PRIMER: No. 15 Iowa State vs. Syracuse

Who: Iowa State (6-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Syracuse (4-2, 0-0 ACC)

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena (17,000) – Las Vegas, Nev.

When: Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 – 12 p.m. CT

Watch: TNT // Spero Dedes (PxP), Greg Anthony (Analyst) & Jared Greenberg (Sideline)

Listen: Cyclone Radio Network // John Walters (PxP) & Eric Heft (Analyst)

Tipping Off: Just missing out on a top-four finish at the Player's Era due to tiebreakers, Iowa State will square off with Syracuse in the third and final contest of the Championship.

The Cyclones enter Wednesday's final contest having beat St. John's in the opener in a tightly contested matchup and dispatching Creighton in Tuesday's game two. The Cyclones will get a reprieve from BIG EAST opponents as it takes on its first team from the ACC.

Syracuse will look to earn its first win of the tournament, as it opened the championship with an overtime loss to No. 3 Houston before falling on Tuesday to Kansas. The Orange's Big 12 affair continues into Wednesday as it is set to face the Cyclones.

Storylines:

At No. 15 in the AP Top 25 Poll, Iowa State has been ranked in the AP Top 25 for 36 straight weeks, the seventh-longest streak in the nation. It is the second-longest streak in the Big 12 behind Houston's 110, which is the longest streak in the country.
- The Cyclones and Cougars are the only two Big 12 schools to have streaks of at least 15 weeks.
The Cyclones had three players named to the Naismith Starting Five Preseason Watch lists. Iowa State was one of nine schools in the country to have at least three players named. Along with three selections on the women's side, ISU was one of just five schools in the country to have at least six combined selections.
- Tamin Lipsey was named to the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Watch List.
  - Lipsey is also on both the Wooden Award and Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch Lists.
- Milan Momcilovic was named to the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Watch List.
- Joshua Jefferson was named to the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Watch List. Former Cyclone Georges Niang won the award in 2016.
  - Jefferson, like Lipsey, is also on the Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch List.

From the Notes:

As a head coach, Otz is 200-108 overall and has guided the Cyclones to a 101-45 record over the last four years.
- He earned his 100th win at Iowa State against HOF coach Rick Pitino and No. 14 St. John's in the Players Era Championship opener on Nov. 24.
- His 95 wins in his first four years at Iowa State were the most by any coach in program history in their first four years as head coach.
Under Otz, ISU is 54-10 against non-conference opponents. His 54 wins are the ninth-most in the nation, and the .844 winning percentage is the fourth-best.
With the win over St. John's, Iowa State has 26 wins over top 25 teams since Otzelberger took over (2021-22). That is tied for the fourth-most in the nation during that stretch.
Otz has led Iowa State to three 20-plus win seasons, joining Orr (5), Hoiberg (4), Floyd (3) and Prohm (3) as only ISU coaches to do so multiple times.
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.
- In four postseason appearances, Otzelberger has five NCAA Tournament wins – the most by any coach in program history.
Otz currently holds the school's highest winning percentage by a head coach.
As of Tuesday night, Iowa State slots in at No. 6 in the KenPom rankings and No. 6 in the ESPN Basketball Power Index.

Switching Sides:

Syracuse and Iowa State will meet for the third time on Wednesday afternoon.
- The Orange hold a 2-0 all-time record against ISU and won the last matchup between the teams in 1990 in Lahaina, Hawai'i, as part of the Maui Tournament.
Syracuse has been and will be without its leading scorer, Donnie Freeman, (17.8 ppg) in the Players Era Championship.
With Freeman out, freshman Kiyan Anthony has shouldered most of the scoring load as he's averaged 12.5 point per game.
- Anthony is the son of Syracuse legend and NBA HOFer Carmelo Anthony.
Syracuse was picked to finish ninth out of 18 in the ACC Preseason Poll.
Syracuse head coach Red Autry is in his third season at the helm of the Orange basketball program. Autry is 38-33 during his time in Syracuse.
- Autry took over for the legendary Jim Boeheim, as he is coaching at his alma mater.
As of Tuesday night, Syracuse is No. 57 in the KenPom rankings and No. 55 in the ESPN Basketball Power Index.

PRIMER: No. 15 Iowa State vs. Syracuse

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PRIMER: No. 15 Iowa State vs. Syracuse

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