Bigger lineups leading to fewer forced turnovers for Iowa State men's basketball

AMES – Knowing it would likely take some years before they could fully restock the roster with offensive skill and talent, Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger and his staff constructed the Cyclones’ roster with an emphasis on defense.

While Iowa State hasn’t had any surefire NBA players on its roster the last two seasons, they’ve had players committed to playing some of the most demanding – and effective – defense in the country. That has largely been predicated on ball pressure that turns teams over at an elite rate.

That, though, has wavered in recent weeks as Iowa State has slumped to five losses in its last seven Big 12 games. Since starting league play 6-2 with a turnover percentage of nearly 24, Iowa State has gone 2-5 while turning teams over on an average of 20% of their possessions.

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That’s also coincided with guard Caleb Grill’s limited availability with a back injury over that stretch, depleting Iowa State’s depth and depriving them of the ability to play four-guard lineups.

“When you look at defensively where we’ve probably been at our best is when we’re four guards and we’re quick to closeouts and we’re quick to the basketball and we’re flying around,” Otzelberger said. “That’s probably where our defense is at its strongest. Caleb impacts that. Him not being on the court, his strength is to pressure the ball. His strength is to fly around, give multiple efforts on defense. "

Grill’s status is questionable heading into Saturday’s home game against Oklahoma (11 a.m.; ESPNU), and that leaves Iowa State looking to reinvent its defense at a late stage in the season, even if only temporarily.

Four times in the Big 12’s first eight games, Iowa State turned opponents over on more than 25% of their possessions. The Cyclones have not accomplished that feat since. In those first eight games, Iowa State’s turnover rate never dipped below 19.7% in a game. It's happened three times in the seven games since, including a 13.3% mark at Texas Tech.

Grill’s absence has Iowa State playing larger lineups, with traditional centers and power forwards on the floor at all times. They've even deployed Jaz Kunc, who has previously played the small-ball five, at small forward.

“Just like you would offensively, have those guys play to their strengths and what’s realistic for them to do,” Otzelberger said. “We certainly require everybody plays hard and fly around, but you also have to look at when other teams are playing three and four guards and you’re potentially playing three bigs, how does that factor into your defensive plan?”

Iowa State knows what it’s sacrificing when it goes big, even if it is by necessity.

“What we make up in size, we give up in quickness,” said senior center Robert Jones. “You gain that size inside so you have more of a presence, more length, but the flying around aspect of our defense diminishes a little bit because taller people move around a little slower.”

Which turns down the ball pressure and the ability to force the turnovers at the elite level that has been so crucial to Iowa State.

“It’s a challenge,” Otzelberger said. “We’ve seen our team when we’re at our best, what it looks like. We’re flying around defensively in our man (defense).

“Our identity is built on playing that defense in that manner. When we’ve had our best successes and our best stretches in games, it’s been doing it to that level. It would be great to have everybody healthy and have everybody back and be able to play that defense the way we built it around the strengths of having our guys healthy.”

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Travis Hines covers Iowa State University sports for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him at @TravisHines21.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State's defensive identity in flux amid Grill injury