Iowa

No. 3 ISU 89, Iowa 80: Small-Ball Works… Until It Doesn't

Published

1 year ago

December 13, 2024

No. 3 ISU 89, Iowa 80: Small-Ball Works… Until It Doesn’t

IOWA CITY — Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger mentioned early and often in his postgame news conference that Iowa’s small-ball gameplan had the Cyclones on their heels for 35 minutes Thursday night.

Unfortunately, games last 40, and Iowa couldn’t keep up the juice for what would have been a sterling upset, falling to the No. 3 Cyclones, 89-80, at a raucous Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

McCaffery threw a pregame curveball at the Cyclones, starting point guard Drew Thelwell for the first time this season — not to replace Brock Harding in the starting five, but forward/center Ladji Dembele.

It worked — until it didn’t. Iowa staked a 13-point lead in the first half, had it as high as nine in the second half, but faltered down the stretch during a 23-4 run to the visiting Cyclones in the second half. The Cyclones collected eight of their 18 offensive rebounds during that stretch, leading to seven second-chance points and numerous missed opportunities for Iowa to develop its own transition game.

“They spaced us out so well. They had such a great plan. They had us back on our heels for the first 35 minutes. That’s a huge credit to them. We play relatively well against good teams, and they were relentless. The last 4-5 minutes we were a little better guarding the dribble, we were a little better contesting, and finishing plays on the glass, and that allowed us to get out in transition.”

Thelwell responded to his starting nod with a spirited 10-point, four-assist performance in 36 minutes of court time, but his shot — like his teammates — ran cold near the end, and even as the team’s leading rebounder, he (and his teammates) couldn’t keep the Cyclones from extending plays down the stretch.

“Being in position to rebound was extremely important,” said Otzelberger. “Tamin [Lipsey] being able to track down and keep possessions was important. Rebounding, there’s a skill piece to it, but so much comes down to heart, determination and effort.”

“We went small, so you run the risk of that happening,” said McCaffery. “I thought our small lineup was really good. We had two turnovers in the second half. Plenty of shot opportunities to win the game; we made a bunch, then didn’t make them. I could go big and get more rebounds, but then who knows what would happen on the other end?”

It’s a fair question, especially with Iowa State’s bevy of dangerous perimeter performers. But losing a game by 9 after being outscored on second-chance points 20-10 suggests a certain answer.

Indeed, even though Dembele was moved out of the starting lineup, he still earned 10 minutes of run in the first half, knocking down a pair of three-pointers and energizing the crowd. In a back-and-forth rivalry defined by great individual performances, it looked as if the “Ladji Dembele Game” would be a surprising next chapter in the series.

McCaffery left Dembele on the bench for all but 4:21 of the second half, and though the Malian sophomore center still made his only three-pointer of the second half, he wasn’t able to re-establish his presence on the glass — not that starting center Owen Freeman did either against the Cyclones’ bevy of bigs, finishing with just five rebounds.

“[Thelwell] was our leading rebounder,” said McCaffery. “And that’s good, except somewhat disappointing. We’ve got to do a better job across the board.”

Dembele strictly rotated with Freeman Thursday, so the two never shared the floor together. And while Dembele’s turn as a stretch-five off the bench seems to suit his skill set better than a middling run starting next to Freeman while Seydou Traore has been out — Traore returned to the rotation Thursday — one can’t help but wonder whether the Hawkeyes could have managed the stops they needed to maintain the lead with some extra size out there.

“I’m really proud of [Dembele],” McCaffery said. “I told him, ‘Come off the bench, play with confidence.’ He was getting a little tentative, and he wasn’t tentative at all tonight. He was great, and he should’ve played more. That’s on me.”

At a minimum, these rotation mistakes are easier to swallow in early December than the Big Ten season — to say nothing of March, if Iowa can make it back to the Big Dance. And make no mistake: beating the No. 3 team in the nation would have gone a long way to legitimizing this dessert cart of a non-conference slate (the Hawkeyes’ current KenPom SOS rating: 311th out of 364, with two more cupcakes and Utah yet to face).

