Iowa State Basketball: 3 keys to victory against Ohio State
By Chris Kern
1. Rebound the basketball.
This is much easier said than done but this is an area that Iowa State definitely needs to do well in. Most of their rebounding stats aren’t that bad but there is one that is very worrisome. They allowed the most offensive rebounds in the Big 12. Even in some of their wins, it’s been a big issue for them. They beat Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament championship game, 78-66, but they allowed 17 offensive rebounds while only getting seven themselves. Overall, they only got outrebounded 36-41 but they can’t allow that many second chances for Ohio State in this game.
The Buckeyes aren’t a great rebounding team but they do have a few guys who will give the Cyclones on the offensive glass. Kaleb and Andre Wesson, as well as Kyle Young, are all capable of getting at least a couple of offensive rebounds to give Ohio State more shot opportunities. If Ohio State is able to dominate the offensive glass, that will go a long ways towards them pulling off the upset. Iowa State is certainly expected to be the better offensive team so the Buckeyes will need to find a way to get more opportunities.
The Cyclones have lost games for other reasons but in their 15-point loss against West Virginia a couple of weeks back, they allowed 18 offensive boards as they were outrebounded 34-44. They don’t get outrebounded every game but when they do lose, the rebounding margin often plays a large role in that. Iowa State has been inconsistent on the offensive end and while they’re capable of catching fire, they need to be able to win this game in other ways. If they have to play a game that ends in the ’60s or even the ’70s, they will need to do an especially good job rebounding the basketball.