USA Today / Imagn Images Photo
ST. LOUIS — That was one of the strangest NCAA Tournament games I have ever covered.
Iowa State blew the damn doors off of Tennessee State by a 108-74 final as Tamin Lipsey and Joshua Jefferson combined for only three points.
Jefferson, of course, went down with what appeared to be a bad ankle injury just three minutes into the game. And immediately, every Cyclone fan went to the same place: Georges Niang, the Alamo, and LeVelle Moton.
This game featured a 23-0 run in five minutes.
A Flagrant 2… down 35.
Ten Cyclones scoring.
And essentially being without Jefferson and Lipsey – school records for points (108), a half (55) and assists (24).
That’s some weird and wild stuff.
Here’s the big takeaway: Less than a month go in Tucson, the conversation was simple: Heise and Toure have to shoot. Teams were sagging off, making life harder on everybody else.
Not anymore.
Toure has snapped out of it by going 4-of-6 from three in his last two games.
Heise was the best player on the floor Friday – four threes with a season-high 22-points.
Jefferson update: T.J. Otzelberger said that the x-ray of Jefferson’s ankle came back negative. It’s a low ankle sprain and he’s day-to-day leading up to Sunday’s Round of 32 vs. Kentucky, at a time to be determined.
For a few minutes Friday, it felt like Iowa State’s worst March memory was about to replay itself.
But for at least a day, this team absorbed it. And then ran Tennessee State off the floor anyway.
Sunday will tell us how far this group can go.
But for one night in St. Louis — thank God — history didn’t repeat itself.
And this time, the news was different.
The x-ray was negative.
