No. 8 Iowa State Looks to Keep Momentum Rolling Against Struggling Colorado
No. 8 Iowa State is back on track and eyeing a third straight win as it hosts Colorado in a Big 12 matchup Thursday night in Ames. After a brief skid earlier this month, the Cyclones are finding their rhythm again-and with three straight games against teams with losing conference records, they’ve got a real shot to keep the good times rolling.
Let’s rewind for a second. Iowa State (18-2, 5-2 Big 12) opened the season on a blistering 16-0 run, the best start in program history.
But back-to-back road losses at Kansas and Cincinnati cooled things off quickly and knocked the Cyclones from their No. 2 perch in the national rankings. Head coach T.J.
Otzelberger pointed to sluggish starts in both games as a key issue-and to his team’s credit, they’ve flipped that script in a big way.
Since then, Iowa State has responded with convincing wins over UCF and Oklahoma State, dominating from the jump and showing off the kind of depth and defensive intensity that made them a top-10 team in the first place.
Offensively, the Cyclones are led by the trio of Milan Momcilovic (18.8 points per game), Joshua Jefferson (17.4), and Tamin Lipsey (13.2). But this is far from a three-man show.
One of the more encouraging developments for Otzelberger has been the emergence of freshman big man Dominykas Pleta. With Jefferson battling foul trouble in the second half against Oklahoma State, Pleta stepped in and made his presence felt-just like he did with an eight-point outing against UCF on Jan.
“He can give us some great screening, some physicality on the offensive glass, sealing guys around the basket,” Otzelberger said. “He’s got really good hands, and he can score.”
That’s the kind of frontcourt depth that could pay dividends as the season wears on. Iowa State typically runs an eight-man rotation, so carving out minutes isn’t easy-but Pleta’s recent play is making a strong case for a bigger role.
The Cyclones swept Colorado last season, which was the Buffaloes’ first year back in the Big 12 after over a decade in the Pac-12. And right now, Colorado (12-8, 2-5 Big 12) is searching for answers. After opening conference play with wins over Arizona State and Utah, the Buffaloes have dropped five straight, including a 95-86 loss at home to UCF over the weekend.
Defense has been the Achilles' heel. Head coach Tad Boyle didn’t mince words after the UCF game, calling it a step backward and questioning the team’s collective grit on that end of the floor.
“We’ve got some coaches on our staff that have been around, that are really good,” Boyle said. “But we’re just not good enough on that end of the floor yet.
We’ve got to make that jump. And until we do, these losses will keep mounting up.”
It’s not for lack of scoring. Colorado is putting up 82.6 points per game, led by freshman guard Isaiah Johnson’s 16.2 per game. Barrington Hargress adds 14.2, fellow freshman Sebastian Rancik chips in 13.3, and Bangot Dak is a steady interior presence with 11.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
But until the Buffaloes can tighten up defensively, that offensive firepower won’t be enough in a conference as deep and unforgiving as the Big 12.
As for Iowa State, this is a prime opportunity to continue building momentum. They’ve already shown they can bounce back from adversity. Now, with the home crowd behind them and the schedule lining up in their favor, the Cyclones are poised to keep climbing.