It’s the first test for the Cyclones, and it’s not an insignificant one.
The Game
Iowa State vs. South Dakota State, in Ames
The Time
6:00 PM Central
The Television
ESPN+ (subscription service)
The Opponent
South Dakota State. You might remember the Mike Daum era there. You might remember their two NCAA Tournament trips in the time before Daum. They’re the class of the Summit League, and while that might not mean much at first glance, it takes something to be the clear best program in a low-major conference, with the Summit League on the high end of low-majors.
The Numbers
Vegas has Iowa State by three. KenPom has Iowa State by four, and gives the Cyclones a 65% win probability.
What Iowa State Needs to Do
Iowa State needs wins, period, and in a conference in which half of the teams may be in the top ten nationally, opportunities like these, while challenging, must be seized.
Doing that against the Jacks starts with defense. South Dakota State has returned nearly everyone from a team that finished the season with the fourth-best effective field goal percentage in Division I. They managed more than a point per possession against West Virginia’s top-ten defense in their opener. They shot 56% on 27 threes in their 24-point cakewalk over Utah State. Saint Mary’s, who held the Jackrabbit offense in check, did it by limiting them to twelve three-point attempts, forcing them to try to get to the hoop. If Iowa State can do that and can still successfully defend inside, they’ll be in good shape.
Offensively, South Dakota State figures to give the Cyclones their own set of problems on the perimeter, so the more Iowa State can get out in transition, get their bigs going, and create second chances on missed shots, the better off they’ll be. Iowa State got away with a bad shooting half on Sunday against UAPB. South Dakota State is not UAPB.
