There was a lot to learn from the Iowa State Cyclones victory over the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
It was an unreal showing of paint dominance, forced turnovers, and overall defensive dominance from the Cyclones. 24 hours later, Iowa State took on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the quarterfinals. Once again, they dominated,Here’s what we learned from Iowa State’s dominant win over Texas Tech.
Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger watches the game from the bench during the second half in the Big-12 conference men’s basketball against Texas Tech on Feb. 28, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesWhether it was getting stops when it mattered, making sure to box out, or fighting for rebounds and steals and getting on the floor, Iowa State did everything it could to win this game. That’s what teams need at this point in the year: players and coaches who truly care about winning the game. Many are debating whether Iowa State can truly make a deep run in the NCAA tournament, but considering how much they care, it’s hard to argue against the Clones right now.Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Christian Anderson protects the ball from Iowa State Cyclones forward Blake Buchanan during the first half at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images This is somewhat similar to the fact that Iowa State cares more, but a little more focused on the big men. Blake Buchanan and Joshua Jefferson have stepped up a ton in recent games and have made it impossible for others to work in the paint. Offensively, they have dominated on the interior as well. A continuation of this could take the Cyclones a long way in the March Madness this year.Mar 2, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey makes a lay up while Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley fails to block him during the first half of the game at McKale Memorial Center. | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Imageshas scored 10 or more points in 12 of his last 14 games, proving that he is quite the all-around player. The defensive ability of the senior guard, his passing creativity and now being a scoring threat help this Iowa State team in many ways. One of the bigger problems that the Cyclones have is the fact that they don’t have a dynamic scoring guard, which typically is a recipe for success in March., he can certainly become the go-to guy the remainder of the Big 12 tournament and in the NCAA tournment for Iowa State.
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