But even though it won’t improve their resume, the Hawkeyes gave a no-doubt top-five team 35 minutes of hell Thursday night, and now it’s up to McCaffery and the team to build off this lesson, painful as it may be.

Don’t miss out on any of our exclusive football, basketball, and recruiting coverage. Sign up with Hawkeye Beacon here.

Source link

Iowa

Iowa Lottery Pick 3 Midday, Pick 3 Evening results for March 1, 2026

Published

3 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.

Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Sunday, March 1, 2026, winning numbers for each game:

Winning Pick-3 numbers from March 1 drawing

Midday: 6-9-4

Evening: 4-2-5

Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick-4 numbers from March 1 drawing

Midday: 1-7-4-8

Evening: 7-6-9-1

Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 1 drawing

10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Iowa Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.

Source link

Iowa

Nebraska Men’s Basketball’s Week Ahead: Crucial Games at UCLA and Home vs. Iowa

Published

16 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska Men’s Basketball’s Week Ahead: Crucial Games at UCLA and Home vs. Iowa

Nebraska men’s basketball faces a critical week that will determine its Big Ten Conference and NCAA Tournament seeding.

The Huskers play at UCLA on Tuesday night and finish the regular season next Sunday at home vs. Iowa.

The Huskers are currently tied for second place in the Big Ten with Michigan State. Both teams have four conference losses. They are one game in the loss column ahead of Illinois and Purdue, with five losses. Wisconsin has six losses.

The top four teams earn the coveted triple bye for the Big Ten Tournament. Regular-season champion Michigan has one spot locked up.

Here are the remaining schedules of the contenders for the triple bye, with conference record in parentheses:

Nebraska (14-4)
* Tuesday: at UCLA
* Sunday: vs. Iowa

Michigan State (13-4)
* Sunday: at Indiana
* Thursday: vs. Rutgers
* Sunday, March 8: at Michigan

Illinois (13-5)
* Tuesday: vs. Oregon
* Sunday, March 8: at Maryland

Purdue (12-5)
* Sunday: at Ohio State
* Wednesday: at Northwestern
* Saturday: vs. Wisconsin

Wisconsin (12-6)
* Wednesday: vs. Maryland
* Saturday: at Purdue

Maintaining an NCAA seed no worse than 3 should benefit the Huskers, who wouldn’t have to play, theoretically, the No. 1 seed until the Elite Eight game.

It’s a ton to play for in the final week of a historic regular season for Nebraska. But that’s what March is all about.

Nebraska at UCLA

When: Tuesday, 10 p.m. CT
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles
Records: Nebraska, 25-4, 14-4 in Big Ten; UCLA, 19-10, 11-7 in Big Ten
TV: FS1

Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.

UCLA rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: Not ranked
* NCAA Net Ratings: 40
* USA Today Coaches Poll: Not ranked
* Kenpom.com: 41
* ESPN Power Index: 34
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 41

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, UCLA is a 9-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament. The next Bracketology will be released Tuesday.

Nebraska rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 12
* NCAA Net Ratings: 12
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 10
* Kenpom.com: 11
* ESPN Power Index: 15
* Top 25 and 1: 8
* Team Rankings.com: 11

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Nebraska is a 3-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska-UCLA analysis

The Bruins are coming off a strange week. They crushed visiting rival USC, 81-62, on Tuesday, then lost at Minnesota, 78-73, on Saturday.

UCLA is 16-1 at home, its only loss to Indiana, 98-97, in double overtime on Jan. 31.

The game will be a homecoming for Huskers forward Berke Buyuktuncel, who played at UCLA in 2023-24, his freshman season. Buyuktuncel has started 27 games and averages 6.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season for the Huskers and frequently earns praise from coach Fred Hoiberg.

Nebraska thoroughly dispatched USC on Saturday, 82-67, an impressive performance on the road against a Trojans team desperate for a statement win to help — or save — their NCAA hopes.

