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.
As we work through the month of June, things are starting to heat up on the diamond around Iowa high school baseball.
With the start of postseason play just around the corner in July, teams are working to get prepared for the stretch run.
High School On SI Iowa has a Top 25 state power ranking while the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association releases weekly class-by-class rankings.
Here are leaders as of June 17, 2026 for several major hitting and pitching categories. Stats are from those uploaded to the Bound website.
Iowa High School Baseball Leaders
Home Runs
- Tru McBride, Fort Dodge, 9
- Colton Roemmich, West Des Moines Valley, 9
- Brandon Bea, Davenport North, 8
- Kamden Jorgensen, Saydel, 8
- Gabe Blanshan, Urbandale, 7
Running Batted In
- Callan Koch, Sioux City East, 38
- West Cole, Mason City Newman Catholic, 37
- Tru McBride, Fort Dodge, 36
- Chance Georgius, Roland-Story, 34
- Ty Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 34
Stolen Bases
- Aiden Ferry, Roland-Story, 38
- Tate Garman, Algona, 33
- Titan Foster, Nodaway Valley, 32
- Tate Moulton, Grand View Christian, 30
- Cael Wishman, Baxter, 29
Runs Scored
- Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 45
- Aiden Frey, Roland-Story, 43
- Cal Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 41
- Kolton Schiltz, Fort Dodge, 40
- Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 39
Hits
- Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 39
- Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 38
- Callan Koch, Sioux City East, 36
- Ty Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 35
- Lucas Kelley, Des Moines Roosevelt, 34
Doubles
- Joe Nilles, Sioux City North, 13
- Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 13
- Lucas Kelley, Des Moines Roosevelt, 12
- Brett Harris, Western Dubuque, 12
- Brooks Bond, Lewis Central, 11
Triples
- Callan Koch, Sioux City East, 7
- Will Nesler, Ankeny Centennial, 5
- Jacob Pierro, Dubuque Wahlert Catholic, 5
- Lucas Kelley, Des Moines Roosevelt, 5
- Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 4
Total Bases
- Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 68
- Tru McBride, Fort Dodge, 68
- Bryce Pauly, Davenport North, 67
- Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 65
- Ty Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 62
Pitching Wins
- Tyler Etten, Urbandale, 9
- Chase White, Dyersville Beckman Catholic, 7
- Colton Moffit, Baxter, 7
- Connor Mullenbach, Saint Ansgar, 6
- Aidan Nielsen, Don Bosco, 6
Earned Run Average (min. 18 innings pitched)
- Connor Mullenbach, Saint Ansgar, 0.00
- Luke Vestal, Pleasantville, 0.00
- Ryan Stedman, West Des Moines Valley, 0.24
- Will Litton, Iowa City Regina Catholic, 0.25
- Judd Jirovsky, Grundy Center, 0.26
Strikeouts
- Colton Moffit, Baxter, 85
- Brody Wangsness, North Butler, 75
- Lincoln Roethler, Denver, 71
- Owen Klocksiem, Louisa-Muscatine, 67
- Cooper Chizek, Emmetsburg, 65
Opponents Batting Average Against (min. 18 innings pitched)
- Macklin Loftus, Logan-Magnolia, .017
- Jack Wedemeier, Waverly-Shell Rock, .065
- Teagan Brunk, Shenandoah, .069
- Ryan Stedman, West Des Moines Valley, .072
- Bronx Siebersma, MVAOCOU, .075
Saves
- Beckham Simon, West Liberty, 4
- Deacon Kucera, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 4
- Graham Rima, Pleasant Valley, 4
- Gavin de Jesus, Waukee, 4
- Easton Goodwin, Waterloo Columbus Catholic, 3
Innings Pitched
- Colton Moffit, Baxter, 43
- Tyler Etten, Urbandale, 38.2
- Owen Galvin, Denison-Schleswig, 38
- Tallon Crandall, Carroll, 37.1
- Austin Remster, Melcher-Dallas, 37.1
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How much rain does Des Moines get? See the 5 wettest days on record
Wondering how the rainfall total compares? Here are the five wettest days on record for Des Moines, Iowa.
Drought conditions in Iowa improved for a second consecutive week, though areas of moderate drought expanded in parts of the state.
