No. 10 Iowa State will aim for its third straight win when it tips off against Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon in a Big 12 Conference matchup at Ames, Iowa.
Iowa State (19-5, 9-4 Big 12) is coming off a 12-point win against UCF in its most recent contest, on Tuesday in Orlando. That followed a 30-point beatdown of TCU last weekend.
The Cyclones will face a formidable opponent in Cincinnati (15-9, 5-8), which comes to town on a three-game winning streak. The Bearcats registered double-digit victories against UCF, BYU and Utah over the past week and a half, most recently downing the Utes 85-75 on Tuesday.
Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger is optimistic about his team heading into the final month of the conference schedule. The Cyclones lost three in a row before bouncing back for the two recent wins, and Otzelberger thinks that a strong finish is likely.
“There (are) some really awesome things happening in front of our eyes,” Otzelberger said. “If you don’t really enjoy them and appreciate them when they are happening, they can pass you by, and that’s a shame when you miss out on those joys.
“Because like I said, I’ve been here when we haven’t had them. I’ve been here when we’ve been last in the league as an assistant when things hadn’t gone as well. And I think that’s really helped shape me and benefit me and helped me in so many ways.”
Cincinnati also is building an impressive story this season. The Bearcats likely will remain without guard Connor Hickman, who has been sidelined since early January due to a foot injury.
Cincinnati coach Wes Miller praised Hickman for doing all he could to return.
“He’s working through it as hard as anyone can,” Miller said. “He’s the toughest kid. We’ve missed him dearly. We’ve missed his leadership, we’ve missed his toughness, we’ve missed his offense and the ability to play both positions in the backcourt.
“But I don’t have a great expectation for the remainder of this year, but I wouldn’t rule anything out.”
Five players are scoring in double digits for Iowa State this season. Curtis Jones leads the group with 17.4 points per game to go along with 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
Keshon Gilbert is second on the team with 14.7 points and a team-high 4.5 assists per game. Joshua Jefferson is next with 12.8 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Tamin Lipsey (10.4 points per game) and Milan Momcilovic (10.1) round out the top five scorers for the Cyclones.
As for Cincinnati, four players are scoring in double digits. Jizzle James produces a team-high 11.7 points per game, and Simas Lukosius is right behind at 11.5 points per contest.
Dillon Mitchell ranks third with 10.3 points per game, and he leads the squad with an average of 6.5 rebounds. Dan Skillings Jr. adds 10.1 points per game through 18 contests on the season.
This will be the eighth game between the programs. Cincinnati leads the all-time series 4-3, but Iowa State won the most recent contest 68-59 on Feb. 13, 2024.
The Bearcats will visit Iowa State for the first time since Dec. 1, 2016, when they knocked off the Cyclones 55-54 in overtime.
–Field Level Media
