Mar 4, 2023; Waco, Texas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones ahead Robert Jones (12) reacts after a made basket in opposition to the Baylor Bears through the first half at Ferrell Middle. Necessary Credit score: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports activities

There will likely be no additional questions on Iowa State’s NCAA Match future.

With seemingly every little thing stacked in opposition to them on Saturday in Waco, T.J. Otzelberger’s workforce unleashed maybe its most spectacular, dominant and cold-blooded efficiency of the season in a 73-58 upset win over No. 7 Baylor.

The Cyclones did it by enjoying with the spirit and defensive depth Otzelberger sought earlier this week after it was introduced Caleb Grill had been dismissed from this system.

Iowa State held Baylor, which entered the sport with the No. 2 adjusted offensive effectivity in school basketball, to only 35.8 p.c capturing from the sphere and 35.7 p.c capturing from 3-point vary.

The Cyclones did it by using, actually, each participant on their bench. All 11 Cyclones who suited up for the sport on Saturday noticed the ground and 10 of them tried at the very least one shot.

Every of the gamers who noticed the ground introduced main contributions even when it didn’t seem within the stat sheet, together with walk-on Conrad Hawley, often known as the workforce’s Chief Power Officer, who performed within the first half of a recreation for the primary time this season and performed one minute with out recording a stat.

Jaren Holmes performed one in all his greatest video games in weeks by scoring a team-high 16 factors on 6-of-9 capturing from the sphere with seven rebounds, 5 assists and a 1-of-3 mark from downtown.

Gabe Kalscheur scored 12 factors on 3-of-9 capturing, however all 12 of these factors got here at essential moments for the Cyclones.

After Iowa State led by 11 at halftime, Baylor got here out within the second half and unleashed a 10-0 run that in the end minimize their deficit to 4 factors. Iowa State responded with an 11-0 run fueled by a number of powerful photographs from Kalscheur, together with a mid-range jumper and two 3-pointers.

Tre King highlighted a dominant effort within the painted space for the Cyclones by scoring 12 factors on 5-of-11 from the sphere and 7 rebounds. He was a key cause why Iowa State was capable of dominate the factors within the paint battle, 36-14.

Another excuse for that dominance was the Cyclones’ inside passing alongside the baseline as King, Robert Jones and Demarion Watson had Baylor defenders on skates all through the afternoon.

This was unquestionably the most effective efficiency of Watson’s younger profession as he got here off the bench to tally 4 factors, three rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes of play. Watson’s greatest influence for this program tasks on the defensive finish, however he’s already an elite-level cutter with out the ball offensively and is an excellent passer in tight areas.

Jones drew the beginning for Iowa State on Saturday and responded by scoring seven factors, snagging 5 rebounds and dishing two assists. His work on the glass and within the paint helped Iowa State personal the boards, 36-24, and seize seven offensive rebounds.

Osun Osunniyi and Hason Ward got here off the bench to offer sparks in their very own rights, posting eight factors and 4 factors, respectively, on a mixed 5-of-6 from the sphere with six mixed rebounds.

Iowa State’s skill to share the basketball was on show as they posted 19 assists on 26 made baskets for a 73 p.c help price. That skill to share the ball helped Iowa State’s offense generate environment friendly seems to be the complete afternoon, ending by pulling down 54.2 p.c of their photographs from the sphere.

There isn’t a doubt this is without doubt one of the most unbelievable wins for Iowa State males’s basketball in current reminiscence. You’re on the street in opposition to a top-10 workforce simply days faraway from one in all your greatest gamers being dismissed from the workforce and within the midst of a stretch the place you’ve misplaced 10 of your final 14 video games.

Not solely was this workforce unfazed by the chips stacked in opposition to them, however in addition they responded to that adversity with a chip on their shoulders. They got here out able to play from the opening faucet, proudly owning the lead for greater than 35 minutes.

Iowa State has now rebounded from its skid to complete with a .500 document in Large 12 play for the primary time since 2018-19. The Cyclones will likely be both the five-seed or the six-seed within the Large 12 Match subsequent week in Kansas Metropolis and have utterly prevented enjoying in Wednesday evening’s first-round contests.

Subsequent week in Kansas Metropolis will get much more attention-grabbing if Iowa State is ready to replicate the vitality and energy it performed with on Saturday in Waco. In the event that they’re capable of defend and share the ball the identical manner they did on this recreation, it may very well be an extended keep than many anticipated earlier within the week.

Few noticed the final prolonged keep for this program coming. That is no prediction, however merely a press release of the information. The 2018-19 workforce, the final Iowa State workforce to complete .500 in league play earlier than this one, appeared to have the deck stacked in opposition to them, too.

That’s the place the similarity between the 2 groups dies, although. There’s something completely different about this Iowa State workforce than lots of the others which have come earlier than them.

On Saturday in Waco, in opposition to all odds, they proved that once more.