No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 25 Baylor Primer

Who: No. 3 Iowa State (11-1, 1-0 Big 12) vs. No. 25 Baylor (9-3, 1-0 Big 12)

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

When: Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025 – 1 p.m. CT

Watch/Listen: CBS / Cyclone Radio Network

Tipping Off: After opening Big 12 play with a win on the road at Colorado, Iowa State will return to Hilton Coliseum to welcome the Baylor Bears for the home conference opener. On Saturday, Iowa State will honor two of the greatest teams in school history in the 1999-00 and 2000-01 teams. The Cyclones shocked the world 25 years ago with the first of back-to-back Big 12 regular-season titles, establishing a standard of excellence that Iowa State teams have strived to match.

Iowa State went undefeated in the month of December and will look to extend its eight-game winning streak to begin 2025. The Cyclones downed Colorado for the second time this season in their last contest. The ISU win in Boulder was the team's first at Colorado since March 3, 2005.

Baylor will be playing its sixth ranked opponent of the season on Saturday, having already squared off with one top 10 team this season. In its five games against ranked opponents, Baylor has scored an average of 73.6 points, while giving up an average of 83.8. The Bears are 2-3 in those games. The Bears defeated Utah in their Big 12 conference opener.

Storylines:

Keshon Gilbert has been ISU's MVP so far, leading the team in minutes, points and assists. He has been named the Big 12 Player of the Week twice this season.
Iowa State's "sixth starter," Curtis Jones, has been elite coming off the bench for Iowa State. He leads the team in field goals and 3-pointers made.
A Preseason All-Big 12 First Team selection, Tamin Lipsey has been the glue of Iowa State's team. A known defensive menace, Lipsey leads the team in steals and is one of six averaging double-figure scoring.
Saint Mary's transfer Joshua Jefferson has been a key, versatile player this season. Jefferson leads the team in rebounding and has earned a pair of Big 12 Newcomer of the Week awards.
Sophomore wing Milan Momcilovic averages just about 11 points per game and shoots the 3-ball at the highest clip on the team at 44 percent.
A transfer from Charlotte, big man Dishon Jackson has been a force in the paint. He leads the team in blocks and averages 10.8 points with 5.3 rebounds.
A Swiss army knife off the bench, Nate Heise has really come into his own. His defensive ability to lock opposing players down has been on display as of late.

From the Notes:

As a head coach, Otz is 180-99 overall and has led the Cyclones to an 81-36 record over the last four years.
- ISU is 52-8 in games at Hilton Coliseum under Otzelberger.
Iowa State has won 25-straight home games at Hilton Coliseum which is the sixth-longest active home winning streak in the country and the second-longest in school history, behind the 39-straight wins from 1999-01.
Coach Otzelberger is the only Iowa State men's basketball coach to take multiple teams to the Sweet 16.
- He was the 51st coach in NCAA Division I history to take a team to the Sweet 16 twice in his first three years on the job.
- Otz will attempt to become the first coach in program history to take a team to the NCAA Tournament in his first four years as coach.
Iowa State has been ranked in the AP Top 10 for 16-straight weeks, the longest streak in the country.
Iowa State currently boasts the top scoring offense in the Big 12, averaging 87.7 points per contest. ISU has scored 80-plus points in all but one game this season, making them a top 10 scoring offense nationally.
The Cyclones are ranked No. 6 in the NET. Iowa State slots in at No. 5 in the KenPom rankings and is No. 5 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

Switching Sides:

This will be the 50th all-time meeting between Iowa State and Baylor.
- The Bears lead the all-time series, 25-24.
- The Cyclones are 15-6 against BU in Hilton Coliseum.
The Bears were picked to finish fourth out of 16 in the Big 12 Preseason Poll, one spot behind Iowa State.
Over the last six seasons the Bears are 136-38, the second-best record among power-conference teams for the duration of that span.
Baylor is the only team in the country to be a top-three seed in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments. It is also one of just four schools to have a win in the last five tournaments.
Since 2019-20, the Bears are 34-18 against AP Top-25 teams - the second-best mark in the nation. BU is 18-14 against Top-25 teams on the road during that span.
Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew is in his 22nd year at the helm of the Bear program.
- Drew is 453-247 with BU and is 473-258 overall in his 23-year head coaching career which began at Valparaiso in 2002.
- He is tied as the eighth-longest tenured coach in Division I.
- He's one of seven active coaches with 450 wins at their current institution and one of just six current coaches with a national title.
Baylor is ranked No. 17 in the NET. The Bears are No. 16 in KenPom and No. 11 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 25 Baylor Primer

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Players Mentioned

Keshon Gilbert

Nate Heise

Dishon Jackson

Joshua Jefferson

Curtis Jones

Tamin Lipsey

Milan Momcilovic

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Iowa State University Athletics

No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 25 Baylor Primer

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Players Mentioned

Keshon Gilbert

Nate Heise

Dishon Jackson

Joshua Jefferson

Curtis Jones

Tamin Lipsey

Milan Momcilovic

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