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Oregon State Basketball: Opponent Preview - Iowa State Cyclones (Game 2)

The Cyclones welcome the Beavers to Big 12 country.

By The_Coach
Iowa State v Kansas Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images

Iowa State Cyclones (1-0, 0-0)

  • Head Coach: TJ Otzelberger (1st Season, Overall: 1-0)
  • Points For: 84.0 PPG
  • Points Against: 73.0 PPG
  • Last Game/Streak: 84-73 Win vs. Kennesaw State (1W)

The Skinny

San Diego State v UNLV
TJ Otzelberger is trying to fix things in Ames.
Photo by David J. Becker/Getty Images
  • Gabe Kalscheur (19.0 PPG)
  • Izaiah Brockington (18.0 PPG)
  • Caleb Grill (11.0 PPG)
  • Tyrese Hunter (11.0 PPG)
  • Tre Jackson (10.0 PPG)
  • George Conditt IV (9.0 PPG)
  • Tristan Enaruna (4.0 PPG)
  • Robert Jones (2.0 PPG)
  • Aljaz Kunc (0.0 PPG)

Putting too much stock into Iowa State’s opening day victory over an inferior Kennesaw State team would be similar to saying the Beavers are bound for glory after knocking off Portland State, in a contest that wasn’t overly dominating or one-sided at any given moment. Yet to give credit where credit is due, the Cyclones did take care of business versus the Owls at the start of a new campaign under head coach TJ Otzelberger, whose inherits a program that limped to just two wins last year and have a ton of work ahead to rise from the Big 12 cellar.

If there’s one thing Otzelberger inherits from former head coach Steve Prohm, it’s a culture within the Cyclones program that’s been built around guards. This time around, a trio of transfer play-makers in Gabe Kalscheur (Minnesota), Izaiah Brockington (Penn State) and Caleb Grill (UNLV) look to be the ones that may lead this squad, especially on the offensive end. The two former Big Ten stand-outs and Mountain West-er were three of the five Cyclones that reached double-figures in scoring in their debut.

However, defensively, Iowa State has been known as a hit-or-miss team, regularly floating towards the bottom of the brutal Big 12 in their inability to control the paint with undersized line-ups and often fueling other team’s offenses with a general lackluster defensive effort. But maybe, under a new head coach, this is the season in which things change for the Cyclones.

The Beavers will try to keep their good vibes rolling out in Big 12 country, but surely, it won’t be easy against one of the many teams who are still confident and excitable in the early season.

Game Information

  • Date: Friday, November 12th
  • Time: 5:00 PM PT
  • Location: Hilton Coliseum (Ames, Iowa)
  • Coverage: Big 12 Network/ESPN+