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday. What are the current drought conditions in Iowa?
U.S. Drought Monitor map: How much of Iowa is in a drought?
The latest Drought Monitor report, released on Thursday, June 18, showed about 46% of Iowa experiencing some form of drought. This continues the streak of conditions improving week to week in Iowa. The previous report, released on June 11, showed that 63% of the state was experiencing some form of drought.
The most recent report reflects conditions as of 8 a.m. June 16, right as storms were sweeping through Iowa, with parts of eastern Iowa seeing more than 2 inches of rainfall. Light rainfall on June 17 led to areas like Iowa City and Burlington reporting around an inch of rain.
Here is the breakdown of current drought conditions in Iowa:
- 61% of the state of Iowa is experiencing no drought conditions
- 39% of Iowa is experiencing abnormally dry conditions
- 7% of Iowa is experiencing moderate drought conditions
- 0% of Iowa is experiencing severe drought conditions
Even though drought conditions have improved overall in Iowa, the area experiencing moderate drought increased from the week of June 11, particularly in northern Iowa. Much of Cerro Gordo, Hancock and Kossuth counties are under D1 conditions, with nearby Palo Alto, Winnebago, Floyd and Mitchell also in moderate drought.
Pockets of moderate drought also persist along the northwest edge of Iowa in Lyon, Sioux and Plymouth counties. In eastern Iowa, Jackson, Clinton and Scott counties saw their moderate drought status ease week to week.
Most of the U.S. is facing drought conditions
About 73% of the U.S. is experiencing some level of drought, a 2-percentage-point improvement from the prior week. Some of the most intense drought conditions are in the southeast and the mountain west.
Iowa Drought Monitor tracks conditions weekly
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday.
The intensity levels range from abnormally dry, or D0, to exceptional drought, or D4.
Typically with D0 conditions, corn can show drought stress. Pond levels start to decline under moderate drought conditions and soybeans abort pods, according to the Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor also has a look-back chart that compares drought conditions from 3 months ago up to 1 year ago.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
Confirmed tornadoes were reported in Illinois and Iowa Wednesday night as severe weather descended on a large swath of the Midwest.
According to the National Weather Service, a confirmed tornado was reported near the small northeast Iowa community of Harpers Ferry at 5:10 p.m., while a second confirmed tornado rolled through Charleston in central Illinois at about 6:40 p.m. local time.
Both tornadoes were flagged by the weather service as a “particularly dangerous situation,” a rare designation used by the weather service for environments in which “strong and violent tornadoes” are possible.
Photos and videos obtained by CBS News showed extensive damage in Charleston, with downed trees and power lines. Hail that measured 2.75 inches was also reported in the Charleston area, according to the weather service.
“There are a large number of trees blocking roadways throughout Charleston at this time,” Charleston police said in a Facebook post. “Unless it is an absolute emergency, do not drive or attempt to go anywhere.”
The city of Charleston later declared a local state of emergency.
One cell phone video captured the terrifying moments what appeared to be a large tornado tore through Effingham, Illinois, located about 40 miles southwest of Charleston.
Larry Thies, coordinator for the Effingham Emergency Management Agency, told CBS News that initial information indicated damaged buildings, trailers, and downed power lines and trees. He said officials were working to set up an emergency operations center, but were facing challenges because internet was down in the area.
The extent of the damage to region was still unclear. There was no immediate word of injuries or fatalities. CBS News senior meteorologist Rob Marciano said there were at least seven reported tornadoes during the weather event.
According to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, at least 55,000 customers were without power in Illinois.
Earlier Wednesday, Marciano reported that more than 125 million Americans were facing severe weather advisories, including the Gulf Coast states, which were under flood alerts due to Tropical Storm Arthur. Speaking on “CBS Evening News,” Marciano said such ripe tornado conditions were rare for June.
“This is unique for June, this is unusual to have such a strong jet stream just screaming across the country, then you’ve got the summertime tropical moisture coming in…and then some cold air coming in,” Marciano said. “And winds coming at different direction, at different levels, creating that spin. So what that equates to is really the high probability of seeing, not just tornadoes, but intense tornadoes of EF2 strength or higher on the ground for a long time. And also damaging winds at 75 mph or higher, and of course big time hail.”
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