Iowa State vs. Grambling State Primer

Who: Iowa State (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Grambling State (2-2, 0-0 SWAC)

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

When: Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023 – 12 p.m.

Tipping Off: Having started 3-0 for the third straight season under head coach T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State returns to Hilton Coliseum after a week off of action to host the Grambling State Tigers for a Sunday afternoon non-conference clash.

Storylines:

The Cyclones have outscored their first three opponents by 127 points, holding opposing teams to an average of 42.3 points per game.
- Opposing teams are shooting just 32.6% from the field against ISU.
- For comparison, ISU has shot 51.3 percent from the field this season.
Iowa State freshman Milan Momcilovic has had a hot start to his collegiate career, posting 18- and 17-point games to start the season and has scored in double figures in all three games.
- Momcilovic leads the team in scoring with 15.3 points per game.
- Milan is one of just three freshmen nationally to record at least 10 3-pointers made in their first three games of the season.
A pair of newcomers lead the Cyclones in scoring through three games, as Momcilovic and UNLV transfer Keshon Gilbert have each scored in doubles figures in all three contests.
Tamin Lipsey, a unanimous Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection last season, has already recorded a new career-high in scoring this season, posting 21 points against Lindenwood.
- Lipsey leads the team in assists with 6.3 – more than double the next closest Cyclone.
As a head coach, Otz is 143-90 overall and has led the Cyclones to a 44-27 record over the last three seasons.

From the Notes:

Iowa State is 30-8 in games at Hilton Coliseum and is 27-5 in non-conference contests under Otzelberger.
Against Lindenwood, Iowa State recorded 19 steals. It's the most steals by a Cyclone team in a game since 1996.
- Iowa State then recorded 17 steals against Idaho State – the fourth most in a game in school history. Two of the top four steal performances by an ISU team have come in the last two games.
Iowa State and Grambling State will meet for the third time on Sunday afternoon, with both previous matchups coming in Ames and ISU winning both.
- The last meeting came in 2021 when the Cyclones downed the Tigers 82-47 in Hilton. Jaz Kunc led ISU with 21 points on the day.
The Cyclones have now won 19 straight games when scoring at least 80 points after finishing with 86 against Idaho State.
Tre King is the only Cyclone with over 1,000 career points. Last season, he was one of four Cyclones to hit that milestone.

Switching Sides:

Grambling State head coach Donte' Jackson holds a 101-88 record with the Tigers and boasts a career record of 213-146. Jackson is in his seventh season as the coach of the Tigers and has 13 years of head coaching experience.
Grambling State was picked to finish second out of 12 in the SWAC preseason poll which is voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
GSU wing Jourdan Smith was tabbed as the conference's preseason Defensive Player of the Year and was also selected to the preseason All-SWAC Second Team.
The Tigers own wins over UNT Dallas and Champion Christian, with losses to both Colorado and Delaware State.
Grambling State has five players averaging double-figure scoring, with Kintavious Dozier leading the way.
- Dozier has played in just one game this season – the last time the Tigers were out against Delaware State – where he dropped 24 points.
Former Iowa State guard Terrence Lewis plays for the Tigers. Lewis, a member of the ISU class of 2017 recruiting group (along with Lindell Wigginton), averages 9.3 points per game with 1.5 rebounds.

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Players Mentioned

Keshon Gilbert

Tre King

Tamin Lipsey

Milan Momcilovic

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics