Iowa State may not have earned the No. 1 seed it was hoping for in the NCAA Tournament, but it is certainly playing like one over the past few weeks. It enters its second-round game against Washington State on Saturday as a big favorite.
The Cyclones bring one of the nation’s top defenses into the matchup, allowing just 61.4 points per game on the season. That is the fourth-lowest total in the nation. They have held opponents to under 50 points seven times this season, including an emphatic Big 12 championship game win over Houston (one of the No. 1 seeds in this tournament), where it held the Cougars to just 41 points. The Cyclones easily dispatched No. 15 seed South Dakota State, 82-65, in their first NCAA Tournament game.
Along with a suffocating and smothering defense, the Cyclones are also led by guard Keshon Gilbert who averages 13.9 points per game. He had 15 points in only 25 minutes against South Dakota State.
The Washington State Cougars are led by Isaac Jones with 15.5 points per game and Myles Rice at 14.9 points per game. Jones had 20 points in the Cougars’ come-from-behind win against Drake in their opening-round game. While the Cougars are not quite as dominant as Iowa State defensively, they still limited opponents to just 66.7 points per game this season, 44th in the nation.
It could be a defensive slugfest of a game.
One thing that Washington State has to be aware of is how good Iowa State is at creating turnovers, a potentially game-changing area where the Cougars have been vulnerable at times this season. Iowa State might be able to feast on that weakness if Washington State gets sloppy with the ball. The Cyclones’ turnover margin of 6.8 is the second-best in the country (behind only Houston) this season, while the Cougars’ margin of -0.3 was 221st. Iowa State is lethal in that area and can make life miserable for a team that doesn’t protect the ball.
What: East Region, Second Round
Tipoff time: 6:10 p.m. ET Saturday
TV: TNT
Location: Omaha, Neb.
Iowa State vs. Washington State odds
Odds are from BetMGM and update live. Find the best ticket deals on StubHub to see your favorite team.
Expert picks
Model projection: Iowa State by 5.5, total 127
Players to watch
Iowa State
- Tamin Lipsey, sophomore guard, first-team All-Big 12, All Big-12 defensive team
- Keshon Gilbert, junior guard, second-team All-Big 12
Washington State
- Myles Rice, redshirt freshman guard, Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, first-team All-Pac 12
- Isaac Jones, graduate forward, first-team All-Pac 12
More NCAA men’s basketball tournament coverage
(Photo of Keshon Gilbert: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
