Marquette vs Iowa State: 2024-25 College basketball game preview, TV schedule

Iowa State hosts Marquette in Big 12-Big East Battle between Top 6 teams; will the Cyclones take care of business in Ames or do the Golden Eagles find a way to keep winning?

TV schedule: Wednesday, December 4, 8:00 pm ET. ESPN+

Arena: Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa

The initial weeks of this season have seen Marquette (8-0) playing some fantastic basketball, looking for another great season. The Golden Eagles look like the class of the Big East this season, already owning nice wins over Purdue and at Maryland and showing no signs of slowing down.

It’s been the Kam Jones (19.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 6.4 apg) show time and time again for Marquette, though this high-profile scorer is far from the only weapon on this roster. David Joplin (15.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg) continues to stand out as a scorer who can go off in any game while providing great talent in an experienced frontcourt. The Golden Eagles also boast Stevie Mitchell (11.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg), a senior guard who’s really making his outside shots and competing at a high level in his third year as a starter.

Marquette sits at #5 in the AP Top 25 after their unbeaten start to the season, though they sit just 11th in KenPom and 7th in the initial NET ratings. While there are playmakers and great talent in the offense, Shaka Smart’s team leans heavily on their elite defense and that’s the unit that will get the job done in Big East play in the coming months. They limited a strong Purdue team to just 58 points, though they’ve been a bit more susceptible inside the arc with that new-look frontcourt still coming together.

The story isn’t much different at Iowa State (5-1), though the Cyclones have already suffered their first loss this season. They faltered in a tough test against Auburn early on in Maui but answered with great offensive performances against both Dayton and Colorado to salvage a successful trip. The Cyclones are only just scratching the surface on what this season can be and have a major opportunity to prove that here.

Many important pieces returned this season, namely Keshon Gilbert (16.5 ppg, 5.3 apg), the senior guard and top scorer who affects the game in many ways on the court. Fellow senior guard Curtis Jones (16.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg) has made 40% of his 3-pointers and is leaned on heavily on the offensive end. One of last year’s surprises continues to develop, as sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic (12.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg) keeps on making plays for the Cyclones.

Iowa State sits 6th in both the AP Top 25 and the KenPom ratings, but find themselves just 19th in the NET rankings. This is likely due to the weak opposition they played before their trip to Maui, though they looked strong on both sides of the ball in those contests. Had a few balls bounced their way against Auburn, we might be talking about Iowa State as perhaps the nation’s top team, though an elite offense and outstanding defense could create that narrative soon enough.

There are some fantastic matchups in this conference challenge but it’s hard for anything to compare to #5 against #6 on a Wednesday night. The Golden Eagles and Cyclones both have talented lineups with homegrown stars that play strong on defense and hit the shots they’ve needed to hit in the opening weeks of this season. We didn’t even get a chance to bring up names like Tamin Lipsey for the Cyclones or Chase Ross on Marquette but there’s talent aplenty at all times in this matchup.

Homecourt advantage lies in Iowa State’s favor, and that’s a big reason why we think the Cyclones will get the job done. Their offense just has been playing at another level in these high-profile Maui games and they should be pumped up for this Top 10 matchup. The Marquette defense will certainly have a lot to say about this outcome, but we’re leaning on the Cyclones to hit a few more shots to get themselves a marquee win in early December.

Prediction: Iowa State 77, Marquette 73