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No. 18 Iowa State will host Southern Miss on Friday after opening its season with an 80-76 loss to Memphis. Coach T.J. Otzelberger and players said the Cyclones are working on on-ball defense, positioning and communication to recover the aggressive defensive identity they call their “first punch.”
No. 18 Iowa State will try to reestablish its aggressive defensive approach when it hosts Southern Miss on Friday at 7 p.m., three days after an 80-76 season-opening loss to Memphis revealed problems guarding the ball and protecting the paint. The Cyclones are 0-1; Southern Miss is 1-0, and the game is scheduled for Hilton Coliseum with a broadcast on ESPN+.
Coach T.J. Otzelberger said Iowa State spent the days after the Memphis game addressing its defense. He said the Cyclones were exposed while guarding the ball and that the practices since then carried greater urgency. The loss was Iowa State’s first in a season opener since 2017, according to the report.
Memphis made only 13 turnovers against the Cyclones’ trademark pressure, with most not resulting in live-ball opportunities. The Tigers also outrebounded Iowa State 38-36 and scored a combined 18 more points from three-point range and the free-throw line. Those figures point to a broader defensive issue than missed stops around the basket alone.
Forward Dominykas Pleta scored a career-high 15 points in 12 minutes, making seven of eight field-goal attempts and collecting three rebounds. He also had two turnovers and three fouls. Pleta said Iowa State’s interior defenders were sealed near the rim, while first-year guard Jaquan Johnson identified the team’s pickup point as an area to improve: allowing straight-line drives made it harder for the bigs to get into position.
A Defensive Test at Hilton Coliseum
Friday is Iowa State’s first chance to respond in a regular-season game after its defense failed to impose the pace against Memphis. That matters to a team whose pressure and physical defense are central to its identity under Otzelberger, who took over in 2021. A better showing would not erase the opening loss, but it could indicate whether the adjustments made in practice are carrying over to games.
The specific issues described by players connect the perimeter and the paint. If guards allow direct drives at the point of attack, interior defenders can be put in difficult positions; if help and positioning break down, the whole defense can suffer. Iowa State’s goal, as Pleta described it, is to “hit the first punch” and direct the game toward the style it wants. Whether it can sustain that for a full 40 minutes is the practical question against Southern Miss.
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What Memphis Exposed
The Cyclones opened the season Monday with a four-point loss to Memphis. The source report described Memphis as a stronger-than-usual season-opening opponent and said Iowa State was not panicking over one poor defensive performance. Instead, the coaching staff and players focused on correcting the problems behind it.
The matchup also put the loss in perspective: Memphis managed 13 turnovers despite facing Iowa State’s pressure, outrebounded the Cyclones and gained ground from three-point shooting and free throws. The reported numbers do not, by themselves, establish how the team will perform across the season. They do show why Iowa State’s response is focused on pressure at the perimeter, defensive positioning and help inside rather than on scoring alone.
“We’ve certainly been intentional these last few days because we got exposed in terms of guarding the basketball.”
— T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State head coach
Whether Practice Adjustments Hold
It is not yet clear whether Iowa State’s defensive changes will produce a sustained improvement in a game. The source report did not specify the exact adjustments, provide further details on Southern Miss’s playing style or report any injury concerns. Nor does one game establish whether Memphis’s success against the Cyclones’ pressure reflects a recurring weakness or a performance specific to the opener.
Friday’s result will offer another data point, but it will not settle how Iowa State’s defense will fare over the season, particularly against the stronger Big 12 opponents the report cites as a later test.
Friday’s Home Opener
Iowa State is scheduled to play Southern Miss Friday at 7 p.m. CT at Hilton Coliseum, with the game listed for ESPN+. The Cyclones will look to apply the practice emphasis on pickup points, physical defense and support inside from the opening minutes.
After the game, the clearest measures of a response will include whether Iowa State can limit straight-line drives, defend the rim without compromising help and make its pressure generate more disruptive turnovers. The source material does not give a later schedule milestone or a confirmed forecast for the outcome; the immediate test is whether the Cyclones play with the aggression their players say was missing against Memphis.
Key Questions
What happened in Iowa State’s season opener?
Iowa State lost 80-76 to Memphis on Monday, opening the season 0-1. The Cyclones gave up a 38-36 rebounding edge and were outscored by a combined 18 points from three-point range and the free-throw line.
When and where does Iowa State play Southern Miss?
The teams are scheduled to meet Friday at 7 p.m. CT at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. The game is listed for ESPN+.
What does Iowa State mean by “first punch”?
Forward Dominykas Pleta used the phrase to describe the Cyclones’ desired aggressive start: playing hard from the first seconds and directing the game toward their preferred style. He said the team did not do that against Memphis or in its exhibition games.
What defensive problems is Iowa State working on?
Players and coach T.J. Otzelberger cited on-ball defense, pickup positioning and protection near the rim. Guard Jaquan Johnson said straight-line drives made it harder for the bigs to get in front of interior seals.
Source: cyclonefanatic.com
