JayhawkSlant.com caught up with Bill Seals, publisher of CycloneReport.com, to get his thoughts on today's game.
Iowa State is off to a 13-2 start and 4-0 in league play. What’s been the biggest key?
I think the team’s defensive mentality is what set the tone early in the season, but as of late it’s been the Cyclones’ improved efficiency on the offensive end. During TJ Otzelberger’s first season at the helm, plenty of games were offensive struggles with scores in the 50s and 60s, but Iowa State is evolving in year number two. And it’s done so, surprisingly, without the likes of Izaiah Brockington and Tyrese Hunter. It was a rollercoaster ride with Gabe Kalscheur and Caleb Grill during last season’s Sweet 16 run, but those two have been shooting at a higher clip as seniors. Kalscheur’s field-goal percentage is up six points, and his 3-point percentage is up more than 10 points to a respectable 33 percent this season. Grill, who put the Cyclones on his back to defeat then-number-one North Carolina in Portland in late November, is shooting four percentage points higher from the field and his 3-point percentage is also up to 39.1 from long range. The facilitator has been point guard Tamin Lipsey, a true freshman who was originally planning to be Hunter’s understudy for one season. The local product was thrown to the wolves early but has shown steady improvement and has gotten more involved on the offensive end. Iowa State’s defense is always going to be there and travels well, but the improved offensive production makes this team even more difficult to contend with.
What, if anything, has surprised you the most about this team?
As I alluded to above, it’s most definitely been the work done by Kalscheur and Grill shooting the ball. So much talk in the offseason was on what the Cyclones would do without the likes of Brockington and Hunter, then heralded transfer combo guard Jeremiah Williams suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon during the preseason, and there went another likely double-figure scorer. Yet, somehow through 15 games, Iowa State is averaging six more points than it did last season. With an influx of post players this season, the Cyclones have gone bigger and that’s provided another boost. Big man Robert Jones is an entirely different player than he was a year ago and has become a key contributor even with the addition of transfers Osun Osunniyi and Hasan Ward.
For ISU, what will be the biggest key tomorrow in Lawrence in terms of being successful?
The Cyclones’ defense should travel well, but I think the biggest key is limiting any big scoring runs by the defending national champions. ISU did that well on the road against Oklahoma and TCU, never letting the home team sustain much of anything. As we saw earlier this week in KU’s game against Oklahoma, leads can be erased quickly. With the celebration of 125 years of Jayhawk Basketball and all the former players and coaches returning, the Phog is going to be rocking. ISU must weather the storm and prevent another run like the one KU had on the Sooners the other night. In his first trip to Lawrence, Lipsey must also rise to the occasion and continue his efficient play.
How do you see the game playing out?
Nobody outside of the program expected the Cyclones to be 4-0 at this point and tied for first place in the Big 12, just like hardly anyone is counting on a victory in Lawrence on Saturday. The Jayhawks are favored by 13 points, but I think this one will be much closer than that. I’ve got the Jayhawks winning a close one, with this one going down to the wire.
