Iowa State basketball: A look back at highs, lows of the Cyclones' 2024-25 season

MILWAUKEE It was a somber ending to a season that opened with plenty of promise.

After one final postgame locker room chat, following Iowa State men's basketball's NCAA Tournament second-round loss to Ole Miss on Sunday, the Cyclones processed the end-of-season heartbreak."Certainly disappointment, wanting to fulfill and live up to those (preseason expectations), as the competitors that we all are, every single day," Iowa State coach T.J.

Otzelberger said.

"I look at the entire season and you start the year preseason (ranked No.) 6, you win 25 games, you finish in the top five of the league there's a lot of great things our guys accomplished.

"...

What happens for a lot of teams this time of year is injuries happen, disruption happens and what you need to be able to do is continue to move forward the best that you can.

...

Our guys kept fighting, they kept competing, they kept coming to practice every single day and I'm proud of how they continued to move forward.

The guys who were out there, I really feel like we left it on the court.

Did we play great (Sunday)? No, it wasn't our best, but our guys didn't stop fighting and I'm proud of them for that."Iowa State finished the season with a 25-10 record.

The Cyclones finished fifth in the Big 12 during the regular season.

They were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Ole Miss and they fell short of a Sweet 16 and other big goals.Here is a look at Iowa State men's basketball season:Iowa State basketball 2024-25 individual accoladesThe Cyclones had four players earn All-Big 12 honors.

Curtis Jones also earned AP honorable mention All-American recognition.Here is a look at the award winners:Curtis JonesAP honorable mention All-AmericanBig 12 Sixth Man of the YearAll-Big 12 first teamJoshua JeffersonAll-Big 12 second teamBig 12 All-Newcomer TeamTamin LipseyAll-Big 12 third teamBig 12 All-Defensive TeamKeshon Gilbert:All-Big 12 third teamThere's a case to be made for each of these four players when discussing the Cyclones' most valuable player.

Jones became the first player in conference history to be named All-Big 12 first-team and Sixth Man of the Year.

He led the Cyclones with 17.1 points per game and had the ability to take over games.Jefferson's versatility and skill set made him ultra-valuable.

He could score, rebound, dish out assists and defend.

He made an immediate impact in his first season at Iowa State.Lipsey became Iowa State's all-time steals leader and his defensive prowess, basketball IQ and toughness made him a cornerstone in his own right.

He played through different ailments, whether it was remnants of his shoulder injury, a broken thumb or a groin injury.

He set the tone with his leadership and play.As for Gilbert, he was at one point among the top point guards in the country, landing on the Bob Cousy Award midseason watch list.

Gilbert averaged the second-most points (13.4 points per game) and a team-best 4.1 assists per game.

He was also a solid perimeter defender and disruptive for opponents.The Cyclones were the sum of their parts and simply not the same when one or more pieces were compromised.

It's difficult to single out the most valuable player, but they each undoubtedly impacted Iowa State's success in their own way.High point of the season: Cyclones reach program-record No.

2 ranking, follow up by beating KansasThe first half of the season was a magical ride for the Cyclones.

They lived up to the lofty expectations early on.After bulldozing its first three opponents, Iowa State suffered a last-second loss to Auburn, which would later hold the top spot in national college basketball rankings for eight straight weeks.The Cyclones responded well after the loss, rattling off a 12-game winning streak.

Nine of those wins came by double figures.

The streak was also highlighted by a fifth-place showing at the Maui Invitational, the best possible finish after the opening-round loss to Auburn, wins over then-ranked Marquette, Baylor and Kansas.

The Cyclones also got their first win over rival Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena since 2014.Iowa State also pulled off a gutsy 85-84 overtime win against then-unranked Texas Tech on Jan.

11, a victory that aged very well as the season unfolded.

After that win over the Red Raiders, the Cyclones climbed up to No.

2 in both the AP and Coaches' polls, their highest national ranking in program history.The following day, Iowa State was dealt some misfortune when Milan Momcilovic suffered a hand injury during practice and was forced to miss a Jan.

15 marquee matchup with Kansas, the first of seven games that Momcilovic would miss in order to recover.

The Cyclones banded together and recorded a resounding 74-57 victory.

As a result, the Cyclones improved to 15-1 overall and set a new program record for the best start to a single season.Low point of the Iowa State season: Loss to Oklahoma StateThe Feb.

1 loss at home to Kansas State was a close contender.

While disappointing, it was in the middle of the Wildcats' upswing, a six-game winning streak that also included marquee wins over Kansas and Arizona.Oklahoma State entered the Feb.

25 contest below-.500 overall and 5-11 in Big 12 Conference play, after suffering a 32-point loss to Kansas.Iowa State came off of a loss to Houston, but played admirably in its 68-59 loss on Feb.

22.

The Cyclones were without Jones and Gilbert, their leading scorers, but they rallied to make it a one-possession game late before the Cougars pulled away.Against Oklahoma State, the Cyclones got Jones back from illness but remained without Gilbert.

Despite past struggles by the Cowboys, the Cyclones trailed the entire way in the 74-68 loss.

Oklahoma State was physical and relentless defensively, forcing the Cyclones to make uncharacteristic plays.

Iowa State didn't respond well and Oklahoma State continued to make winning plays before going on to win and having its fans storm the court.The loss was also a moment where it was time to re-evaluate the floor and ceiling of the Cyclones' season, especially if their luck with injuries and ailments was not going to improve, and ultimately they would remain injury-compromised.Could have used: Better luck with injuriesIt will be the biggest what-if when looking back at the Cyclones' season.

Iowa State was 20-2 when every member of its primary eight-man rotation was healthy enough to play.

The Cyclones were 5-8 when dealing with at least one absence.With the way the Cyclones were operating during their program-best start to a season, they were once ranked in the top 10 for offensive and defensive efficiency according to KenPom.

They were a buzzsaw before the injuries disrupted their momentum.The last two months of the season were marred by a revolving door of injuries.

As ailments piled up and players were in-and-out, the Cyclones were unable to recapture that consistency.

Even in the brief moments they were fully healthy, they couldn't return to their high level of play on both ends of the floor.

The injury-compromised Cyclones couldn't string back-to-back wins in the postseason.

They lost to BYU in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals.

In the NCAA Tournament, they fell to Ole Miss in the second round.Looking ahead to Iowa State men's basketball's 2025-26 seasonThe transfer portal opened on Monday and we will see how the Cyclones' roster transforms through departures and additions.For now, the Cyclones have the pieces to be back in the preseason top 25.

All-conference picks Lipsey and Jefferson are set to return.

Milan Momcilovic is another experienced player that gives the Cyclones a nice core to build around, after starting for two seasons.

Nate Heise has a final year of eligibility remaining and after a season within the Cyclones' system under his belt, he can hit the ground running next year.

Cade Kelderman also had his moments as contributors in the Cyclones' rotation.Iowa State will lose a huge chunk of its offensive production with Jones and Gilbert out of eligibility.

Brandton Chatfield's career also came to an end and Dishon Jackson opted to transfer and spend his final year of eligibility elsewhere, so the Cyclones will need to beef up their frontcourt.

Iowa State will also need to replace its "Chief Energy Officer" with Conrad Hawley also set to graduate.The Cyclones also lost reserves Demarion Watson, J.T.

Rock and Kayden Fish, who entered the transfer portal.Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register.

Contact Eugene at [email protected].

Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball: A look back at Cyclones' 2024-25 season.

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