ConnorFerg, Jan 15 • 0 Comments
AMES, IA – JANUARY 15: Head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks coaches from the bench in the first half of play against the Iowa State Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum on January 15, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES – Following Iowa State’s dismantling of No. 9 Kansas at Hilton Coliseum Wednesday, Jayhawks coach Bill Self was complimentary of T.J. Otzelberger and his team.
Here’s what he had to say.
On what led to Iowa State winning it: “What makes them who they are… I bet you, they get 75% of every 50-50 ball. If there’s a ball in the air, they seem to get it. And I thought in the first half there was probably five or six balls on an offensive rebound or something that they got that could have been our balls. Now we tried hard, but there’s a difference between trying hard and actually competing. And I think that they were better in that area in the first half.
On Iowa State’s Curtis Jones: “We stunk and it was 32-30. We didn’t close the half right, and they had a player play like a first team all American, and he’s terrific.
“The aggressiveness in the freedom that he plays with offense… you know, I’m sure he was always a terrific player and a good scorer and all this stuff. But, he’s playing downhill to the point now where, where he’s got you retreating in many ways.
“And (Keshon) Gilbert does as well. And of course, your point guard makes every play, and he doesn’t score as many points, but I think that’s as much as anything.”
On what Iowa State did defensively to limit Hunter Dickinson and win the game: “I think the biggest thing they did is they pressured so hard on the perimeter that the only person that could catch it easy was a five-man. So you take the five-man away from the basket to relieve pressure, he’s not going to score near as many points.
“The other thing that they do a good job of is when we tried to feed the post from the wing or the high slot multiple times on the first side – and the way that they play, they trap from under. That was not, a good design by us to try to do that, not that we wanted to. We wanted to get the ball to the second or third side as quick as we could. But I really think the way that they guarded us – I think that’s the way that would limit Hunter’s good touches, but a lot of was because of their guards that forced him to be on the perimeter.”
On what T.J. Otzelberger has done to turn Iowa State into the program that it is right now: “I think that their evaluation (in) recruiting has been tremendous. Maybe Jamie (Pollard’s) got them so much in NIL money, that they could just go out and get anybody… but the bottom line is the pieces fit.
“The other thing is, they’re very well drilled, and they are very good in situational basketball too… Just like the one time we went small-switch-five, they just BS with the ball until they get the big guy post and throw it over the top.
“They’re a very smart basketball team. They’re old, too, but I would say talent evaluation, putting a team together and then getting them to play as hungry as they do. I think that’s probably what I would commend him on as much as anything. They’ve done a great job.”
