A new power is emerging in the Big 12.
For the past decade, Iowa State has been lurking as a legitimate threat to reach the elite of men’s college basketball. The Cyclones have had their greatest run of success in this era, capturing five of the last 10 Big 12 tournament titles and reaching 10 of the last 12 NCAA tournaments, with a sixth or higher seed seven times.
Yet, it hasn’t been satisfying. For all the aforementioned success in the regular season and conference tournament, Iowa State has stumbled on the NCAA stage. Yes, the Cyclones have advanced past the first round eight times. However, they’ve been unable to match the program’s only modern Elite Eight appearance, in 2000.
Last season felt like it would be the breakthrough when Iowa State won 29 games and was a No. 2 seed for the first time in more than 20 years − with its head coach becoming a national sensation for his polo shirts. But the Cyclones lost in the Sweet 16 for the fourth time since 2014.
The disappointment didn’t derail Iowa State this season. It’s gotten better and looks like a team that is capable of not just reaching the Elite Eight, but could make a run to San Antonio and the Final Four.
T.J. Otzelberger is leading Iowa State to rare heights
The man behind Iowa State’s emergence is T.J. Otzelberger, who is midway through his fourth season as coach. A former Cyclones assistant and head coach at South Dakota State and UNLV, Otzelberger returned in 2021 to take over a team that was coming off a two-win season. The question upon his arrival was how quickly could the program be revived?
Now, after amassing 65 wins, the consensus is the team is better much faster than people thought.
Many of the key performers from last season stayed for another go with Otzelberger. Iowa State’s top three scorers this season − Keshon Gilbert, Curtis Jones and Milan Momcilovic − returned along with veteran guard Tamin Lipsey and Saint Mary’s transfer Joshua Jefferson. All five are averaging double figures in scoring this season, and Jones, the leading scorer for the Cyclones, is one of the premier sixth men in the country.
‘It’s the best team that T.J. has had,’ Kansas coach Bill Self said.
The experienced group has helped elevate the offense to become one of the top scoring teams in the country. A team that averaged 75.3 points a game last season now is scoring 86.2 points per contest, top 10 in the country while also being one of the most efficient shooting squads. They’ve scored at least 80 points in 13 of their first 15 games.
‘I heard one of the pundits that I actually respect a lot say that they thought Iowa State was the best offensive team in the country,’ Self said. ‘I probably agree that they got the best three guards on the same team in the country, and their bigs are so much more skilled than what they’ve had in the past.’
Iowa State closing in on making history in college basketball poll
Iowa State has been tested this season. The Cyclones have marquee wins and impressive comebacks and stand at 14-1, with the only defeat coming in a thriller in the Maui Invitational against Auburn. This week, those Tigers are the No. 1 team in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll, and the Cyclones are right behind them − their first time being ranked second since 2015.
The Cyclones have never been No. 1 in their 118 years of basketball, but can build their case for the top spot Wednesday when they host No. 10 Kansas. Last season, it was a home win over the Jayhawks in January that Otzelberger said gave his team confidence it had the makings of something special. Flash forward to the present and not only could Iowa State get its third consecutive home win over Kansas, it can almost move closer to winning the Big 12 regular-season title for the first time since 2001.
‘We’ve done OK in terms of being able to be somebody that welcomes that challenge,’ Otzelberger said about facing the Jayhawks. ‘I think a respect has evolved along the way. They know that we’re going to have a tremendous crowd tomorrow, and it’s going to be an unbelievable atmosphere.’
It’s rare territory for the Cyclones. They’ve mainly been the hunter looking for validation. Now they’re the hunted, and a prestigious program like Kansas is now chasing them. Self has given Otzelberger praise for what Iowa State has done this season, calling the Cyclones ‘as good a team as there is in America.’
Iowa State, T.J. Otzelberger staying in the moment amid success
But don’t think Otzelberger is stopping for any second to smell the roses.
‘As you’re in this, what you realize is as soon as the horn goes off on one game, your thought process goes on to ‘what do we need to do tonight, tomorrow to be successful the next game?’ ‘ he said. ‘We’re locked into the moment, as opposed to patting ourselves on the back for maybe what has happened up to this point or looking ahead at what could happen past this point.
‘We’re going to stay right in the moment, right in the day.’
It doesn’t stray from the mission Otzelberger has crafted since he took over at Iowa State. Stay focused, be accountable and disciplined while avoiding the outside noise. That now has Iowa State closer to reaching new heights.