3 takeaways from Iowa State men’s basketball’s win over Kansas City

AMES − Iowa State men’s basketball picked up another lopsided win Monday.

After thrashing Mississippi Valley State in last week’s season-opener, the No. 7 Cyclones overcame a slow start, before routing preseason Summit League favorite Kansas City, 82-56.

Curtis Jones led the way with a game-high 20 points. Milan Momcilovic had 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Dishon Jackson had 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, with six boards. Keshon Gilbert had nine points and 10 assists.

More: Iowa State basketball overcomes slow start, cruises past Kansas City

Here are three takeaways from the Cyclones’ victory:

Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic (22) had 16 points in the Cyclones’ win over Kansas City on Monday.

Momcilovic, Jones switch spots in Iowa State’s starting five, but both players thrive

Coach T.J. Otzelberger reshuffled his starting five Monday night. After opting to start Jones last week, Momcilovic got the starting nod and Jones came off the bench against Kansas City.

It was a familiar configuration for both players. Momcilovic started every game as a freshman last season, while Jones was the Cyclones’ sixth man in all but one contest last year.

“It doesn’t really matter, we all play the same role,” Momcilovic said. “We’re all going to get the same minutes, similar minutes, so it doesn’t really matter who’s out there.”

Last week, Jones had five points on 2-of-7 shooting, with six boards, three assists and two steals. Meanwhile, Momcilovic had 10 points and shot 2-of-7 from deep against Mississippi Valley State.

This time around, Jones provided a big spark off the bench, particularly in the second half. Sixteen of his game-high 20 points came after halftime. He also had five boards, five assists and no turnovers.

Momcilovic ignited the Hilton Coliseum crowd with his sharpshooting. He had 16 points and made each of his first three attempts from long-range.

The substantial uptick in production as they returned into roles in the rotation they were familiar with might be a coincidence, as…

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Author : The Des Moines Register

Publish date : 2024-11-12 11:56:00

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