# 2023–24 Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team

The 2023–24 Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team represented Iowa State University during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cyclones were coached by T. J. Otzelberger in his third season as head coach. They played their home games at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa as members of the Big 12 Conference. The Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team drew an average home attendance of 13,868 in 2023-24, the 18th highest in college basketball.

## Previous season

The Cyclones started the season 9–2 in non-conference play, including a runner-up finish in the Phil Knight Invitational (PK85) with wins over Villanova and top-ranked North Carolina before falling to eventual national champion UConn. They finished the 2022–23 season 19–14, 9–9 in Big 12 play to finish a tie for fifth place. As the No. 5 seed in the Big 12 tournament, they defeated the No. 4 seed Baylor before falling to top seeded Kansas. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 6 seed in the Midwest region. In the first round, the Cyclones fell to No. 11 seed Pittsburgh, 59–41.
The season represented one of the best in school history versus ranked opponents, including wins over the number 1, 5, 7 (twice), 8, 10, 12, 17 and 22nd ranked teams. The Cyclones went 6–3 against top ten teams.

## Offseason
### Departures

Offseason Departures :
| Name | Position | Reason |
| Eli King | Guard | Transferred to North Dakota. |
| Caleb Grill | Guard | Dismissed during 2022–23 season. Later transferred to Missouri. |
| Aljaž Kunč | Forward | Exhausted eligibility. |
| Jaren Holmes | Guard | Exhausted eligibility. |
| Osun Osunniyi | Forward | Exhausted eligibility. |
| Gabe Kalscheur | Guard | Exhausted eligibility. |
| Jeremiah Williams | Guard | Transferred to Rutgers. |

### Incoming transfers

Incoming transfers :
| Name | Position | Hometown | Previous School | Incoming Eligibility |
| Jackson Paveletzke | Guard | Kimberly, Wisconsin | Wofford | So. |
| Curtis Jones | Guard | Minneapolis | Buffalo | Sr. |
| Keshon Gilbert | Guard | St. Louis, Missouri | UNLV | Jr. |

### 2023 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Kayden Fish F | Kansas City, Missouri | Staley | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 250 lb (110 kg) | Aug 8, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: 81 ||||||
| Omaha Biliew F | Waukee, Iowa | Waukee | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Jul 26, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 92 ||||||
| Milan Momcilovic F | Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Pewaukee | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jul 16, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 86 ||||||
| Jelani Hamilton G | Marietta, GA | Wheeler | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jul 1, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: 82 ||||||
| JT Rock C | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Lincoln | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | Jan 4, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 83 ||||||
| Cade Kelderman (W) G | Waukee, Iowa | Waukee Northwest | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Apr 19, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: N/A ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 7 247Sports: 10 ESPN: 11 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Iowa State 2023 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 23, 2023. "2023 Iowa State Cyclones Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 23, 2023. "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 23, 2023. ||||||

