Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic (22) celebrates with teammates during the second half against TCU at Hilton Coliseum on Feb 8, 2025 in Ames. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
AMES — The spacing greatly improved and the lane became less crowded.
These two welcomed side effects of standout shooter Milan Momcilovic’s return to the lineup for No. 10 Iowa State (18-5, 8-4 Big 12) after missing a month with a hand injury were widely expected — and came to fruition in the Cyclones’ 82-52 dismantling of TCU last Saturday.
But there’s one less obvious positive byproduct stemming from the 6-7 sophomore forward’s active status: His teammates, particularly star guards Keshon Gilbert, Curtis Jones and Tamin Lipsey, can remain relatively fatigue-free.
“I think one of the biggest things that was hidden in that whole stretch was it was good early, but the more games went on, the more our other guys had to play,” said ISU assistant coach Erik Crawford, whose team faces floundering but dangerous UCF (13-10, 4-8) at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Orlando. “I think when you take out a guy who was averaging 25 to maybe 30 minutes a game, it just puts the load on the rest of those guys. And then as we started to see, you could tell we were getting a little bit more beat up as the games went on.”
Jones and Lipsey played season-high minutes in five of the seven games Momcilovic was out. Gilbert did so in three games — but was perhaps most affected by his absence because of his downhill attacking style that teams countered by packing the paint. Combine all those factors and it’s easy to see why the Cyclones lost four of those seven games but now appear poised to solidify their status among the Big 12’s top-four teams.
“Obviously, the vibes were a little low when you go on a three-game losing streak, but I know all of our guys have high expectations for us and we know we’re one of the best teams in the country,” said Lipsey, who’s been playing with a fractured thumb in recent weeks. “We can go out and perform like that, so we’re just gonna go at it every night and try to get to work.”
Tuesday night, that workmanlike approach takes aim on the Knights, who are riding a season-worst four-game losing streak. UCF boasts some impressive wins this season, however, including a road triumph at No. 12 Texas Tech and a season-opening home victory over eighth-ranked Texas A&M.
“They’re a scary team,” said Crawford, who addressed the media Monday because head coach T.J. Otzelberger had a time conflict. “Just as easily as they can lose, they can win by 20. They have the ability to put up points probably as good as any team in our conference, and I think what you’ve seen is what the league does: It’s a tough league to get through, Obviously, with us dropping three (straight) games and I think they’ve dropped four (in a row), that’s more par for the course. When you go on the road in some of these environments, it’s tough to play, and I think that’s what they’re facing.”
ISU, meanwhile, is in the midst of a four-game stretch devoid of ranked foes. And if the Cyclones can navigate it successfully, they’ll enter what’s likely to be a hyped top-10 matchup on Feb. 22 at No. 6 Houston with reinvigorated high hopes and as a projected two-seed in the NCAA Tournament. But as Crawford said, life in the Big 12 entails encountering unforeseen storms that can pop up anywhere, at any time, and against any of the league’s 16 teams.
“That’s the beauty in the sport,” said transfer forward Joshua Jefferson, who notched his ninth double-double of the season in the win over the Horned Frogs. “There (are) always gonna be ups and downs. You’ve just gotta stay with it and not get consumed by all the lows that have happened during the season. So just staying confident and staying encouraged with everything.”
Especially while weathering injuries, which ISU’s endured while revitalizing itself as March looms.
“The main thing is to have great practices, get lost in the game with your teammates, and have fun,” Otzelberger said after the TCU win. “We were able to do that (on Saturday).”
