A tune-up, but as last year’s Iowa State showed, one that is not without risk.
The Game
Iowa State vs. Jackson State, in Ames
The Time
12:00 PM Central
The Television
ESPN+
The Opponent
You know Jackson State because of Snacks and Deion Sanders. They appear to be one of the rising HBCU athletic departments. They’re at the tail end of the gauntlet of buy games that are typical for HBCU men’s basketball teams, beginning SWAC play right after New Year’s. They aren’t expected to contend in the SWAC regular season—Texas Southern’s a moderate favorite there right now—but they aren’t out of the running for a two or three-seed in the SWAC tournament, so they’ve got a rather clear path to the NCAA Tournament, and a much more likely one than the Cyclones, for what it’s worth.
The Numbers
Vegas has Iowa State a 19.5-point favorite, with the total at 141.5. KenPom has Iowa State 95% likely to win, with a projected final of 81-62.
What Iowa State Needs to Do
Clean it up. Protect the ball. Jackson State does force some turnovers—defense is their strength—so this won’t be as easy as it sounds, but that strength is a relative one. This is a good game for Iowa State to focus on clean possessions ending with shots in the paint. Learn to maximize those. See what happens. And, of course, don’t do what they did against Florida A&M last year.
