Iowa State has asserted itself as a perennial powerhouse despite only getting to the Sweet 16 last year. The Cyclones are currently 20-1 odds to make the National Championship and +350 to make the final four. With its winning traditions and a top spot in the newly announced revenue sharing, it’s easy to want to play for Iowa State. Four of the five losses for the Cyclones have been against top 25 teams.
The Cyclones started off their 2024-25 Big 12 conference tournament with a win against the Cincinnati Bearcats on Wednesday afternoon. Despite turning the ball over 17 times, the Cyclones weren’t in any real danger during this game. They destroyed the Bearcats on the boards 41-23 and were lights out shooting the ball (53.7%) from the field. Senior center Dishon Jackson had 10 points and a game-high 15 rebounds as the Cyclones rolled to a 76-56 win.
They will take on No. 17 ranked BYU in the Big 12 quarerfinals tomorrow at 9:30 am at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City,MO.
Milan Momcilovic looks to his teammates during the second-round game against Washington State in the NCAA Tournament, March 23, 2024, at CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha.
From Wisconsin to Ames: Momcilovic’s College Basketball Dream
Milan Momcilovic grew up in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, and attended Pewaukee High School. He was a four-year varsity player, where he amassed 2,000 career points, won three consecutive state championships, and was named Wisconsin Mr. Basketball in his senior season.
“My high school career was definitely a good one to remember,” Momcilovic said. “The biggest thing was winning back-to-back-to-back, not many people did that in Wisconsin.”
He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and had big schools interested in him. He had offers from Virginia, UCLA, Michigan State, Louisville, Minnesota, Creighton, Texas, and Iowa State which he eventually committed to play for. It was the commitment at Iowa State that intrigued Milan.
“Definitely had a lot of places to go, but something that stuck out to me was how committed to me they were from day one,” Momcilovic said. “They started talking to me very early and never wavered throughout the process and you could tell they really wanted me.”
Sharp-Shooting Momcilovic Arrives at Iowa State
Momcilovic came in his Fresman year just wanting to show everyone what he can do. Coach T.J. Otzelberger was so impressed with Milan that he named him a starter a couple weeks before the season started. Milan took the starting power forward job and ran with it, he averaged in double figures and was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team. He was also one of three Cyclones to start in every game in his Freshman year and was also the only Freshman out of the three.
After losing in the Sweet 16 to Illinois, it did not stray away from what Momcilovic and Iowa State had accomplished that season.
“It meant a lot, just because it was a good first year,” Momcilovic said. “There were a lot of ups and downs, so kind of just managing that and being the same guy and being consistent every day because I had a lot of good moments and bad moments, so just trying to stay level-headed through it all because that’s what freshman year is all about.”
Milan Momcilovic watches his 3-point attempt during the first-round game against South Dakota State in the NCAA Tournament, March 21, 2024 at CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha. (Jacob Rice)
Adversity sets in for Momcilovic in his Sophomore season
So far in the 2024-25 season, Momcilovic still holds a double-digit average in points with 11.0 on a 41.9% field goal clip while still shooting the second-most 3-point shots on the team by going 53-for-132 (40.2%).
But unlike his first season, Momcilovic injured his non shooting hand in practice, and he ended up having to get surgery and would miss about a month of action. During this stretch the Cyclones struggled mightetly, losing 3 out of four games, and not losing a conference game while Momcilovic was healthy. Three of those losses came one after the other, including the devastating 80-61 loss to Kansas State at home, which ended a 29-game win streak in Hilton Coliseum that was the second-best in program history.
“It was definitely an interesting spot I was in,” Momcilovic said. “I’ve never really had surgery, so it was the first time I had surgery. Just being out for those four weeks was kind of a mental reset. Not being able to play, practice or do anything was just to clear the mind, enjoy the team and watch the games
Even during this stretch, Momcilovic’s teammates admitted that the offensive game plan had to be altered because of the injury that forced the sophomore forward out for an extended time.
Since Momcilovic came back Iowa State was able to snap a three-game losing streak and then they would win four straight before losing to Houston and Oklahoma State.
Iowa State possesses a top 5 offense and top 5 defense in the Big 12. They have the talent, coaching, and experience to not only win the Big 12 but make a legit run at a National Championship, something they haven’t won since 1994. If they can stay healthy and keep up their hot shooting, they will be a dangerously good team in the NCAA tournament.
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