The Cyclones’ loss to Kansas State to end the regular season displayed many problems that Iowa State has repeatedly shown, but was not the biggest concern the team has on the radar.
Throughout the Cyclones’ final five games of the season, they have consistently endured lulls offensively and defensively, often relying on late runs to make up for the prior 30 minutes. On Saturday, this was not the case, as Iowa State was severely outplayed at its own game and could not muster together a miracle drive.
But based on how the Cyclones’ near future looked heading into the matchup, this matchup was not exactly the highest priority the team was worried about. They still clinched the two seed in the Big 12 Tournament, but if they do not iron out their issues in the last few weeks, the quarterfinals could be the ceiling.
Everything clicking in spurts
In these last five games, especially against Kansas State and BYU, the Cyclones will show increments where they look like a top-10 team. When they play their style of basketball, forcing turnovers and turning those into points, they look unstoppable.
The Cyclones went on numerous runs against the Wildcats which gave them the momentum, even when they were still trailing in the second half.
But Iowa State failed to play consistently on defense, often being either a touch too slow in the paint or around the perimeter to break up passes. This resulted in Kansas State putting together runs of its own, which became more frequent in the second half.
The most life the Cyclones had in the second half was when they went on a 10-0 run to cut the Wildcat lead to five, which Kansas State responded to with a 12-6 run. The runs that Iowa State goes on are not building up leads, they are mostly making up for its poor execution.
While Kansas State is the only recent example of the Cyclones’ late push not working out in their favor, it does serve as a question as to whether this habit will impact Iowa State down the road.
Momcilovic’s slump
Although it is his first year in one of the toughest conferences in the nation, and college basketball in general, freshman Milan Momcilovic has hit a wall recently. Momcilovic has scored double figures in just three of his last 10 games, with a shooting percentage of 33% from the field.
Even with how late it is into the season, it looks like T.J. Otzelberger and his staff are still trying to find out how to use the young forward. Although Momcilovic has been on the receiving end of double teams, Iowa State still has not found him in the right spots to take advantage of his ability as a pure shooter.
All these offensive struggles culminated in Momcilovic going scoreless against Kansas State, with just two attempts from the field in his 22 minutes played. This was the first time in his freshman season that he had not scored in a game and was essentially shut down in all facets.
Momcilovic is a talented young player, this has not changed. But his value as one of the best shooters on the team is being underutilized in this Iowa State offense that is often in need of a spark.
Sights set on Big 12 Tournament
While the loss certainly stings for Iowa State and is not how they wanted to end the regular season, it does not affect the team in the long run.
The Cyclones were essentially locked in for a double-bye in the Big 12 Tournament, where the focus should be. Iowa State had almost nothing to gain from a win against Kansas State and is not seen to be significantly worse following the loss.
Kansas State needed this win to bolster its NCAA Tournament portfolio, while Iowa State is focused on the postseason. The Cyclones can use their game against the Wildcats to fix their recurring issues that have nearly lost them multiple games at the end of the season.
