewaukee (Wis.) High School to three consecutive state championships, averages 11.4 points and is shooting a team-best 40.6 percent from beyond the arc.
“Iowa State is a really good team and a tough opponent, and we are looking forward to playing them,” Lipscomb coach Lennie Acuff said.
Lipscomb (25-9) earned its first NCAA berth since 2018 with a 76-65 victory over North Alabama in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament final.
The Bisons average 79.3 points with five players in double figures, and they allow 67.3. They are 24-3 when scoring 70 points or more.
“They’re a team that plays with great purpose and discipline,” Otzelberger said of Lipscomb. “If you get to this field, you’re going to be a really good team.”
Jacob Ognacevic, who missed all of last season with an injury, was named ASUN player of the year. Ognacevic, who played in high school at Sheboygan Lutheran about an hour north of Milwaukee, leads the team with 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
“This is going to be awesome,” Ognacevic said Sunday. “I’ve never played in Wisconsin before in a college game. Being able to do that, especially in the NCAA Tournament, is going to be a blast.”
Will Pruitt adds 13.2 points and 5.9 boards for the Bisons. Joe Anderson, who had 18 of his game-high 23 points in the second half against North Alabama, averages 12.5 points and has a team-leading 77 3-pointers. Gyasi Powell adds 11.6 points.
Lipscomb is 19-1 when outrebounding opponents, but it was outrebounded in eight of its nine losses.
In their only other NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018, the 15th-seeded Bisons lost their opener to North Carolina, 84-66.
Iowa State won the only previous meeting with Lipscomb, an 81-64 home triumph in 2011.
–Jim Hoehn, Field Level Media
