No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 25 Baylor Primer

WHO: No. 3 Iowa State (11-1, 1-0 Big 12) vs. No. 25 Baylor (9-3, 1-0 Big 12)

Where: Hilton Coliseum (14,267) – Ames, Iowa

When: Saturday, January 4, 2025 – 1:00 p.m. CT

Watch/Listen: CBS/Cyclone Radio Network

Tip: After opening its Big 12 game with a road win at Colorado, Iowa State returns to Hilton Coliseum to welcome the Baylor Bears in its home conference opener. On Saturday, Iowa State will honor two of the best teams in school history, the 1999-00 and 2000-01 teams. The Cyclones shocked the world with the first consecutive Big 12 regular season title 25 years ago, establishing a standard of excellence that Iowa State teams strive to achieve.

Iowa State went undefeated in December and will look to extend its eight-game winning streak into the start of 2025. The Cyclones defeated Colorado in their final game for the second time this season. The ISU win in Boulder was the team’s first in Colorado since March 3, 2005.

Baylor will face its sixth-ranked opponent of the season on Saturday after already facing a top-10 team this season. In its five games against ranked opponents, Baylor averaged 73.6 points and gave up an average of 83.8 points. The Bears are 2-3 in those games. The Bears defeated Utah in their Big 12 Conference opener.

Storylines:

• Keshon Gilbert has been ISU’s MVP so far, leading the team in minutes, points and assists. He was named Big 12 Player of the Week twice this season.
• Iowa State’s “sixth starter,” Curtis JonesHe was one of the elite players coming off the bench for Iowa State. He leads the team in field goals made and three-pointers made.
• A preseason All-Big 12 First Team selection, Tamin Lipsey was the glue of the Iowa State team. A noted defensive threat, Lipsey leads the team in steals and is one of six players to average double-digit points.
• Transfer of Saint Mary Joshua Jefferson was an important and versatile player this season. Jefferson leads the team in rebounding and has earned two Big 12 Newcomer of the Week awards.
• Sophomore wing Milan Momcilovic He only averages about 11 points per game and shoots the team’s highest 3-ball at 44 percent.
• A transfer from Charlotte, big man Dishon Jackson was a power in color. He leads the team in blocks and averages 10.8 points with 5.3 rebounds.
• A Swiss army knife from the bank, Nate Heise has really come into its own. His defensive ability to pin down opposing players has been on display recently.

From the notes:

• As a head coach, Otz is 180-99 overall and has led the Cyclones to an 81-36 record over the last four years.

  • ISU has a 52-8 record in games at Hilton Coliseum under Otzelberger.

• Iowa State has won 25 straight home games at Hilton Coliseum. This is the sixth-longest active home winning streak in the country and the second-longest in school history, behind the 39 straight wins from 1999 to 1999.
• Coach Otzelberger is the only Iowa State men’s basketball coach to lead multiple teams to the Sweet 16.

  • He became the 51st coach in NCAA Division I history to lead a team to the Sweet 16 twice in his first three years in charge.
  • Otz will attempt to become the first coach in program history to lead a team to the NCAA Tournament in his first four years of coaching.

• Iowa State has been ranked in the AP Top 10 for 16 consecutive weeks, the longest streak in the country.
• Iowa State currently boasts the highest scoring offense in the Big 12, averaging 87.7 points per game. ISU has scored more than 80 points in all but one game this season, placing them among the top 10 offenses nationally.
• The Cyclones are ranked No. 6 in the NET. Iowa State is No. 5 in the KenPom rankings and No. 5 in ESPN’s Basketball Power Index.

Changing sides:

• This will be the 50th all-time meeting between Iowa State and Baylor.

  • The Bears lead the all-time series 25-24.
  • The Cyclones are 15-6 against BU at Hilton Coliseum.

• The Bears were picked to finish fourth of 16 in the Big 12 Preseason Poll, one spot behind Iowa State.
• Over the past six seasons, the Bears have posted a 136-38 record, the second-best record among power conference teams in that span.
• Baylor is the only team in the country to receive a top-three seed in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments. It is also one of only four schools to record a win in the last five tournaments.
• Since 2019-20, the Bears are 34-18 against AP Top 25 teams, the second-best record in the country. BU is 18-14 against top-25 away teams in that span.
• Baylor head coach Scott Drew is in his 22nd year at the helm of the Bear program.

  • Drew is 453-247 at BU and 473-258 overall in his 23-year head coaching career, which began in 2002 at Valparaiso.
  • He is the eighth-oldest coach in Division I.
  • He is one of seven active coaches with 450 wins at their current institution and one of only six current coaches with a national title.

• Baylor is ranked No. 17 in the NET. The Bears are No. 16 in KenPom and No. 11 in ESPN’s Basketball Power Index.