Pryce Sandfort scored 32 points — one short of his career high — as the Huskers won their 14th conference game, a school record. Nebraska is 7-2 on the road in conference games.

This should be a great matchup — UCLA a strong team playing at home vs. a Nebraska team playing well and full of confidence. This feels like a one-possession game.

Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg goes to the basket as Iowa forward Cooper Koch defends during the first meeting in Iowa City. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Iowa at Nebraska

When: Sunday, March 8, 4 p.m. CT
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena
Records: Nebraska, 25-4, 14-4 in Big Ten; Iowa, 20-9, 10-8 in Big Ten
TV: Fox

Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.

Iowa rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 33
* NCAA Net Ratings: 28
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 30
* Kenpom.com: 24
* ESPN Power Index: 35
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 31

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Iowa is an 8-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 12
* NCAA Net Ratings: 12
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 10
* Kenpom.com: 11
* ESPN Power Index: 15
* Top 25 and 1: 8
* Team Rankings.com: 11

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Nebraska is a 3-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska forward Braden Frager defends a fast-break layup attempt by Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz in the teams’ first meeting on Feb. 17. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nebraska-Iowa analysis

The Hawkeyes are coming off a puzzling, 71-69 loss at Penn State on Saturday. Iowa led 67-62 with 3:49 to play, and then scored only one more basket. Iowa plays host to Michigan on Thursday.

Nebraska will get a final curtain call at Pinnacle Bank Arena, where the Huskers are 15-2.

Nebraska should have revenge on its mind after losing at Iowa, 57-52, on Feb. 17, in Sandfort’s return to Iowa City, where he played for two seasons.

Whatever Nebraska nerves were a factor at Iowa shouldn’t be in play at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska shot only 21 percent from distance in Iowa City. Sandfort scored 13 points, his lowest total since Jan. 10, when he scored 12 at Indiana.

Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz scored 25 points. That won’t happen in this game. Neither will Nebraska’s ice-cold shooting from distance, especially if the game could determine the triple bye for the Huskers.

More From Nebraska On SI

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

Source link

Iowa

Iowa Boys High School State Basketball Tournament Sets Two Classes

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Iowa Boys High School State Basketball Tournament Sets Two Classes

The Class 1A and Class 2A Iowa high school boys basketball state tournament brackets are now official following substate action.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Tournament begins Monday, March 9 from the Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

St. Edmond, the top-seed in 1A, gets Woodbine in a rematch of a quarterfinal from a year ago. Woodbine ended the run of defending state champion Madrid in a substate final on the same court that St. Edmond qualified on when they defeated Riverside.

Burlington Notre Dame plays Bellevue, MMCRU meets Boyden-Hull and Bishop Garrigan battles Bellevue Marquette Catholic in the other elite eight games.

The other substate finals saw Burlington Notre Dame defeat Calamus-Wheatland, MMCRU eliminated North Union, Bishop Garrigan downed South Winneshiek, Bellevue bested East Marshall and Bellevue Marquette Catholic topped Montezuma.

In 2A, Kuemper Catholic is the No. 1 seed and will face Union Community in the opening game on Wednesday, March 11. The other quarterfinals see Treynor vs. Grundy Center, Unity Christian vs. defending state champion Western Christian and Iowa City Regina vs. Aplington-Parkersburg.

Kuemper Catholic survived vs. Roland-Story, Union knocked off Pella Christian in a nail-biter, Treynor bested Underwood, Grundy Center downed Beckman Catholic, Unity Christian handled Southeast Valley, Western Christian ran past Tri-Center, Iowa City Regina downed Northeast and Aplington-Parkersburg defeated Cascade.

Here are the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Basketball Tournament pairings for Class 1A and Class 2A.

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, March 10

Semifinals

Thursday, March 12

Championship

Friday, March 13

Wednesday, March 11

Semifinals

Thursday, March 12

Championship

Friday, March 13