Iowa State vs. Missouri: College basketball game preview, TV schedule
In a matchup of two programs who’ve overhauled their respective rosters, this will be the first look at Missouri and Iowa State’s new batch of players.
TV schedule: Friday, Nov. 10, SEC Network and WatchESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET.
Arena: Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri
These two teams had vastly different seasons, with Iowa State a top-five seed in the NCAA Tournament while Missouri tied LSU at the bottom of the SEC. Both teams were supposed to have down years with the Cyclones having to replace all their veteran stars and the Tigers expecting to continue their futility.
That all changed with the hire of former Cal coach Cuonzo Martin, who brought in Michael Porter Sr. That assistant hire resulted in the five-star Porter brothers, Michael and Jontay to the Tigers. The momentum continued with a couple more high-profile freshmen coming in.
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Meanwhile, Steve Prohm went the transfer route to replenish the talent pool, with grad transfers Jeff Beverly and Hans Brase likely to have big roles for this team. Their best overall player might be their four-star recruit, Lindell Wigginton. The 6’2 combo guard will likely come in and start right away for the Cyclones with backcourt mate Donovan Jackson the replacement for former star Cyclone Monte Morris. They should be solid on the perimeter, but the frontcourt is another story.
Of the players expected to be in the main rotation, there’s no one over 6’9 for the Cyclones to use. One of the only non-seniors in the rotation last year, sophomore Solomon Young, will be the lead anchor down low, with Prohm likely to use a bevy of small-ball lineups this season.
Related Story: Iowa State 2017-18 preview
That puts them at a huge disadvantage against the Tigers, who could have three guys over 6’10 on the court with the Porter brothers playing alongside top-100 freshman Jeremiah Tilmon. At 6’10 and 250 pounds, the Cyclones have nothing on the roster to stop him.
We ultimately have no idea how these two teams will look at the end of the season, but how these teams perform Friday night will be an indicator of who are the alpha dogs and who are the role players. As of now, those roles have yet to be determined. Both teams lack chemistry, so expect a high number of turnovers. The size disparity down low should ultimately determine this game.
Prediction: Missouri 83 – Iowa State 68