Iowa State continues gorgeous turnaround from 2-22 season, overwhelms Wisconsin to land in Candy 16

MILWAUKEE — When new Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger assembled his group for the primary time on June 10, he by no means put particular numbers on the objectives forward.

The numbers had been bleak sufficient for the Cyclones in 2020-21: simply two wins, none after Dec. 20, 2020, and 18 straight losses to shut this system’s worst season since 1925.

“We did not set out for a sure win whole or to do something based mostly on what transpired previously,” Otzelberger stated. “What we did got down to do is restore satisfaction to a program that I really like a lot.”

9 months later, Iowa State can have fun a brand new quantity: Candy 16. The 11th-seeded Cyclones continued their historic turnaround Sunday, gorgeous No. Three seed Wisconsin 54-49 in entrance of a partisan crowd at Fiserv Discussion board. ISU superior to its first Candy 16 look since 2016, when Otzelberger served as an assistant, and it’ll play Friday in Chicago.

Iowa State on Friday turned the group with the bottom profitable share (.083) within the earlier season to win an NCAA event recreation, because it outlasted LSU 59-54. Earlier than Sunday, the group with the bottom profitable share to succeed in the Candy 16 the next 12 months was Ohio State, which went 8-22 (.267) in 1997-98 earlier than a Remaining 4 run in 1998-99. (The Buckeyes later needed to vacate their wins.)

“How we rotated this program from [2-22] to the Candy 16, it is loopy,” stated Cyclones guard Gabe Kalscheur, who scored a game-high 22 factors. “Lots of people do not see that as huge from the skin, however on this group of Ames, Iowa, it is a huge turnaround.”

Kalscheur fueled the offense, however Iowa State beat Wisconsin utilizing its signature protection, holding the Badgers to season lows in factors (49), subject objective charge (29.8%), 3-pointers (2) and 3-point capturing charge (9.1%). Iowa State allowed solely 103 factors whole in its first two event video games.

A gaggle led by Kalscheur held Johnny Davis, the Huge Ten Participant of the Yr and a Picket Award contender, to 17 factors on 4-of-16 capturing. Though the Badgers struggled mightily after shedding level guard Chucky Hepburn to an ankle injury late in the first half, Iowa State’s swarming perimeter defenders flustered Davis, senior guard Brad Davison and others.

Kalscheur, who started his school profession at Minnesota and grew up within the state, stated he “by no means favored Wisconsin” and drew vitality from going in opposition to acquainted faces in a roadlike setting about 80 miles from the Wisconsin campus.

“Johnny Davis and Brad are some actually nice gamers, nevertheless it fuels me to know that there is quite a lot of speak about them and never quite a lot of speak about us,” Kalscheur stated. “We’re on a giant stage right here. All of us took satisfaction in understanding that simply because they’ve a reputation, we now have a coronary heart, and we got here out victorious.”

Otzelberger, a Milwaukee native, sought “low-ego, high-producing guys” in reshaping the roster largely by means of the switch portal. Iowa State’s high three scorers from final season transferred out, and the coach added gamers comparable to Kalscheur, Izaiah Brockington from Penn State and Aljaz “Jaz” Kunc from Washington State.

“Not quite a lot of guys stayed on the group from final 12 months, so all of us had like a clear slate,” Kunc stated. “It began June 10 as quickly as we stepped foot on campus, as quickly as we met one another and began training, waking up at 6 a.m., training at 6:30, 7, it does not actually matter. It labored out nice for us.

“We’re getting rewarded for all of the work we put in.”

Otzelberger’s infamous early-morning “soccer subject exercises” final summer time instilled psychological and bodily toughness that carried into the season. Gamers comparable to Kalscheur might be wildly inconsistent on offense — he had three scoreless video games and 11 with 5 factors or fewer — however all the time regular on protection.

“They knew what they have been signing up for,” stated Otzelberger, who constructed his defense-first fashion after watching former Wisconsin coach Dick Bennett as a child. “They knew what our identification could be. We consider that if you happen to play onerous defensively and also you dictate that, you possibly can management the sport.

“We’re not going to apologize for a way we now have to win, and we’re not going to apologize for aesthetically the way it might look. They’re winners.”