Iowa State Men’s Basketball Preview: We’re Talking West Virginia Pt.2

Last Time Out

There seemed to be little to no Hilton Magic last Saturday as Iowa State hosted Oklahoma in what seemed like a very winnable game. Iowa State lost against the Sooners 61-50 in what would be their second loss in Hilton all year. The Cyclones are now 8-8 in Big 12 play.

The Cyclones allowed Oklahoma’s Jacob Groves to score 16 points off the bench and were outscored by the Sooners 38-22 in the second half. Iowa State also shot 31% from the field for the entire game.

Gabe Kalscheur led Iowa State in scoring with 12 points. This loss would knock Iowa State out of the AP top 25.

This was hands down the most disappointing game to watch this season. Iowa State needs to make their last outing in Hilton this season a good one.

“For our guys, our team,” said Coach Otzelberger, “having more personal pride is really important...Having pride to play hard every possession, having pride to finish plays, having pride to bring tremendous effort every single possession”.

About West Virginia

West Virginia is looking a lot like us right now...bad. Both West Virginia and Iowa State are 1-4 in their last five games. The Mountaineers' most recent game was a loss to Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse, 76-74 last Saturday.

Erik Stevenson led West Virginia with 23 points and Tre Mitchell poured in 20 as well. Despite not having the best in-conference record, West Virginia is definitely a team that can get an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament next month.

The last time these teams met was on February 8th in Morgantown, West Virginia won the contest 76-71. The Cyclones were ranked 11th at the time in the AP poll.

Player to Watch

West Virginia’s leading scorer, Erik Stevenson is the guy the Cyclones need to contain if not shut down defensively tonight. Stevenson is the Mountaineers' leading scorer, averaging 14 points on the season. Stevenson is also lethal from three, especially off the catch.

If Iowa State can keep Stevenson from getting hot from behind the arc, I like the Cyclone’s chances. It is key that Lipsey, Grill, and Kalscheur know where Stevenson is at all times. If they have to start guarding him in the parking lot..do so.

Pick 3

1. Holmes scores 15+
2. Kalscheur holds Stevenson under his average.
3. Osun records 3 blocks

What will Happen?

I think Iowa State leaves it all out there on the floor tonight. I think they want to avoid leaving a bad taste in Cyclone fans’ mouths. It’s senior night, and a lot of this team will never play in Hilton ever again.

In a game where Iowa State is in need of a desperate win, against a team that has their number, on senior night with eight seniors on the roster...I can’t see a better situation for Iowa State to go out and absolutely dominate tonight.

I see Iowa State winning this game in an emotional fashion, 77-58. West Virginia is a good team so it’s crucial Iowa State puts those guys away early and builds on a lead by playing a complete 40 minutes of basketball.

Iowa State covers the spread at -4.5. Iowa State has a 67% chance to win this game according to ESPN Analytics.