Iowa State men's basketball routs IUPUI 88-39 in season opener

AMES − After a season that defied just about every expectation, the Iowa State men’s basketball season opened Monday exactly on script.

The Cyclones dismantled their overmatched opponent.

Iowa State began Year 2 under coach T.J. Otzelberger with a commanding 88-39 victory over IUPUI at Hilton Coliseum.

The Cyclones (1-0) got 23 points on 8 of 16 shooting from St. Bonaventure transfer Jaren Holmes while Gabe Kalscheur scored 16 points off the bench. Center Osun Osunniyi had 10 points and two blocks in 18 minutes.

The Jaguars (0-1) saw much the same defense that powered Iowa State to the Sweet 16 a year ago. IUPUI committed 24 turnovers and shot 33 percent from the field.

Iowa State returns to action at Hilton Coliseum on Sunday against North Carolina A&T (Noon; ESPN+).

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Here's what we saw in the Cyclones’ season opener:

A surprise starter

With a roster that looked wholly different from last year’s Sweet 16 team, one of the few things that seemed likely to be consistent was Kalscheur’s spot in the starting lineup.

This season already has its first surprise, however.

The senior, who started all 88 games in his first three collegiate seasons and 34 of 35 last year for the Cyclones, came off the bench against the Jaguars with Caleb Grill getting the start in his place.

"I was just really just going in there to play how I play," Kalscheur said following the game. "Nothing really changed – I'm going in there being energy guy, take pride on defense and offense as well."

The 6-foot-4 Kalscheur has largely been considered one of the best perimeter defenders in the Big 12 – and the Big Ten before that – which would make him one of the best in the country. He has, however, seen his offensive production and consistency plummet during his college career.

He went from being a 41 percent 3-point shooter as a freshman only to see it drop every season with a low of 23.5 percent last year. Even last year, though, he showed flashes of offensive ability, with four games of at least 18 points and one 30-point outburst (Memphis).

It makes sense for Iowa State to do anything it can to unlock some sort of offensive production from Kalscheur, and perhaps a move out of the starting lineup could be the thing that does it. Kalscheur will almost certainly play starters’ minutes – he came in before the under-16 media timeout in the first half and finished with 32 minutes– so the change shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as a demotion.

"He came in, was aggressive scoring the ball," Otzelberger said of the fifth-year senior. "That’s what we wanted from him. Guys setting screens, him coming off and shooting with confidence. He had great confidence again out there tonight, and really pleased with how he’s responded to it.

"It’s important to look at your lineups and combinations, and Gabe is somebody we have a lot of trust in. He can come off the bench and make us better."

Kalscheur was 5 of 10 from the field and 4 of 7 from 3-point range against IUPUI.

"Just knowing I put in the work, put in the time and just trusting it," Kalscheur said. "I felt really good coming into it, shooting the ball really well and my teammates have a bunch of confidence in me."

Kalscheur is an elite defender, and Iowa State’s perimeter defense was noticeably better with him on the floor against IUPUI. True freshmen also don’t accidentally shoot better than 40 percent on nearly 200 3-point attempts in the Big Ten, as he did four years ago.

If he can play his normal level of defense and just find some sort of level offensively, Iowa State may have an all-conference caliber player.

It’s worth a shot to do something a little bold to try to find out.

Point guard

If not for the swap in the starting lineup, all eyes would have been on the point guard position.

Jeremiah Williams, the Cyclones’ presumed starter, is getting around Hilton Coliseum on a scooter after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury. That means Iowa State is turning to Ames native and true freshman Tamin Lipsey, who became the first Little Cyclone to start for Iowa State since Bubu Palo more than a decade ago.

Lipsey looked very much as he did when leading Ames to a state title and how his coaches and teammates described him throughout the summer – poised, mature and ready for his opportunity.

"I thought he played very, very well," Holmes said. "You could see his stoic face throughout the whole game. He doesn’t really get too high. Doesn’t really get too low.

"That’s very special for a freshman. He stays the course the whole time."

The 6-foot-1 rookie took just one shot (he missed), but had five assists, two steals and no turnovers in 17 minutes. Certainly there will be tougher tests than what Lipsey got from the Jaguars, but he very much looked like he belonged in his debut.

"Tamin’s been terrific," Otzelberger said. "Guys love playing with him because he’s so unselfish, and he’s looking for them all the time. We’ve got a lot of confidence in Tamin, and he’ll continue to grow and develop as the year goes on."

Perhaps of more concern for Iowa State is the depth at the position.

When Lipsey wasn’t on the floor, the Cyclones turned to Holmes to run the point. Holmes had a productive game, but he looked much more at home off the ball, and Iowa State’s offense wasn’t as smooth as when it had a true point guard directing traffic. Holmes also finished with four turnovers.

The other option Iowa State had discussed as a potential option at point, true freshman Eli King, did not see the floor until late in the second half after the game had been decided. He appears to be on the outside looking in of the rotation at the outset of his Cyclones career.

Maybe Lipsey can become a 35-minute a night player. Perhaps Holmes becomes more comfortable at the point. King could find his way into the lineup, or Iowa State could look elsewhere for minutes at point.

But the way it looks after one game, Iowa State may have to navigate the season – especially the grueling 18-game Big 12 round-robin – while being thin at a crucial position.

Shooting

One of the main concerns for Iowa State coming into the year was what, on paper, looked like a major lack of shooting.

That concern played out on the floor in the opener – for most of the game, anyway.

Iowa State was 4 of 16 (25 percent) from beyond the 3-point arc to start the game before making two of its last three to elevate the total to 31.6 percent.

It’s one game, so no need to label this team’s offense, but after the Cyclones struggled so much from distance last year and with the expected issue again this year, it’s worth noting. As were the late makes, which maybe gives some hope that this group’s shooting future isn’t yet written in last year’s stats.

They also scored 88 points, so for at least one night they put a lot of points on the board without needing much from beyond the arc.

Defense remains a strength

While Iowa State's offense remains a concern, there is some belief that the Cyclones not only might be able to match last year's ferocious defense but also potentially exceed it.

That's going to be no easy task as the Cyclones had a top-five defense, but the presence of a rim protector like Osun Osunniyi - who had a pair of blocks in 18 minutes - gives Iowa State an ingredient last year's team lacked.

Still, there's going to be work ahead. Iowa State's defense harassed IUPUI, but it certainly wasn't as crisp as Otzelberger became accustomed to seeing from last year's elite group - as would be expected in Game 1.

"Some of the times we were guarding the basketball, our stance was a little too open and we gave them a driving lane," he said. "Other times, our off-ball awareness, we weren’t quick enough from where we call our goalie position to come over and step up and take a charge. We took six (charges), but felt like there was some more out there. Our ball-screen coverage – we want to be up and be aggressive, and there were times in that second half certainly and even early in the game we were back too far.

"It was good, but certainly room for improvement."

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State men's basketball dominates IUPUI 88-39 in season opener