Iowa State basketball falls to Illinois in Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament
BOSTON, Mass. – It was right there for Iowa State basketball.
Time and again, the Cyclones had the ball and a chance to complete the comeback against Illinois.
Time and again, the Cyclones failed to seize the opportunity.
And now their season is over.
More: Missed chances haunt Iowa State basketball in Sweet 16 loss to Illinois
No. 3 seed Illinois had a strong start and and never ceded control back to the No. 2 Cyclones to earn a 72-69 victory Thursday at TD Garden in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
It was an abrupt end for Iowa State (29-8) after ripping through the Big 12 Tournament and its first two NCAA Tournament games.
Illinois (29-8) got out to an early 13-point lead, but the Cyclones roared back early in the second half to make things tight.
Iowa State had numerous chances down the stretch to tie or take the lead, but the Illini turned the Cyclones away at every moment to extend Iowa State's Elite Eight drought to 24 years.
“It was tough,” Iowa State point guard Tamin Lipsey said. “We kept getting it a one-possession game and just weren’t able to get the lead.
“It was tough because we were fighting, we were working for it. It’s hard to see when guys are putting in so much effort.”
Curtis Jones had 26 points to lead Iowa State while Keshon Gilbert added 14. Tre King had 10 points and six rebounds. The Cyclones shot 39% from the floor and made 6-of-13 from 3-point range.
Illinois shot 42% from the field and committed just 12 turnovers. The Illini's free-throw struggles (15-of-29) allowed Iowa State to stay close.
The loss ended one of the most successful seasons in program history for Iowa State.
The Cyclones were runners-up in the Big 12’s regular-season race, their best finish since tying for second in 2015. They won the Big 12 Tournament championship for the sixth time in program history and the fifth time in 10 years.
The Sweet 16 appearance was the Cyclones’ second in three years and the seventh-ever for the program.
The Cyclones did it despite roster turnover that featured five true freshmen and three new transfers from mid-major programs.
“I do feel really good about what they accomplished,” coach T.J. Otzelberger said, “and if there’s such a thing as pushing to your ceiling that we were pushing right there.”
Otzelberger and his staff once again constructed one of the country’s top defenses – ranking No. 1 overall as of their ouster Thursday – while taking significant steps forward with an offense that was in dire need of improvement after the previous two years.
With the transfer portal open and name, image and likeness dollars impacting player retention like never before, it’s nearly impossible to guess what the Cyclones’ roster will look like in 2024-25. But it could see many important pieces returning.
Lipsey will be a junior after a first-team All-Big 12 season. Milan Momcilovic could find himself on NBA Draft boards as a sophomore. Gilbert blossomed throughout the season into a reliable and dynamic guard, and Jones is expected to utilize his COVID-19 waiver for a fifth season after becoming one of the Cyclones’ most reliable shooters.
More: Missed chances haunt Iowa State basketball in Sweet 16 loss to Illinois
Then there are the youngsters JT Rock, Jelani Hamilton and Kayden Fish, all of whom redshirted their freshman seasons, becoming eligible. Omaha Biliew’s future will certainly be a major offseason question after he arrived amid major hype as Iowa State’s first McDonald’s All-American in a generation, but never was able to consistently crack the rotation.
The future, though, felt far off Thursday night for the Cyclones as the sting of the present and the thought of what might have been took precedence.
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 on X at @TravisHines21.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball loses to Illinois in Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament
