Iowa State Cyclones vs Marquette Golden Eagles Picks and Predictions December 4th 2024

Battle Marquee Belongs to No. 6 Iowa State, No. 5 Marquette

One of the most anticipated matchups in the Big 12-Big East Battle unfolds Wednesday night in Ames, where No. 6 Iowa State hosts No. 5 Marquette in an early-season showdown of top-ranked teams.

Iowa State: Rested and Ready

The Cyclones (5-1) return home after a strong showing at the Maui Invitational, where they posted a 2-1 record. Their lone loss was an 83-81 thriller against then-No. 2 Auburn, which ultimately won the tournament. Iowa State picked up wins against Dayton (89-84) and Colorado (99-71), showcasing their offensive depth.

In the victory over Colorado, Milan Momcilovic led the Cyclones with 24 points, while six teammates also scored in double figures, including 19 from Curtis Jones.

“I think we grew up a lot in these three days,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “Throughout the season, you have to handle adversity. You have to handle success. We were fortunate here from that perspective to have to fight through both.”

Guard Tamin Lipsey emphasized the team’s focus on the next challenge. “Good time to get some rest heading into Marquette, looking forward to that game and preparing and getting healthy,” he said.

Marquette: A Perfect Start

The Golden Eagles (8-0) are off to their best start in over a decade, last achieving this kind of momentum in the 2011-12 season. On Saturday, Marquette cruised to a 94-62 victory over Western Carolina. Kam Jones delivered a standout performance with 20 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds, while Ben Gold added 12 points and four assists.

“I thought our guys had some moments where we really executed the way we wanted to be,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said. “But then we had other moments where we weren’t as sharp or aggressive as we needed to be.”

With tougher opponents looming, Smart stressed the importance of maintaining high standards: “Whoever we have out there in a Marquette uniform, the standard is the standard. This is obviously the last game like this for us, competition goes way up.”

Key Players to Watch

• Iowa State: Keshon Gilbert, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, leads the Cyclones with 16.5 points and 5.3 assists per game. Curtis Jones is close behind with 16.2 points per game, while Joshua Jefferson anchors the boards with 6.2 rebounds per game.
• Marquette: Kam Jones paces the Golden Eagles with 19.6 points and 6.2 assists per game, while David Joplin contributes 15.9 points and leads the team in rebounds (6.0 per game).

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Historic Rivalry Renewed

This game marks the first meeting between the programs since the 2003-04 season, when Iowa State defeated Marquette 77-69 in the NIT semifinal. Marquette leads the all-time series 5-3, with the rivalry dating back to 1960.

Big 12-Big East Battle Spotlight

As part of this week’s marquee matchups:

• No. 15 Baylor visits No. 25 UConn
• No. 1 Kansas travels to face Creighton

With both Iowa State and Marquette riding strong starts, Wednesday’s clash is set to be a high-stakes battle with significant implications for both programs.