Iowa State basketball to be without Curtis Jones, Keshon Gilbert vs. Houston

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Iowa State basketball’s already difficult trip to No. 5 Houston just got a whole lot harder.

The No. 8 Cyclones will be without Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert for Saturday’s matchup at the Fertitta Center, a source familiar with the situation told the Register. An Iowa State men’s basketball spokesperson later confirmed the news.

Jones is out with an illness while Gilbert is dealing with a muscle strain.

Iowa State will have to manage and improvise without two of its top players.

Jones is Iowa State’s leading scorer at 17.2 points per game, along with 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 43.1% overall and 36.8% from the 3-point line this season.

Gilbert is second on the team with 14.1 points per game. The Bob Cousy Award candidate, an accolade given to the nation’s top point guard, is also averaging 3.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 50.0% from the floor.

Iowa State is likely to lean more on starting junior guard Tamin Lipsey, who himself is playing despite a broken thumb on his right shooting hand.

More: Iowa State basketball: Cyclones, Houston ready for Big 12 Tournament title game rematch

Joshua Jefferson and Dishon Jackson will be crucial in the frontcourt.

In Jones and Gilbert’s absence, the Cyclones will likely turn to Nate Heise and Demarion Watson to pick up more minutes. It will be interesting to see if they reach even deeper into their bench.

Heise is averaging 3.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game off the bench. Primarily a defensive specialist, he is coming off of a season-high 11-point outing against Colorado, where he shot 4-of-6 from the floor. Watson provides some flexibility in the lineup and defensive versatility. He is averaging 2.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.

The Cyclones (21-5, 11-4 Big 12 Conference) have won four straight after suffering through a three-game losing streak. Their winning run has coincided with the return of wing Milan Momcilovic, who missed seven games with a broken…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/iowa-state-basketball-without-curtis-232850684.html

Author : The Des Moines Register

Publish date : 2025-02-21 23:28:00

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