## Roster

*Hawley played football at Kansas and was not a member of the basketball team

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular season |||||||||
| Nov 6, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Green Bay | W 85–44 | 1–0 | 18 – Momcilovic | 8 – Tied | 7 – Lipsey | Hilton Coliseum (13,360) Ames, Iowa |
| Nov 9, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Lindenwood | W 102–47 | 2–0 | 21 – Lipsey | 7 – King | 7 – Lipsey | Hilton Coliseum (13,327) Ames, Iowa |
| Nov 12, 2023* 12:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Idaho State | W 86–55 | 3–0 | 16 – Tied | 6 – Gilbert | 5 – Lipsey | Hilton Coliseum (13,529) Ames, Iowa |
| Nov 19, 2023* 12:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Grambling State | W 92–37 | 4–0 | 17 – Lipsey | 8 – King | 9 – Lipsey | Hilton Coliseum (12,975) Ames, Iowa |
| Nov 23, 2023* 4:30 p.m., ESPN2 | | vs. VCU ESPN Events Invitational quarterfinals | W 68–64 | 5–0 | 22 – Tied | 10 – Gilbert | 4 – Tied | State Farm Field House (2,458) Kissimmee, Florida |
| Nov 24, 2023* 4:30 p.m., ESPN2 | | vs. Virginia Tech ESPN Events Invitational semifinals | L 62–71 | 5–1 | 21 – Momcilovic | 7 – Tied | 4 – Tied | State Farm Field House (2,579) Kissimmee, Florida |
| Nov 26, 2023* 6:30 p.m., ESPN2 | | vs. No. 12 Texas A&M ESPN Events Invitational 3rd place game | L 69–73 | 5–2 | 14 – Momcilovic | 14 – Lipsey | 7 – Gilbert | State Farm Field House (1,964) Kissimmee, Florida |
| Dec 1, 2023* 7:30 p.m., FS1 | | at DePaul Big East–Big 12 Battle | W 99–80 | 6–2 | 24 – King | 10 – Lipsey | 10 – Lipsey | Wintrust Arena (4,852) Chicago |
| Dec 7, 2023* 6:30 p.m., ESPNU | | Iowa Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series | W 90–65 | 7–2 | 25 – Gilbert | 7 – Lipsey | 6 – Tied | Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, Iowa |
| Dec 10, 2023* 12:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Prairie View A&M | W 107–56 | 8–2 | 22 – C. Jones | 8 – Tied | 8 – Gilbert | Hilton Coliseum (13,570) Ames, Iowa |
| Dec 17, 2023* 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Florida A&M | W 96–58 | 9–2 | 19 – Lipsey | 10 – King | 5 – Tied | Hilton Coliseum (13,081) Ames, Iowa |
| Dec 21, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Eastern Illinois | W 80–48 | 10–2 | 18 – C. Jones | 6 – Tied | 7 – Lipsey | Hilton Coliseum (12,841) Ames, Iowa |
| Dec 31, 2023* 12:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | New Hampshire | W 85–70 | 11–2 | 16 – Lipsey | 10 – Gilbert | 11 – Gilbert | Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, Iowa |
| Big 12 |||||||||
| Jan 6, 2024 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at No. 11 Oklahoma | L 63–71 | 11–3 (0–1) | 12 – Tied | 7 – Tied | 5 – Lipsey | Lloyd Noble Center (11,333) Norman, Oklahoma |
| Jan 9, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | No. 2 Houston | W 57–53 | 12–3 (1–1) | 14 – Lipsey | 9 – King | 4 – Gilbert | Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, Iowa |
| Jan 13, 2024 7:15 p.m., ESPN+ | | Oklahoma State | W 66–42 | 13–3 (2–1) | 17 – Lipsey | 7 – King | 5 – Tied | Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, Iowa |
| Jan 16, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 24 | at No. 20 BYU | L 72–87 | 13–4 (2–2) | 16 – Gilbert | 6 – Ward | 5 – Lipsey | Marriott Center (15,491) Provo, Utah |
| Jan 20, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPNU | No. 24 | at No. 19 TCU | W 72–71 | 14–4 (3–2) | 20 – Gilbert | 6 – Watson | 4 – Tied | Schollmaier Arena (7,739) Fort Worth, Texas |
| Jan 24, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 23 | Kansas State | W 78–67 | 15–4 (4–2) | 19 – Momcilovic | 13 – Gilbert | 6 – Lipsey | Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, Iowa |
