Overcoming Iowa State’s Strength and Talent
Iowa State is loaded. 6’9 forward Joshua Jefferson is an all-American and a dominant player, averaging 16.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Leading scorer Milan Momcilovic is 6’8 forward that is deadly from deep (.496). He’s made nearly as many triples as Nkrumah and Harper combined.
Guard Tamin Lipsey is Big 12 first-teamer who distributes five assists and adds 13.3 points per game.
This is the Cyclones’ sixth NCAA Tournament under head coach T.J. Otzelberger. Smith is bringing TSU to its first ‘Big Dance’ in 32 years.
Iowa State’s path has been bumpy of late. The Cyclones are 3-3 over their last six games. TSU has won its last six and nine of its last ten games.
Smith says his team picked up a tougher mindset after a loss to co-OVC champion Morehead State.
“There is a moment in our season where I would've said they weren't prepared,” said Smith. “But that's part of the process of becoming a champion. But once they realized they had a chance to become a champion, that's when they changed. All of the soft stuff, the giving up offensive rebounds, being careless with the ball. After the Morehead State loss the guys talked about all of our flaws and what it is going to take to be a tougher team. As a championship team, players take ownership. Once they took ownership over what we are doing, that's where I think everybody that has watched us become the tough and together team that we have become.”
A pair of unheralded 6’8 juniors could be the key to the game. Jalen Pitre and Antoine Lorick III must be sturdy against the talented and physical Cyclone frontcourt players.
Lorick had a sensational OVC Tournament, scoring 13 and 18 points in TSU’s championship run. He grabbed ten rebounds in the team’s semifinal win over UT Martin.
Eleven, fifteen seeds have defeated their second seeded foes. The 2022 St. Peter’s team is the only one to reach the Elite Eight.
If TSU hopes to repeat history in St. Louis, the Tigers will need to play the perfect game and allow their toughness to carry them into the record books.