Iowa
‘Hilton Magic’ once again pivotal for Iowa State basketball in navigating the Big 12
Iowa State’s Curtis Jones talks about life in the rough and tumble Big 12
Iowa State’s Curtis Jones talks about life in the rough and tumble Big 12
AMES – The Big 12 promises pain.
The best men’s basketball conference in the country guarantees a rough-and-tumble, grinding and punishing 18-game slate every single winter. From that, there is no hiding.
There can be refuge, though. Or at least the closest thing to it amid a storm of Hall of Fame coaches, NBA prospects and elite athletes.
For Iowa State, that has long been Hilton Coliseum, and, once again, it appears that imposing building will be the Cyclones’ best chance to maximize their season and make a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
“Absolutely,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “Totally true. One-hundred percent.”
More: Iowa State basketball loses Big 12 opener to No. 11 Oklahoma
The Cyclones (11-3, 0-1 Big 12), Hilton Coliseum and the fans who visit the facility will face an immediate and daunting task Tuesday (6 p.m.; ESPN2) when the nation’s lone undefeated team, second-ranked Houston, visits for the Big 12 home opener.
“We’re fortunate to have an unbelievable fan base, an unbelievable home-court advantage,” Otzelberger said. “We need to take advantage of that.”
Iowa State’s home-court advantage – Hilton Magic – has always been among the Big 12’s and nation’s best, and it has often been key to the Cyclones’ success with sold-out and raucous crowds making it an intolerable arena for opponents.
That may be truer now than at any time in the last decade with the Big 12 swelling to 14 teams and abandoning the round-robin schedule it had adopted as a 10-team league. With an unbalanced schedule, protecting home floor can give a team an edge regardless of opponent.
“What we do control is that we have nine league games at Hilton,” Otzelberger said, “and one at a time we need to come with great focus, great intent, competitive spirit and get the job done.”
Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger talks about 3-point defense
T.J. Otzelberger discusses his team’s 3-point defense following a loss at Oklahoma
Hilton Magic may have been born during Johnny Orr’s tenure beginning in the 1980s, but it perhaps reached the height of its powers during the program’s golden age of the previous decade, ushered in by Orr’s former player, Fred Hoiberg.
In Hoiberg’s final four years at Iowa State – all NCAA Tournament teams – the Cyclones went 32-4 in Big 12 home games, never losing multiple games in a single season.
When Hoiberg’s successor, Steve Prohm, had his greatest success, it continued that tradition. Prohm’s first two teams both went 7-2 in league games at home, but as they later struggled to continue that dominance, his success waned.
Prohm went 14-22 at home vs. the Big 12 in his final four seasons at Iowa State in which he made just one NCAA Tournament. Even removing the 0-9 mark of the 2020-21 season, in which Iowa State went winless all season against the Big 12 and was 2-22 overall, the “check engine light” was blinking as Iowa State was 14-13 at home the previous three seasons.
Otzelberger went 4-5 at home in his first season of 2021-22 and improved to 6-3 a year ago. Iowa State is undefeated at home this season against non-conference opponents.
“Any time we get a chance to play in Hilton in front of 14,500 (fans), it always brings another level of excitement,” Iowa State senior Tre King said. “It’s something we’ve always taken pride in, in defending our home court and playing well.
“People dread playing us because they know what the atmosphere is going to be like, how the fans are.”
More: Iowa State freshman Milan Momcilovic emerges as steady offensive force for Cyclones
If Iowa State can win seven or more of its remaining nine home games, it significantly lessens the burden on what the team will need to accomplish on the road to get into the NCAA Tournament. Fail to reach seven, and it means the Cyclones need to win frequently on the road against good teams − one of the hardest things to do in college basketball.
“Our focus and our intent has been there,” Otzelberger said. “Obviously it’s going to take even a higher level in both of those areas.
“When you do that, you build that confidence, then you feel almost a level of invincibility at home.”
More: Peterson: Iowa State basketball playing in Big 12 dog park full of pit bulls
Houston (14-0, 1-0), however, has made every one of its opponents look mortal this season, especially with coach Kelvin Sampson’s dominating defense.
“They have older guys, physical bodies,” Otzelberger said. “It’s almost like a hot potato – you’ve got to move it, you’ve got to move it, you’ve got to move it − because if you keep the ball in one guy’s hands, their coverage doesn’t bust.”
It will be a tough challenge for Iowa State, but the Cyclones hope their own gritty style of play will counteract the Cougars’.
Plus, they’ve got something Houston won’t have.
“They play hard, their coach does a great job, their team has been effective that way,” Otzelberger said. “Yet at the same time, they’re coming on our court. We’re up for that challenge.”
Travis Hines covers Iowa State University sports for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.
Video: Fran McCaffery reacts to Iowa’s win over Washington State
Fran McCaffery discusses a variety of topics following Iowa’s win over Washington State on Friday.
IOWA CITY — Iowa guard Josh Dix is out for the Hawkeyes’ matchup with Rider on Tuesday.
Dix injured his wrist during Iowa’s win over Washington State on Friday in Moline, Ill. He tried playing through it but was largely ineffective and finished the game with just two points.
