Iowa State men picked in the middle of Big 12 in preseason poll
The Iowa State men's basketball team has largely turned over its roster and has certainly gotten younger after back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, but the Big 12's coaches are not anticipating much of a step back from the Cyclones.
Coach T.J. Otzelberger's team was selected to finish seventh − smack dab in the middle of the 14-team league − in the Big 12 coaches' preseason poll, the league announced Thursday.
Iowa State welcomes in one of its best recruiting classes in program history with McDonald's All-American Omaha Biliew and top-50 prospect Milan Momcilovic leading the way. The Cyclones also will be bolstered by transfer portal additions of Keshon Gilbert (UNLV), Curtis Jones (Buffalo) and Jackson Paveletzke (Wofford).
More: Milan Momcilovic hoping to give Iowa State basketball a 6-foot-8 long-range shooting threat
Returning is starting point guard Tamin Lipsey along with big men Tre King, Robert Jones and Hasan Ward as well as sophomore wing Demarion Watson.
Perennial Big 12 powerhouse and 2022 national champion Kansas was the pick to win the league, garnering 12 first-place votes, while league newcomer Houston was the runner-up pick, generating a pair of first-place votes.
The rest of the conference's newest members did not fare as well in the poll with Cincinnati picked 11th and BYU (13th) and UCF (14th) filling the final two spots.
More: After NCAA Tournament futility, what's next for the Iowa State offense?
The Big 12 announced its preseason player awards Wednesday. Kansas' Hunter Dickinson, a transfer from Michigan, was selected as both the newcomer and preseason player of the year. Ja'Kobe Walter of Baylor was the pick for preseason freshman of the year.
Dickinson was joined by L.J. Cryer (Houston), Dujuan Harris (Kansas), Emmanuel Miller (TCU) and Max Abmas (Texas) on the preseason all-Big 12 squad. Iowa State was not represented among the preseason player awards.
The Cyclones open the season Monday, Nov. 6, at home against Green Bay.
Big 12 preseason men's basketball poll
1. Kansas (12), 168
2. Houston (2), 153
3. Texas, 143
4. Baylor, 137
5. TCU, 113
6. Kansas State, 106
7. Iowa State, 95
8. Texas Tech 80
9. West Virginia, 70
10. Oklahoma State, 57
11. Cincinnati, 55
12. Oklahoma, 54
13. BYU, 29
14. UCF, 14
Big 12 preseason player awards
Preseason Player of the Year: Hunter Dickinson, Kansas, C, 7-2, Sr., Alexandra, Va./Michigan
Preseason Newcomer of the Year: Hunter Dickinson, Kansas, C, 7-2, Sr., Alexandra, Va./Michigan
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor, F, 6-5, McKinney, Texas/Link Academy (Mo.)
Preseason All-Big 12 Team: L.J. Cryer, Houston; Hunter Dickinson, Kansas; Dajuan Harris Jr., Kansas; Emanuel Miller, TCU; Max Abmas, Texas
Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by school): Jalen Bridges (Baylor), RayJ Dennis (Baylor), Ja’Kobe Walter (Baylor), Jamal Shead (Houston), Kevin McCullar Jr. (Kansas), Arthur Kaluma (Kansas State), Tylor Perr (Kansas State), Dylan Disu (Texas), Tyrese Hunter (Texas), Dillon Mitchell (Texas), Jesse Edwards (West Virginia).
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 picked for middle of Big 12 in preseason poll
