OMAHA, Neb. — Here’s a very under-appreciated fact about fourth-ranked and NCAA Tournament second-seeded Iowa State basketball, courtesy of South Dakota State coach Eric Henderson:
“They’ve considerably improved,” he said of a Cyclones’ offense that Henderson’s team will try to slow during Thursday’s NCAA Tournament game. “Even in the half court, I think their movement, their player movement, and their ball movement has really improved from past years, to be frank with you.
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“You can see they believe in each other, too. Those two little guards’ ability to get downhill and create opportunities for their squad will be a big challenge for us because they’re dynamite at it.”
That’d be Tamin Lipsey and Keshon Gilbert, but there’s more. Six different players have led the Cyclones in scoring. A lot of their offense starts on the defensive side.
“It starts with some of the turnovers,” said Henderson, a former Otzelberger assistant during their time together with the Jackrabbits. “That pressure can create a little better pace for T.J.’s squad. They get a few more possessions because they’re turning over their opponent so much.”
In the last two games, Iowa State has made 19 of 42 3-point shots, mostly in transition off of a steal. So while the defense is No. 1 nationally in efficiency, per KenPom ratings, the recent offense hasn’t been bad, either.
Underappreciated?
“It is, because our defense is one of the best, if not the best in the country,” Curtis Jones said. “I think we showed that in the Big 12 Tournament. At this point, I feel we can beat anybody.”
Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 52nd year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, on X @RandyPete, and at DesMoinesRegister.com/CyclonesTexts
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Curtis Jones confident in Iowa State basketball ahead of NCAA Tournament
