17. Iowa State (2-0)
What we’ve seen from Iowa State in recent years has been pretty consistent: this is strong team-focused basketball and shutdown defense. The Cyclones returned more than a few notable faces from last season and many think they have the talent to make a run in the Big 12 race this season. A lot will ride not just on the strength of their defense but how they replace a few significant lost pieces from last year’s offensive attack.
We started to learn how they’ll replace that attack on opening night, with Iowa State beating Fairleigh Dickinson 88-50. Milan Momcilovic got his season off to an outstanding start with 29 points while Joshua Jefferson had a double-double and Tamin Lipsey filled the stat sheet. The offense looked even better Thursday, knocking down Grambling in a 102-62 win. Jefferson led all scorers with 20 points and anchored an efficient interior offense.
It was great to see strong efforts from those returning pieces, though we were never going to learn a ton against this level of opposition. Still, it’s clear that Momcilovic’s third season could be his greatest while the rest of this veteran talent comes ready to play each and every game. The first real test comes quickly next week against Mississippi State and we’ll learn a lot about this team’s resolve in South Dakota for that matchup.