Iowa State basketball coach TJ Otzelberger on season-opening takeaways
After getting a chance to review the film, Iowa State basketball coach TJ Otzelberger shared his takeaways from the season-opener against FDU.
After dismantling FDU in a wire-to-wire victory to open the 2025-26 season, Iowa State basketball has another tune-up game against Grambling State before its first early-season challenge against Mississippi State next week.
The Tigers (1-0) are also coming off a season-opening win, defeating NAIA school Huston-Tillotson in a 91-47 beatdown on Nov. 3.
Tip-off is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. CT from Hilton Coliseum. The game will also be available on ESPN+.
Here are three things to watch in Thursday night’s game:
Grambling State hasn’t won a Division I regular-season non-conference game since 2022
Grambling State is headed to Ames with a 22-game losing streak against Division I non-conference opponents in the regular season.
The Tigers haven’t taken down a Division I non-conference foe in the regular season since defeating Vanderbilt, 64-62, on Dec. 9, 2022.
They experienced a handful of regular-season non-conference victories since then, albeit over NAIA, NCCAA and Division II schools.
Iowa State has played Grambling State twice in program history. The Cyclones won both meetings in lopsided fashion, including a 92-37 victory in the most recent outing during the 2023-24 season.
This year’s Grambling State squad is completely different, though, from the roster to the coaching staff. The Tigers welcomed new head coach Patrick Crarey, who had to completely rebuild Grambling State’s roster. The Tigers don’t have any returning players from last season’s 12-22 finish.
Grambling State had five different players score in double figures and forced 25 turnovers in its season-opening win against Huston-Tillotson. Senior Jimel Lane led the pack with 15 points and three steals, with freshman Antonio Munoz right behind with 12 points, four boards, three assists, two blocks and a steal.
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Big day for Iowa State big men Blake Buchanan, Joshua Jefferson?
No players bigger than 6-foot-8, 235 pounds saw the court for Grambling State in the season-opening victory. The Tigers do have two players larger than those measurables listed on their roster, but they didn’t see any action as Grambling State went 11-deep against Huston-Tillotson.
Randarious Jones is the Tigers’ biggest starter at 6-foot-7, 235 pounds.
This could potentially be a big game in the paint on both ends of the floor for Cyclone forwards Blake Buchanan and Joshua Jefferson. Even those coming off the bench, like Eric Mulder and Dominykas Pleta, will benefit from a size advantage.
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Cyclones’ disruptive defense
Iowa State got off to a fast start in its outing against FDU. The Cyclones were clicking early on both ends of the court, but their disorienting defense played a big role throughout the game. Iowa State is at its best when it’s clamping down on its foe or creating steals and turnovers that lead to transition scoring opportunities.
The Cyclones forced 18 FDU turnovers, which became 24 points on the other end. Iowa State also held FDU to shooting just 32.7% overall and 22.2% from deep.
Grambling State committed 15 turnovers in the win over Huston-Tillotson. It also struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 5-of-23 (21.7%). If these numbers were against a NAIA opponent, what is Iowa State’s suffocating defense going to look like against the Tigers?
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Iowa State basketball vs Grambling State prediction
For a team with plenty of new faces, this will be a valuable trial-by-fire for Grambling State, which will get to learn a lot about who steps up in adverse situations.
For Iowa State, this should be another lopsided victory. The Cyclones will get another game to fine-tune and get newcomers acclimated to their roles and defensive rotations. The Cyclones’ effort on defense should result in plenty of scoring opportunities and “kills” — a term they use for getting three-straight defensive stops. Prediction: Iowa State 84, Grambling State 49
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
