Announcers Rece Davis, from left, Andraya Carter, Jay Williams, Seth Greenberg and Jay Bilas pose for a photo during ESPN GameDay at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. © Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
AMES — Iowa State’s on a three-game skid, one of its best shooters, Milan Momcilovic, hasn’t played in almost a month, and Saturday’s 11 a.m. game against middling TCU can only be seen on ESPN+.
So why in the world is ESPN’s College GameDay going to be broadcasting live from Hilton Coliseum before tipoff?
“It’s a destination,” said one of GameDay’s most venerable contributors, Seth Greenberg. “I have so much respect for (Cyclone head coach) T.J. (Otzelberger) and what he’s done, and the passion that he’s brought back to Iowa State. I was a really dear friend of (the late) Johnny Orr back in the day, and it’s exciting to see where they are right now — and the road to success is always under construction. You’re gonna have road blocks and detours along the way.”
One of the biggest obstacles the No. 8 Cyclones (17-5, 7-4) have faced is Momcilovic’s absence. The 6-7 sharpshooter from Pewaukee, Wis., has missed the last six games because of a hand injury, but he’s now considered “day-to-day” — which means he’ll likely return sooner rather than later. Otzelberger hinted that Momcilovic likely won’t be back to face the Horned Frogs (12-10, 5-6), but it’s not out of the question. Either way, ISU needs a GameDay-sized jolt of energy to get back on track while playing three of its next four games against unranked opponents at home.
“It’s a hard conference, it’s a long season,” said all-Big 12 point guard Tamin Lipsey, who’s been playing through a painful injury of his own (thumb). “There (are) gonna be ups and downs, and obviously we’re in a down spot right now, but the good thing about that is we’ve got time to make our way out of it.”
But the Cyclones’ resurgence must start Saturday against TCU, which has won two straight games but has yet to win a conference road game.
“It really is gonna come down to our guards doing a great job guarding the basketball and keeping their guards out of transition and out of the paint,” Otzelberger said. “It’s gonna come down to our front court establishing the physicality in the interior, and us as a team finishing plays on the glass. We do that — (and) focus on our identity — then offense will come for us.”
Especially when Momcilovic returns. His 3-point shooting acumen — a team-best 44.3 percent —helps space the floor for his teammates, but his ability to encroach in the paint and drill fadeaway also creates more opportunities on the offensive end of the floor.
“Obviously losing Milan is a big thing,” said Greenberg, who returned to Hilton with the GameDay crew for the first time since the Cyclones honored Orr for a game 10 years ago. “It’s impacted their spacing. It’s hurt their backcourt. And when you’re not making shots, it also hurts your defensive transition, which hurts your 3-point defense. They all go together in a lot of ways, so hopefully he gets back soon.”
All signs point to that positive development for ISU, which saw its 29-game home win streak snapped last Saturday in a loss to surging Kansas State. There’s no better time to start a new one than the present — especially with GameDay in town to help tout the Cyclones’ home environment.
“I think the atmosphere and the energy — (it’s) deafening,” Greenberg said. “And how hard the team plays. They don’t take plays off. They might not shoot it straight all the time. They might pitch it to the wrong team a bit too much, but the effort is incredible, and it reflects the community and it reflects the institution. You always want your team to reflect the DNA of your community. I think that’s a really important thing and that’s what Iowa State does.”
So despite the recent skid and injury woes, it’s fitting that GameDay’s returned to Ames. The hype’s not the same, but the stakes are as high as ever for a Cyclone team that’s still ranked among the top-10 nationally by KenPom.
“(Hilton) is huge, especially coming off when you’re struggling,” Greenberg said. “At some places it wouldn’t be because you lose three in a row and there may be some empty seats. That ain’t happening here.”
