No. 6 Iowa State vs. No. 5 Marquette Primer

WHO: No. 6 Iowa State (5-1, 0-0 Big 12) vs. No. 5 Marquette (8-0, 0-0 BIG EAST)

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

When: Wednesday, December 4, 2024 – 7:00 p.m. CT

Watch/Listen: ESPN+ / Cyclone Radio Network

Tip: After going 2-1 and finishing fifth in a loaded Maui Invitational field, the Iowa State Cyclones return to Hilton Coliseum to face their second top-five opponent of the season: Marquette. The Cyclones and Golden Eagles meet in a premier non-conference matchup as part of the Big 12/BIG EAST Battle.

Iowa State fell to No. 4 Auburn in the opening round of the Maui Invitational, but fought back on the consolation side to earn fifth place. The Cyclones defeated Dayton and Colorado in their last two games on the island. Auburn, ISU’s only loss this season, won the tournament and is currently ranked second in the country.

Marquette, which started the season ranked No. 18 in the AP poll, moved into the top five last week, surpassing the Cyclones. The Golden Eagles have already won three Quad 1 victories this season (at Maryland, at home against Purdue and neutral against Georgia) and have one of the most dynamic players in the country in Kam Jones on their roster.

Game note: We ask those attending the game on Wednesday night to please wear white as the game is a WHITE OUT.

Storylines:

• Iowa State will look to extend its 21-game home winning streak on Wednesday – the fourth-longest Power 4 home winning streak in the country.
• Keshon Gilbert was the team’s most consistent player early in the season, averaging 20.7 points per game last week in Maui.

  • Keshon was just named Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday for his performance on Maui. He now has three weekly Big 12 awards after earning two Newcomer of the Week honors last season.
  • Gilbert was one of six players also named to the Maui Invitational All-Tournament Team last week. He was the only player from the consolation bracket to be recognized.

• Sixth man in six competitions Curtis Jones He is second on the team with an average of 16.2 points per contest and has scored in double figures in all five games in which he came off the bench.

  • In his last 24 contests off the bench, Jones reached double figures in points 22 times.

• Tamin Lipsey has continued to build on his breakthrough season as a sophomore, as the junior from Ames is one of two Cyclones averaging 10.5 points and leads the team in steals (16).

  • Lipsey was an AP Honorable Mention All-American last season as well as a member of the First Team All-Big 12 and a member of the league’s All-Defensive Team.
  • He led the team in rebounds, assists and steals last season and was the team’s second-highest scorer during the 2023-24 season.

• Sophomore wing Milan Momcilovic He averages 12.8 points per game and shoots 3-ball at a team-high 47.1 percent.

  • Momcilovic set a personal best in Maui by hitting six triples against Colorado for a career-high 24 points.

• Joshua Jefferson leads the team in rebounds, averaging 6.2 per contest.

  • Earlier this season, he recorded his fifth career double-double against IUI.

• Dishon Jackson has been a fixture for the Cyclones this season.

  • He leads the team in blocks (5) and is one of five Cyclones to score in double figures, averaging 10.5 per game.

From the notes:

• As a head coach, Otz is 174-99 overall and has led the Cyclones to a 75-36 record over the last four years.

  • ISU is 48-8 in games played at Hilton Coliseum under Otzelberger.

• Under Otz, ISU is 42-9 against non-conference opponents. The 42 wins are the eighth most in the nation and the winning percentage of .824 is the sixth best.
• Coach Otzelberger is the only Iowa State men’s basketball coach to lead multiple teams to the Sweet 16.

  • Otz will attempt to become the first coach in program history to lead a team to the NCAA Tournament in his first four years of coaching.

• Iowa State has won 21 straight home games at Hilton Coliseum, tying it for the sixth-longest active home winning streak in the country.
• Four Cyclones have scored double-digit points in five of ISU’s six contests this season.

  • The Cyclones are 35-2 under TJ Ötzelberger when four or more players score in double figures.

• Iowa State enters the Big 12/BIG EAST Battle as the only school undefeated in the competition and having played more than one game, as the Cyclones are 4-0.
• The Cyclones are ranked No. 19 in the NET. Iowa State is No. 6 in the KenPom rankings and No. 9 in ESPN’s Basketball Power Index.

Changing sides:

• This will be the ninth all-time meeting between Iowa State and Marquette and the first since 2004, when ISU defeated the Golden Eagles to advance to the NIT Final Four.

  • MU leads the all-time series at 5-3 but is 2-3 in games played in Ames.

• The Golden Eagles were picked fourth out of 11 in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll, receiving the only non-UConn first-place vote.
• Marquette is off to its best start since the 2011-12 season, starting the year 10-0 before suffering a loss. This Golden Eagle team posted a 27-8 record and made it to the Sweet 16.
• Marquette leads the nation in steals per game (12.4), and junior guard Chase Ross and senior guard Stevie Mitchell are tied for 17th in the NCAA with 2.8 steals per contest.
• Senior guard Kam Jones is a candidate for national player of the year and is one of only four players nationally to record a triple-double this season after doing so in an 18-point win over No. 6 Purdue.

  • Jones was a unanimous preseason All-BIG EAST First Team selection.

• The Golden Eagles have excelled in the Big 12/BIG EAST Battle under Smart, going 3-1 and winning their last two challenge games by an average of 23.5 points.
• Marquette head coach Shaka Smart is in his fourth year at the helm of the Golden Eagle program.

  • Smart is 83-30 at MU and 355-172 overall in his 16-year head coaching career, which began in 2009 at VCU and included a six-year stint at Texas.

• Marquette is No. 7 in the NET. The Golden Eagles are No. 11 in KenPom and No. 16 in ESPN’s Basketball Power Index.