Iowa State vs. VCU Primer

Who: Iowa State (4-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. VCU (3-1, 0-0 A10)

Where: State Farm Field House (5,000) – Kissimmee, Fla.

When: Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023 – 4:30 p.m. CT

Tipping Off: After starting 4-0 for the fifth time in the last ten years, Iowa State prepares for its early-season tournament – the ESPN Events Invitational – held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida. The field includes two ranked teams, No. 12 Texas A&M and No. 19 FAU, as well as Boise State, Butler, Penn State, VCU and Virginia Tech.

The Cyclones will open play against VCU and will face either Boise State or Virginia Tech in the second round depending on the result of the VCU game.

Iowa State has feasted in tournaments during Feast Week since 2011-12. The Cyclones have participated in 10 Thanksgiving-adjacent tournaments in that span, making it to seven title games and winning four (NIT Season Tip Off - 2021, Puerto Rico Tip-Off - 2017, Emerald Coast Classic - 2015, South Padre Island Invitational - 2011) while accumulating a 17-8 record.

Storylines:

The Cyclones have outscored their first three opponents by 182 points, holding opposing teams to an average of 45.8 points per game.
- Opposing teams are shooting just 31.5% from the field against ISU.
- For comparison, ISU has shot 53.6 percent from the field this season.
Iowa State freshman Milan Momcilovic has had a hot start to his collegiate career, scoring in double figures in all four games.
- Momcilovic leads the team in scoring with 14.8 points per game.
- He scored 18 points in the season-opener, the fourth-most by any ISU freshmen in their first game out.
A trio of newcomers help make up three of the top four leading scorers for ISU, as Momcilovic, Buffalo transfer Curtis Jones (10.3) and UNLV transfer Keshon Gilbert (14.5) have made early impacts.
- Momcilovic and Gilbert have each scored in double figures in all four games.
- The only returner among the top four scorers is Tamin Lipsey, who averages 14 points.
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 7 per game – more than double the next closest Cyclone.
As a head coach, Otz is 144-90 overall and has led the Cyclones to a 45-27 record over the last three seasons.

From the Notes:

Cyclone forward Hason Ward transferred to Iowa State from VCU.
- Ward scored 426 points with the Rams, as well as had 321 rebounds.
- No one on the team has played VCU previously.
Iowa State is 28-5 in non-conference contests under Otzelberger.
Iowa State has recorded double-digit steals in four straight games to open the season, including a 19-steal outing against Lindenwood – the second most in school history.
- 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 last recorded double-digit steals in four straight games back in the 2016-17 season and has done so over a four-game stretch just five times since 2000.
Iowa State and VCU will meet for the third time on Thursday afternoon, with both previous matchups coming as part of early season tournaments.
- VCU won the first matchup in El Paso in 1993, while Iowa State won the following season (1994) in Hawaii, 66-59.
The Cyclones have now won 12 straight games when scoring at least 90 points after finishing with 92 against Grambling State.

Switching Sides:

VCU head coach Ryan Odom holds a 3-1 record with the Rams in his first season with the team.
- He boasts a career record of 173-107 as he is in his tenth season as a head coach. Odom has stops at Charlotte, Lenoir-Rhyne, UMBC and Utah State.
- His most famous win came at UMBC when the 16th-seeded Retrievers knocked off number-one seed Virginia in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
Virginia Commonwealth was picked to finish second out of 15 in the Atlantic 10 Conference preseason poll.
- VCU guard Max Shulga was named to the preseason All-Conference Second Team, while his teammate Sean Bairstow was named to the third team.
VCU dropped its opener to McNeese State at home before rattling off three straight wins over Samford, Radford and Seattle prior to Orlando.
Former Michigan point guard Zeb Jackson leads VCU in scoring, as the senior averages 16 points per contest and leads the team with five assists per game.
Ram forward Christian Fermin has a team-high 29 rebounds and a squad-best eight blocks.
Only nine players have seen the floor for VCU this season and the team's average margin of victory is 12.3 points.

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Players Mentioned

Keshon Gilbert

Curtis Jones

Tamin Lipsey

Milan Momcilovic

Hason Ward

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics