While the standings say Saturday’s matchup should be a blowout for the No. 6 Cyclones against West Virginia, Iowa State is not buying into any notions that this will be an easy game.
The Cyclones open their doors at Hilton to the bottom team in the Big 12 standings in West Virginia (9-17, 4-9), and hope to wash away the sour taste Houston left from Monday’s loss.
But if you ask head coach T.J. Otzelberger, this is just a regular conference game for him and his squad.
“I couldn’t tell you where everyone sits in the standings,” Otzelberger said. “We’re not really caught up in all of that.”
What the Cyclones are caught up in are two things: redemption from last season and not underestimating a West Virginia team with all its pieces back.
Iowa State lost both of its matchups with the Mountaineers last year, including a late three-point loss at home. The Cyclones have taken pride in defending home court this season, a place they have not lost a game in 15 contests, and Otzelberger is ready to make up for last season’s mistakes.
“That sticks with you,” Otzelberger said. “It was at a point last year later in the season around this time of the year and they came in and beat us, and I remember that.”
But now, with an even better team this season, the Cyclones look to be the next team to snag a win from a West Virginia team that is far from the same as its NCAA-qualifying team last season. Despite returning five key players from last year, the Mountaineers are the lowest-scoring offense in the conference (68.8 points per game) whereas last season they finished as the fourth-highest.
But even with West Virginia struggling under interim head coach Josh Eilert, Otzelberger does not want himself or his players to take their opponent lightly.
West Virginia has seen some of its best players, RaeQuan Battle, Jesse Edwards and Kerr Kriisa all miss significant time this season. But they are all back now, and their potential as a team was seen in the Mountaineers’ 10-point win over UCF on Tuesday.
Battle, Edwards and Kriisa combined for 46 of West Virginia’s 77 points.
“They’re coming off a game against Central Florida where their confidence is built,” Otzelberger said. “The coaching styles maybe are a bit different, the personnel is a bit different but we’ve seen when they are at their best, they are good.”
For Iowa State to avoid a massive upset, which would likely eliminate the team from a Big 12 regular season title and change the seeding come tournament time, the team will need to keep its focus on Saturday’s game and nothing else.
All the mental and physical preparation cannot stop now, even with the stigma that the Mountaineers carry with them as they enter Hilton. The Cyclones have to give West Virginia the same amount of attention as they gave No. 2 Houston, and all the teams that came before them.
“It is not a surprise when if you’re not ready to play and you’re not at your best that you’re going to get beat,” Otzelberger said. “We’re going to have to be at our very best on Saturday, and we know that.”
“I know they might not have the best record in the league but we’re still looking at it like it’s a big game,” guard Curtis Jones said.
Iowa State and West Virginia will tip off at 1 p.m. Saturday and will broadcast on ESPN2.
