Iowa State basketball preview, prediction for Alcorn State game

After a successful trip to Las Vegas, No. 9 Iowa State men’s basketball is back in Hilton Coliseum for a tune-up game against Alcorn State before heading on the road for a marquee matchup at Purdue.

The Cyclones (7-0) went unbeaten at the Players Era Festival, picking up wins over St. John’s, Creighton and Syracuse.

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As for Alcorn State (1-8), it finally got its first win of the season in a wire-to-wire victory over Indiana State on Nov. 28. The Braves weren’t able to sustain that winning momentum in their latest game, an 83-58 loss to Louisiana Tech on Nov. 29.

Iowa State-Alcorn State is set to tip off at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Dec. 3. The game will also be available on ESPN+.

Here are three things to watch for:

Braves struggle offensively, but can get going from 3-point range

Alcorn State is averaging 66.3 points per game, which ranks 338th out of 365 Division I teams.

The Braves don’t do themselves many favors, either, converting at a 61.2% rate (353rd) from the free-throw line.

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Alcorn State has only one player averaging more than 10 points per game, guard Shane Lancaster.

Lancaster has a team-high 10.9 points per game and is back at the Division I level for the first time since playing at Niagara in 2022-23. He spent the last couple of years at the JUCO level.

Although the Braves have had a difficult time sustaining offensive momentum or finding efficiency on the scoring end, Lancaster and teammate Davian Williams have demonstrated an ability to be perimeter-scoring threats, especially when they’re able to get into a groove.

Lancaster is shooting 52.9% from beyond the arc, highlighted by a 25-point performance against South Alabama where he shot 7-of-13 from deep on Nov. 6.

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Williams provides a spark off the bench. He is averaging 9.4 points per game and shooting 40% from long range. In a Nov. 18 loss to LSU, he had 21 points and shot 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.

According to KenPom, the Braves rank 320th in offensive efficiency. However, they…

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Publish date : 2025-12-02 11:14:00

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