“Hopefully Josh’s injury will be taken care of relatively quickly,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said after the game. “We’ll have to see.”
The junior has started four games for the Hawkeyes this season, averaging 12.3 points and four assists per contest while shooting 44.4% from deep.
The Hawkeyes have already been hit with injuries fairly often this season. Seydou Traore missed the first two games. Owen Freeman was unavailable for the game against South Dakota due to illness. Freshman Chris Tadjo, who is also out Tuesday, has also missed time.
Iowa plays Utah State on Friday in Kansas City, Missouri, in what is expected to be the Hawkeyes’ biggest challenge to date this season. The Aggies will enter that matchup with a 4-0 overall record and haven’t scored less than 95 points each game this season.
Dix’s status for that matchup will be an important storyline to track.
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
Iowa State coach Matt Campbell on Verdon, Sadowsky, McLaughlin
Iowa State coach Matt Campbell on defense bouncing back with return of Will McLaughlin, Malik Verdon, and Jack Sadowsky playing.
Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season is in the books, and several former Iowa State players had huge hands in their teams’ performances.
The collection of ex-Cyclones in the NFL continues to grow, with several more added to rosters this season after having around a dozen consistently active last season. While the star-studded names like Brock Purdy, Breece Hall and David Montgomery continue to shine week after week, several others Iowa State fans will recognize are making significant impacts at the pro level too.
With that, here are a few ex-Cyclones who stood out in Week 11 of the NFL season.
David Montgomery, Detroit Lions RB
Everyone on the Detroit Lions got a piece of the action in Sunday’s 52-6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Montgomery was right in the middle of the dominance.
The former Iowa State running back finished with 15 carries for a game-high 75 yards and two touchdowns. Montgomery also added three catches for 20 yards.
He’s now found the end zone 10 times this season, but Sunday was Montgomery’s first game with multiple touchdowns since a 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 13. Montgomery and the Lions are rolling right along this season.
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers QB
Just when Purdy and the 49ers seem like they’ve turned a corner, disaster strikes on the field. That’s what happened in Sunday’s 20-17 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
The former Iowa State quarterback still managed a decent day, finishing 21-for-28 for 159 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Purdy also added five carries for 40 yards and a score. He’ll look for a rebound winning performance Sunday at Green Bay.
Breece Hall, New York Jets RB
It’s a broken record at this point. Hall goes for a decent day, even as his New York Jets continue to sputter significantly.
In Sunday’s 28-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the former Iowa State running back finished with 16 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown. Hall also added seven catches for 43 yards and a score. It’s impressive the stats keep coming even as the wins aren’t.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
Iowa
University of Iowa fraternity suspended after 56 pledges found in basement during alleged hazing
The University of Iowa has placed one of its fraternities on interim suspension after an alleged hazing incident last week.
Alpha Delta Phi has been accused of having 56 blindfolded pledges “with food thrown on them” in the fraternity house’s basement, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
The pledges were discovered by Iowa City police and university police when the agencies responded to a fire alarm at the fraternity house at around 12:45 a.m. on Nov. 15.
The fraternity was ordered by the university’s Office of Student Accountability to “suspend all operations” pending the outcome of the investigation into the hazing allegations. The fraternity’s national organization also placed the UI chapter under suspension.
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY SUSPENDS FRATERNITY AFTER ‘REPUGNANT’ HAZING VIDEO SURFACES ONLINE
A fraternity at the University of Iowa is suspended by the school and its national organization following hazing reports. (Reuters)
One person, who is not a student and does not live at the fraternity house, was arrested and charged with interference with official acts, the university said.
The Iowa City Press-Citizen identified that person as 21-year-old Joseph Gaya. His charge stems from standing “in front of the officers in the doorway of the room full of pledges” and refusing to move out of the way, the outlet reported.
He allegedly stepped between two witnesses and an officer during a conversation, and told the witnesses “not to talk to the police.” The officer told Gaya to step away, but he allegedly refused and eventually told the officer, “You can (expletive) leave, how about that?”
The two witnesses told Gaya they were “fine,” according to the Press-Citizen, but he still did not leave.
The Alpha Delta Phi fraternity at the University of Iowa is under an interim suspension following an investigation into alleged hazing in the house’s basement. (Google Earth)
FLORIDA FRATERNITY BROTHER WITH BRAIN DAMAGE FROM HAZING SENDS LIFESAVING WARNING TO FUTURE GREEKS
The university said its Office of Student Accountability will follow its discipline procedure for student organizations, which includes issuing sanctions for prohibited behaviors, such as hazing.
“As registered student organizations, fraternities are expected to uphold the values of the university, and their members are expected to comply with the Code of Student Life,” the university said in a news release.
The affected students have been offered “counseling and resources,” according to UI.
Campus police at the University of Iowa are investigating the hazing incident, along with the university’s Office of Student Accountability. (University of Iowa Campus Safety / Facebook)
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“The university is committed to protecting the health and safety of its students and will address any behavior that puts student safety at risk,” the university said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Alpha Delta Phi’s national organization and the University of Iowa police.
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