For now, at least, Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger is more obsessed with how his players are working together on the court than he is with how many victories the team is stacking up.
But it’s hard to ignore the results for No. 3 Iowa State, which has surged to a 12-1 overall record and a 2-0 mark in the Big 12 Conference. The Cyclones will host Utah (8-5, 0-2) on Tuesday night in Ames, Iowa.
Iowa State will go for its 10th win in a row. Its only loss this season was a two-point setback against then-No. 4 Auburn on Nov. 25 at the Maui Invitational in Hawaii.
“More than anything, we’re not as outcome-based, even though we understand that on the day of the game, the job is to come out with a win — find a way to win by any means possible,” Otzelberger said. “We want to continue to keep our focus on staying in our routine each and every day, getting the most out of our day, focusing on our daily habits and making sure that we stay locked in.
“It’s, ‘How you do anything is how you do everything.’ That’s such a big deal in our program. How you carry yourself, how you treat people, how you practice, how you stay humble, how you focus. … We’re just going to keep our head down and keep doing the hard work.”
That could lead to a tough challenge for Utah, which is on a three-game losing streak after falling short against Iowa, then-No. 25 Baylor and Texas Tech over the past two weeks.
The Cyclones boast a deep roster with five players scoring in double figures. Keshon Gilbert leads the way with 16.3 points and a team-high 5.0 assists per game, and Curtis Jones is next with 16.2 points per game.
Milan Momcilovic (11.4 points per game), Joshua Jefferson (11.2) and Dishon Jackson (10.3) round out the top five scorers. Tamin Lipsey is not far behind with 9.8 points per game.
Gilbert said he and his teammates take just as much pride in their defensive effort. They are coming off a 74-55 win over Baylor in which they limited the Bears to 29.7 percent shooting (19 of 64) from the field and 24.1 percent (7 of 29) from 3-point range.
“It just shows that we can win in so many different ways,” Gilbert said. “Even if we don’t turn people over, our defense comes first.”
Twin brothers Gabe and Mason Madsen lead Utah in scoring. Gabe Madsen is averaging 16.5 points per game, and Mason Madsen ranks second with 11.3 points per contest.
Utah coach Craig Smith is eager to see better defense from his players after their latest performance. The Utes lost 93-65 at home against Texas Tech.
“I thought it was a potpourri of everything,” Smith said. “Got to get stops.”
Utah is looking for its first win against a Top 25 opponent since it knocked off No. 14 BYU on Dec. 9, 2023. The Utes have not taken down the third-ranked team in the country since they toppled Kentucky on Dec. 18, 1976.
The Utes are 70-164 (.299) all-time against ranked opponents, and 11-66 (.143) in road games against ranked foes.
–Field Level Media
