Iowa State basketball: 3 things to watch when the Cyclones play Jackson State

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After a grueling stretch that included the Maui Invitational and a Big 12-Big East Battle showdown with fourth-ranked Marquette, Iowa State men’s basketball is getting a reprieve in its non-conference schedule.

The fifth-ranked Cyclones (6-1) are riding a three-game winning streak. They fended off a late push by Marquette and won, 81-70, in their outing on Wednesday.

Iowa State will host Jackson State (0-9) on Sunday at Hilton Coliseum. The game will also be available on ESPN+. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.

Here are three things to watch for in Sunday’s game:

Xavier Musketeers guard Dante Maddox Jr. (21) swipes at Jackson State Tigers guard Jayme Mitchell Jr. (3) in the second half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Jackson State Tigers at the Cintas Center at Xavier University in Cincinnati on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. Xavier won 94-57.

Jackson State’s long non-conference road

The Tigers are projected to be one of the top teams in the SWAC this season, taking fourth out of 12 teams in a preseason conference coaches’ poll, but they haven’t really had an opportunity to showcase that.

Jackson State enters Sunday’s matchup winless, and its non-conference slate has been unforgiving. The Tigers are entirely on the road for their non-conference schedule, which has mostly featured them as “buy game” opponents, much like Sunday’s contest. Playing top-tier programs on the road helps Jackson State to bolster its athletics department finances.

The Tigers have suffered lopsided losses against the likes of Houston, Xavier, Vanderbilt and Kentucky, so expect Iowa State to be heavily favored on Sunday.

Jackson State’s last two games have been its most competitive to date. The Tigers lost a close one to Arkansas State, 66-64, on Thursday. Before that, they fell to Saint Louis, 74-66, on Monday night.

Big shooting night for Iowa State?

Jackson State is undergoing massive growing pains this season, especially with a new-look team.

The Tigers returned only…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/iowa-state-basketball-3-things-113118442.html

Author : The Des Moines Register

Publish date : 2024-12-07 11:31:00

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