| Jan 27, 2024 12:30 p.m., CBS | No. 23 | No. 7 Kansas | W 79–75 | 16–4 (5–2) | 21 – King | 9 – King | 8 – Lipsey | Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, Iowa |
| Feb 3, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 12 | at No. 18 Baylor | L 68–70 | 16–5 (5–3) | 24 – Gilbert | 7 – R. Jones | 3 – Tied | Foster Pavilion (7,500) Waco, Texas |
| Feb 6, 2024 7:00 p.m., LHN | No. 14 | at Texas | W 70–65 | 17–5 (6–3) | 13 – Momcilovic | 7 – Tied | 5 – Lipsey | Moody Center (10,663) Austin, Texas |
| Feb 10, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 14 | TCU | W 71–59 | 18–5 (7–3) | 15 – King | 5 – Momcilovic | 7 – Gilbert | Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, Iowa |
| Feb 13, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 10 | at Cincinnati | W 68–59 | 19–5 (8–3) | 15 – Tied | 6 – R. Jones | 4 – Lipsey | Fifth Third Arena (11,819) Cincinnati |
| Feb 17, 2024 11:00 a.m., ESPN+ | No. 10 | Texas Tech | W 82–74 | 20–5 (9–3) | 24 – Gilbert | 8 – Gilbert | 5 – Gilbert | Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, Iowa |
| Feb 19, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 6 | at No. 2 Houston | L 65–73 | 20–6 (9–4) | 17 – Gilbert | 8 – King | 5 – Gilbert | Fertitta Center (7,895) Houston |
| Feb 24, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 6 | West Virginia | W 71–64 | 21–6 (10–4) | 14 – Lipsey | 5 – Tied | 6 – Lipsey | Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, Iowa |
| Feb 28, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 8 | Oklahoma | W 58–45 | 22–6 (11–4) | 15 – Watson | 9 – Watson | 7 – Gilbert | Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, Iowa |
| Mar 2, 2024 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 8 | at UCF | W 60–52 | 23–6 (12–4) | 16 – King | 6 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Addition Financial Arena (9,392) Orlando, Florida |
| Mar 6, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 6 | No. 20 BYU | W 68–63 | 24–6 (13–4) | 19 – Lipsey | 6 – Tied | 5 – Gilbert | Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, Iowa |
| Mar 9, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 6 | at Kansas State | L 58–65 | 24–7 (13–5) | 16 – C. Jones | 6 – King | 3 – Gilbert | Bramlage Coliseum (9,311) Manhattan, Kansas |
| Big 12 Tournament |||||||||
| Mar 14, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 | (2) No. 7 | vs. (10) Kansas State Quarterfinals | W 76–57 | 25–7 | 18 – R. Jones | 9 – King | 5 – Gilbert | T-Mobile Center (19,135) Kansas City, Missouri |
| Mar 15, 2024 8:30 p.m., ESPN | (2) No. 7 | vs. (3) No. 14 Baylor Semifinals | W 76–62 | 26–7 | 20 – Gilbert | 7 – Gilbert | 7 – Gilbert | T-Mobile Center (19,135) Kansas City, Missouri |
| Mar 16, 2024 5:00 p.m., ESPN | (2) No. 7 | vs. (1) No. 1 Houston Championship | W 69–41 | 27–7 | 18 – Momcilovic | 9 – King | 6 – Lipsey | T-Mobile Center (19,135) Kansas City, Missouri |
| NCAA Tournament |||||||||
| March 21, 2024 6:35 p.m., TruTV | (2 E) No. 4 | vs. (15 E) South Dakota State First Round | W 82–65 | 28–7 | 19 – Momcilovic | 7 – King | 7 – Lipsey | CHI Health Center (17,391) Omaha, Nebraska |
| March 23, 2024 5:10 p.m., TNT | (2 E) No. 4 | vs. (7 E) No. 25 Washington State Second Round | W 67–56 | 29–7 | 15 – Lipsey | 6 – Ward | 4 – Tied | CHI Health Center (17,387) Omaha, Nebraska |
| March 28, 2024 9:14 p.m., TBS | (2 E) No. 4 | vs. (3 E) No. 10 Illinois Sweet Sixteen | L 69–72 | 29–8 | 26 – C. Jones | 7 – King | 4 – Lipsey | TD Garden (19,144) Boston |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | — | RV | RV | RV | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 24 | 23 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 8 |
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 20 | 18 | 11 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 7 |