Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger analyzes loss vs Kansas basketball
LAWRENCE — When Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger reacted to his team’s lopsided defeat Tuesday against Kansas basketball, he admittedly called it an “absolute beatdown.”
Otzelberger, speaking after an 84-63 loss in Lawrence, outlined that there isn’t a program his Cyclones have more respect for than the Jayhawks. He noted, too, that there isn’t a coach they have more respect for than KU’s Bill Self. No. 2 Iowa State came into this Big 12 Conference matchup anticipating a well-coached, well-prepared team, and No. 25 Kansas still overwhelmed ISU.
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Here are a few insights from Otzelberger into the loss Iowa State (16-1, 3-1 in Big 12) suffered against Kansas (12-5, 2-2) inside Allen Fieldhouse:
How much did T.J. Otzelberger anticipate a backs-against-the-wall mentality from the Jayhawks?Kansas’ 1-2 start to Big 12 play, prior to this game, left the Jayhawks in a precarious position. Protecting home court matters in and of itself, but starting 1-3 against the league could have been debilitating to their hopes for the rest of the season. So, the potential always existed that Iowa State would face a team that felt its backs were against the wall and needed to fight back.
Otzelberger said the Cyclones definitely expected that, given the pride within the KU program. He knew how competitive Kansas would be, and especially how much confidence the Jayhawks would have at home. He gave all the credit to KU’s coaches and players for being ready.
What was behind Iowa State’s turnover issues?Kansas carried the turnover battle in this matchup, scoring 17 points off of 12 Iowa State miscues. The Cyclones only scored four points off of nine Jayhawks miscues. And the bulk of that came because of ISU’s issues in the first half on each side of the court.
Otzelberger noted that Kansas's physicality on both ends of the court mattered early because Iowa State didn’t show the defensive mentality it needed, which then sped up his side offensively. He thought his team looked a little spooked and panicked as the moment got the best of them, and they eventually couldn’t recover. ISU is also a team that prides itself on forcing turnovers and scoring off of them, and not only did that not happen enough, but at times KU used the pressure it faced against the visitors.
Why did things open up offensively for Iowa State in the second half?Iowa State scored 40 points in the second half after dropping just 23 in the first, and when asked what changed, Otzelberger pointed to the issues his team faced. He reiterated it looked as if the Cyclones were playing rushed, such as taking some shots too early instead of being patient and having a longer possession. He mentioned guys felt as if they needed to make plays because they could see things weren’t going their team’s way, and in doing so, didn’t make the most advantageous play.
In addition to turning the ball over much less after halftime, Iowa State shot 50% from the field in the second half compared to 24.2% in the first. That all contributed to the Cyclones going on a run to open the second half, before the Jayhawks recovered and stopped their comeback attempt. ISU made it an 11-point game with a little less than 13 minutes remaining in regulation, after facing a 21-point deficit at halftime, before KU pulled away again.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger analyzes loss vs Kansas basketball
